Your guide to becoming a cryptographer

What is a cryptographer?

A cryptographer is a skilled cyber security professional that creates encryption codes to protect important data. They play a crucial role in safeguarding sensitive information by creating highly complex and challenging encryption methods to thwart hackers. With a global electronics network as open and interconnected as it is today, it's imperative that we have cyber security professionals like cryptographers to protect information such as e-commerce transactions, cell phone messages and more.

Cryptographers are also often involved in solving encrypted codes, too. However, some people may specialize in one over the other. Those that specialize specifically in breaking or decrypting codes are called cryptanalysts, while cryptographers focus on making codes. To make matters more complicated, while these two titles do have different meanings, both professionals—cryptographers and cryptanalysts—may do both depending on their particular job scope.

What does a cryptographer do?

Cryptographers create complex algorithms and ciphers to encrypt data. At its core, encryption is a way of hiding comprehensible information (called plaintext) by translating it into something unrecognizable (called ciphertext) using a key or code. The key is a mathematical problem that the algorithm uses to convert the plaintext into a ciphertext.

The actual type of information you are protecting via encryption depends on who you work for and your unique job scope, but some specific responsibilities might include:

Career options for cryptographers

Cryptographers generally have two employment routes: working for the private sector at a business or corporation or in the public sector for a government agency.

Cryptographers working in the private sector for an individual business, company, corporation or something else are focused on protecting that entity's digital integrity and assets specifically, such as an insurance agency, financial institution or university. Most cryptography-focused jobs, however, are in the public sector.

This includes law enforcement, state and federal agencies such as the National Security Agency (NSA).  Specific job responsibilities will change according to your employer. A cryptographer who works for the government, for example, is going to have different expectations than one who works for a major university.

Cryptographers generally have two employment routes: working for the private sector at a business or corporation or working in the public sector for a government agency.

Possible job titles and roles

"Cryptographer" or "cryptanalyst" can indeed be your job title, but the role of the cryptographer may in some cases be incorporated into other positions. This is usually more common when working for a private company. Some of those jobs that may do cryptography include:

Educational requirements for cryptographers

There are several different educational paths you can take on the way to becoming a cryptographer. Although there are no specific standards that must be met to pursue this profession, most employers are going to expect cryptographers to have at least a security-related bachelor's degree in a subject such as:

• Cyber security
• Computer science
• Mathematics
• Computer engineering
• Information technology

The role of a cryptographer or cryptanalyst is not typically a job people get right out of college. It takes years of experience in the field to develop the knowledge and skills needed to succeed. For this reason, a graduate degree such as a Master of Science (MS) in the aforementioned fields may also be necessary.

For those who wish to teach in academia, focus on cryptographic research, or simply reach the top of their field, a doctorate degree in cryptography, mathematics or a similar subject may be required. 

Work experience required for cryptography

The position and employer you decide on determine what types of work experience are required to be a cryptographer. Some positions may require five or more years of experience and a college degree, while others may accept less in a similar position. In general, cryptographers are not considered an entry-level IT role.

If you are interested in applying to the National Security Agency for example, be prepared to have a strong background in cyber security unless you're specifically applying to a program geared towards current students. It might take a little time and research on your desired place of employment to ensure you are fully prepared before submitting that application for your dream job.

For example, you may need to gain several years of experience in other related IT careers first, such as:

• Cyber security analyst
• Systems analyst
• Penetration tester
• Quality assurance (QA) tester

Cryptography skills to acquire

Technical skills are the backbone of a career as a cryptographer. Developing these skills takes years of formal education and on-the-job experience to truly understand and master. The soft skills should not be ignored, however. The synthesis of both technical skills and general professional skills is the key to a successful cryptography career.

Professional certifications for cryptographers

Certifications are an essential component of cyber security careers. They substantiate specific knowledge and skills, which is incredibly important in the cyber security field. Certifications act as a signal to employers that you understand certain cyber security concepts and can perform specific tasks related to those domains.

Most certifications are earned by passing an exam administered by the certifying agency (typically a professional organization within the field). In most cases, you have to complete a certain amount of experience in order to qualify for the exam.

There aren't a whole lot of cryptography certifications out there, but there are a few that may be worthwhile for cryptography professionals:

• Certified Encryption Specialist (CES) from EC-Council
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) from ISC2
• Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) from ISC2

Cryptography courses

There are numerous cyber security organizations that offer online and in-person training courses for professionals seeking to acquire specific skills and knowledge. Although these one-off courses don't award you a certification per se, they can still be a great way to hone your skills and add some micro-credentials to your resume.

Check out some of these course providers that may be helpful as you develop your cryptography career:

• Infosec Institute offers 10+ different courses on cryptography
• IBM offers multiple courses on cryptography
• Skills academies like Coursera, Udemy and edX can act as conduits to take university courses on cryptography without being a student at their school

Cryptographer salary and job growth

The median annual salary for information security specialists is $120,360 according to the 2023 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Since the BLS does not track salary data for cryptographers specifically, this job title may be the best indication of a cryptographer's earning potential. 

This group of professionals has a wide range of salaries, with the bottom 10% earning $69,210 and the top 10% earning $182,370. Your location, experience level and employer are all factors that can affect your individual earning potential. For example, the states with the highest median annual salary for information security analysts are states of California, Washington, New York, New Hampshire and Maryland.

The job outlook for this group is also incredibly bright: the BLS estimates that employment will grow 31.5% through 2032, compared to just 3% across all occupations. This isn't entirely surprising—as cyber security attacks grow in frequency, society needs more and more qualified professionals to prevent attacks and protect critical information.

Getting started

Cryptographers are incredibly valuable assets to public and private entities alike for their ability to protect sensitive information via encryption. Their exceptional skills in cyber security and mathematics make them a highly specialized role that takes years of education and experience to learn, but if you think you can go the distance, you could cultivate a career that is impactful, relatively stable and possibly quite lucrative. To begin your education, just click the Find Schools button to research programs that can help you start your cryptographer or cyber security career path.

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Updated: October 20, 2023