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Soc Lead Salary in the United States

How much does a Soc Lead make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Soc Lead in the United States is $147,400 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $71.

However, a Soc Lead's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $167,779
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $133,554 to $158,067
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $120,948
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Soc Lead Salaries

A Soc Lead's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Soc Lead Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Soc Lead's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

  • Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $88,429
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $134,520
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $148,362
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $187,641
  • Expert (over 8 years): $211,161
Levels Salary
Informati... Level Soc Lead$88,429
Informati... Level Soc Lead$134,520
Soc Lead Level Soc Lead$148,362
Informati... Level Soc Lead$187,641
Informati... Level Soc Lead$211,161
View as Graph

How Do Soc Lead Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Soc Leads. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $163,201.
  • California: $162,582.
  • Massachusetts: $160,415.

Top Paying Cities for Soc Leads

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

  • San Jose: $185,916
  • San Francisco: $183,880
  • Oakland: $180,005

What Skills Can Increase a Soc Lead's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Leadership (Mentioned in 5.4% Job Postings): Knowledge of and ability to employ effective strategies that motivate and guide other members within our business to achieve optimum results.
  • Incident Response (Mentioned in 3% Job Postings): Incident response (IR) is a set of information security policies and procedures that you can use to identify, contain, and eliminate cyberattacks.
  • ISO (Mentioned in 1.37% Job Postings): The International Organization for Standardization is an international standard development organization composed of representatives from the national standards organizations of member countries.
Skills Demand Percentage
Leadership 5.4%
Incident Response 3%
ISO 1.37%
See More Skills

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Soc Lead's salary.

  • Accountability: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
  • Leadership: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
  • Verbal Communication: Can increase your salary by up to 2%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Accountability $151,822
3%
Leadership $150,348
2%
Verbal Communication $150,348
2%
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Soc Lead Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Soc Lead roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 40% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Aerospace & Defense and Business Services sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 20% above the average. In contrast, Soc Lead positions in Transportation or Software & Networking typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Soc Lead as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Soc Lead

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Aerospace & Defense$176,880$85.020%
Business Services$176,880$85.020%
Construction$176,880$85.020%
Energy & Utilities$176,880$85.020%
Healthcare$176,880$85.020%

How Education impacts a Soc Lead's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Soc Leads enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Soc Lead with a Bachelor's Degree is between $148,382 and $156,072).

Soc Lead Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Soc Lead
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.7%
High School 13.1%
Associates 7.9%
Bachelors 46.5%
Masters 30.8%
Doctorate 0.9%
View as Graph

Soc Lead Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Soc Lead's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on September 01, 2026
$133,554
Average $147,400/year
$158,067
$11,130
Average $12,283/month
$13,172
$2,568
Average $2,835/week
$3,040
$64
Average $71/hour
$76
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $158,067 $13,172 $3,040 $76
Average $147,400 $12,283 $2,835 $71
25th Percentile $133,554 $11,130 $2,568 $64

Most common benefits for Soc Lead

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Soc Lead

Here are companies hiring for Soc Lead and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Soc Lead

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Soc Lead?

The Aerospace & Defense industry offers the highest average compensation for Soc Lead roles, with salaries approximately 20% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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