The need for skilled professionals in cybersecurity is great — and growing. Recently, statistics show that about 1 million people in the United States work in cybersecurity, but there are 600,000 unfilled jobs — the majority of which are in the private sector. Companies and organizations are struggling to find qualified employees. Cyber attacks are up 8% in 2022 over the previous year.
Here are some other numbers to keep in mind, courtesy of Security Magazine:
- 63% of companies report having unfilled cybersecurity positions
- 62% of companies have understaffed cybersecurity teams
All of these numbers mean that cybersecurity jobs are in high demand, but which ones are the most sought after? And which jobs are people actually searching for online? Let’s break it down.
The 11 Cybersecurity Jobs We Analyzed
These positions are the most popular Google searches related to the cybersecurity industry. Please note they are not ranked in any way.
- Cybersecurity Architect: This is a senior-level position responsible for planning, designing, testing, implementing and maintaining an organization’s computer and network security infrastructure.
- Ethical Hacker: An ethical hacker is essentially a skilled cybersecurity professional who is paid to try to break into computer systems. They typically must think like a “black-hat hacker” — in other words, try and understand the motivations, strategies and techniques hackers use to infiltrate networks and systems to engage in criminal activity.
- Penetration Tester: This position is very similar to that of an Ethical Hacker. Often referred to as “Pen Testers,” professionals in these positions perform penetration tests on computer systems, networks and applications.
- Cybersecurity Consultant: This person is typically someone who assesses the security and risk of a business or organization and ultimately provides solutions and recommendations on safety measures and protection. A consultant could work directly for an organization, or, as the name suggestions, work for client organizations that provide consulting services.
- Security Consultant: Though this position has a slightly modified name, it has the same responsibilities as a Cybersecurity Consultant.
- Network Administrator: As the name implies, a Network Administrator monitors a company or organization’s network — but additional responsibilities include ordering and configuring network equipment, providing regular network maintenance, troubleshooting, cabling and more.
- System Administrator: A System Administrator is responsible for maintaining, configuring and operating computer systems and servers. Additional responsibilities include installing and updating software and resolving problems and issues with computer and server systems.
- Cybersecurity Analyst: A person in this type of analyst position protects a computer or network system and provides the first line of defense against the growing threat of cybercrimes.
- Security Auditor: This type of auditor works with companies and organizations to provide comprehensive audits of online security systems. This typically includes a detailed report about existing cybersecurity systems, analyses of whether the systems run efficiently or effectively and recommendations on change to protocols and procedures.
- Cybersecurity Specialist: Depending on the position and the company or governmental agency, the job responsibilities of a cybersecurity specialist can range from diverse to narrow and specifically focused. Cybersecurity specialist job responsibilities can include putting in place security measures during the development of software systems, networks and data centers, guarding protected information or assets from unauthorized access or use and evaluating and identifying vulnerabilities and risks in hardware and software.
- Chief Information Security Officer: The CISO is a senior-level role in charge of developing, implementing and maintaining security processes that protect the company from threats and risk.
Cybersecurity Job Search Infographic
We first compiled the monthly keyword Google searches for the most popular cybersecurity positions. We then compared that data to the average number of monthly job postings for each particular position on LinkedIn. The data was compiled over a 3-month period (January, February and March 2022).
As you can see, in many cases there are far more job postings than monthly Google searches, especially for Security Consultant, Penetration Tester and System Administrator positions. It’s also important to note that some of the jobs may have postings that overlap, such as Security Consultant and Cybersecurity Consultant. One of the biggest takeaways here is to determine what specific area of cybersecurity that interests you and go from there. Regardless of how you break it down, if you are interested in starting or advancing your career in cybersecurity, these top positions are definitely worth considering.
This report was brought to you by the University of San Diego — a highly regarded industry thought leader and education provider that offers a 100% online Master of Science in Cyber Security Operations and Leadership and a 100% online or 100% on campus Master of Science in Cyber Security Engineering that has been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence. These degree programs feature practical, cutting-edge curriculum taught by expert instructors who share insights drawn from highly relevant industry experience.
