Cybersecurity Careers
Preparing for a Cybersecurity Career
People interested in a cybersecurity career would be best prepared by pursuing
a college degree in Computer Science, Computer Information Systems, Software
Engineering, Mathematics, Management Information Systems, Computer
Engineering, and similar college majors. Not all universities provide
cybersecurity courses within those majors, so one would want to look for
degrees that provide concentrations in "information security", "information
assurance", "computer security", "cybersecurity", "cryptography", "cyber
defense", and similar options.
Articles on preparing for a cybersecurity career and types of cybersecurity jobs:
- How to Become a Security Analyst
- How To Start A Lucrative Career In Cybersecurity
- 4 Steps to a Cybersecurity Career
- How to Become a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Here's Why You Should Consider A Career In Cybersecurity
- Want a career in cybersecurity? Here are 10 jobs to explore
- Only 9% of millennials are interested in a cybersecurity career: A lack of awareness of the field is preventing today's students from pursuing it, widening the cybersecurity talent gap, according to ProtectWise.
Career Projections
Several major media outlets and career research companies have highlighted the
growing need for trained cybersecurity specialists in the coming decade. The
cybersecurity field has one of the highest expected 10 year growth rates of all
careers in the nation. People with cybersecurity skills are also competitive
for a wide variety of related careers, particularly as the "Internet of Things"
becomes more pervassive and technology touches every aspect of modern life.
The following information is gleaned from a variety of sources (each source is attributed in its section) and shows the potential careers available in the field of cybersecurity or in fields which need a strong understanding of cybersecurity for success.
U.S. News & World Report
In its
100 Best Jobs of 2018
report, U.S. News & World Report use several metrics to rank jobs listed
by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. These metrics include the 10 year job
growth, median salary, unemployment rate, number of job openings vs. number of
job seekers, stress level, and work-life balance.
These are some cybersecurity related jobs that made the rankings (it should be noted that most of the top 20 jobs were medical related):
| Rank | Job Title | Median Salary | Unemployment Rate | Job Openings | Growth by 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Software Developer | $100,080 | 1.6 percent | 253,400 | >30 percent |
| 32 | Information Security Analyst | $92,600 | 3.2 percent | 28,400 | >28 percent |
| 42 | IT Manager | $135,800 | 2.7 percent | 43,800 | 12 percent |
| 46 | Computer Systems Analyst | $87,220 | 2.6 percent | 53,000 | 9 percent |
| 49 | Computer Network Architect | $101,210 | 1.1 percent | 10,400 | 6 percent |
| 55 | Computer Systems Administrator | $79,700 | 1.4 percent | 23,900 | 6 percent |
| 69 | Database Administrator | $84,950 | 3.1 percent | 13,700 | 11 percent |
CNN Money
CNN Money's
Best Jobs in America in 2017
list was developed in collaboration with PayScale.com. They ranked the jobs
based on number of jobs, expected job growth, median salary, job satisfaction,
education level required, promotion opportunities, stress, and telecommuting.
The following are cybersecurity related jobs and their rankings:
| Rank | Job Title | Median Salary | 10-year Job Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mobile Applications Developer | $97,100 | 19 percent |
| 5 | Information Assurance Analyst | $98,900 | 7 percent |
| 13 | Information Technology Director | $128,000 | 15 percent |
| 14 | Webmaster | $61,200 | 27 percent |
| 22 | IT Operations Manager | $97,200 | 15 percent |
| 33 | Video Game Designer | $81,600 | 13 percent |
| 47 | Front End Developer/Engineer | $81,000 | 27 percent |
| 50 | IT Security Director | $147,000 | 15 percent |
| 52 | Database Administrator | $93,800 | 11 percent |
| 64 | Programmer Analyst | $82,300 | 21 percent |
| 80 | Software Developer | $96,600 | 13 percent |
Forbes
Forbes has a list of the
College Degrees With the Highest (And Lowest) Starting Salaries In 2017.
The data was gathered from Michigan State's Collegiate Employment Research
Institute, which surveyed 4,350 employers. The starting salaries for majors
related to cybersecurity are:
| Rank | Degree Program | Average Starting Salary | Starting Salary Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical Engineering | $62,428 | $25,000 - $130,000 |
| 2 | Software Design | $61,466 | $25,000 - $134,000 |
| 4 | Computer Engineering | $61,092 | $15,000 - $130,000 |
| 6 | Computer Programming | $59,163 | $15,000 - $130,000 |
| 7 | Information Security Systems | $58,798 | $19,000 - $123,000 |
| 8 | Computer Science | $57,762 | $15,000 - $130,000 |
| 9 | Management Information Systems | $57,301 | $15,000 - $122,000 |
National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) has several resources
on starting salaries for various degrees on their
Top Paid Majors for the Class of 2018
page.
| Degree Program | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Engineering | $66,521 |
| Computer Science | $66,005 |
PayScale.com
PayScale.com has a list of early career and mid career salaries for various
majors in its list of
Majors That Pay You Back
for their 2017-2018 college salary report.
| Degree Program | Early Career Salary | Mid Career Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical & Computer Engineering (ECE) | $69,000 | $118,800 |
| Computer Systems Engineering | $72,000 | $118,000 |
| Computer Science & Engineering (CSE) | $70,900 | $116,800 |
| Computer Engineering (CE) | $70,300 | $116,000 |
| Computer Science & Mathematics | $62,800 | $114,400 |
| Computer & Information Science | $56,200 | $111,300 |
| Computer Science (CS) | $65,900 | $110,100 |
| Business & Information Technology | $58,700 | $105,300 |
| Software Engineering | $66,300 | $104,300 |
| Management Information Systems (MIS) | $57,900 | $101,300 |