SOC Analyst
Part of the Cybersecurity Career Guide — This article is one deep-dive in our complete guide series.
By HADESS Team | February 28, 2026 | Updated: February 28, 2026 | 5 min read
You monitor an organization’s security around the clock. Every alert, every suspicious login, every strange network connection flows through you first. You are the front line — the person who decides whether an alert is a false positive or the start of a real breach.
What You Will Do
SOC analysts work in shifts, watching dashboards and investigating alerts. The work is fast-paced during incidents and methodical during quiet periods. You need to be able to switch between those modes quickly.
Your daily work includes:
- Monitoring SIEM alerts and triaging incoming security events
- Investigating suspicious activity — failed logins, anomalous network traffic, malware detections
- Analyzing phishing emails and determining if users clicked or entered credentials
- Correlating events across multiple data sources to build a picture of what happened
- Escalating confirmed incidents to Tier 2/Tier 3 analysts or incident response teams
- Tuning detection rules to reduce alert fatigue and catch real threats
- Documenting investigations in ticketing systems with clear timelines and evidence
- Running basic forensic analysis on endpoints — process trees, file hashes, registry changes
- Managing and responding to vulnerability scan findings
- Maintaining runbooks and updating playbooks based on new threat intelligence
SOC work is tiered. Tier 1 analysts handle initial triage. As you gain experience, you move into Tier 2 (deeper investigation) and Tier 3 (detection engineering and threat hunting). Most SOC analysts advance into incident response, threat intelligence, or detection engineering within a few years.
Skills You Need
SOC analysts need a broad set of monitoring and investigation skills.
Build these:
- SIEM operations — Splunk, Elastic, Microsoft Sentinel, QRadar
- Log analysis — Windows Event Logs, Sysmon, firewall logs, proxy logs
- Network traffic analysis — understanding packet captures, NetFlow, DNS logs
- Malware triage — basic static and dynamic analysis of suspicious files
- Phishing analysis — email header review, URL analysis, attachment sandboxing
- Incident documentation — clear, structured write-ups of investigations
- Operating system fundamentals — Windows and Linux process behavior, file systems
- Scripting basics — Python or PowerShell to automate repetitive tasks
Track your skill development in the skills library and see progression paths in the career path explorer.
Certifications
SOC analyst certifications focus on detection, analysis, and incident handling:
- Security+ — baseline certification, often the minimum requirement
- CySA+ — CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst, designed specifically for SOC roles
- GCIH — GIAC Certified Incident Handler, strong for Tier 2+ progression
- GCFA — GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst, if you want to go deeper into investigation
Build your certification plan with the certification roadmap planner.
Salary Range
SOC analysts earn between $35K and $85K. Entry-level Tier 1 positions start at the lower end. Tier 2 and Tier 3 analysts with SIEM expertise and investigation experience earn more. Shift differentials for nights and weekends can add to base compensation.
See how your pay compares with the salary calculator.
How to Get Started
1. Learn networking basics — TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, and common protocols 2. Set up a SIEM at home — Elastic Stack or Splunk Free with sample log data 3. Take the skills assessment to identify gaps in your monitoring and analysis skills 4. Practice investigating alerts in the platform labs 5. Study common attack patterns — know what credential theft, lateral movement, and data exfiltration look like in logs 6. Get Security+ first, then CySA+ — plan your path with the certification planner 7. Learn one SIEM query language well — SPL or KQL will serve you across multiple platforms 8. Build your resume emphasizing analytical skills and any lab experience 9. Apply for SOC analyst or security operations roles on the job board
SOC analyst is one of the most common entry points into cybersecurity. If you want to know what comes next after your first SOC role, talk to the career coach.
Related Guides in This Series
Take the Next Step
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Frequently Asked Questions
What certifications do I need for this role?
Certification requirements vary by employer and seniority level. Use the certification roadmap planner to build a sequence based on your target role and current qualifications.
What is the salary range for this role?
Salaries vary significantly by location, experience, and employer type. Use the salary calculator for your specific market rate.
How do I transition into this career path?
Take the skills assessment to identify your current strengths and gaps relative to this role. The assessment generates a personalized learning plan to close the gap.
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HADESS Team consists of cybersecurity practitioners, hiring managers, and career strategists who have collectively spent 50+ years in the field.
