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Cybersecurity work is in demand, but that does not mean every role is easy to land—especially for beginners. U.S. job-listing counts and employment projections point to growth, while workforce surveys show budget constraints, skills gaps and mismatches between employers’ expectations and entry-level experience. The outlook depends on the role, location, seniority and skills being considered.
Are cybersecurity jobs actually in demand?
Several indicators show demand, but they measure different things. Job listings count postings over a period; employment projections estimate change in a defined occupation; workforce surveys report what respondents say about staffing and skills. None is a universal count of available jobs or a guarantee that an applicant will be hired.
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| Indicator | What it says | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. listings | CyberSeek reported 514,359 cybersecurity and adjacent technical job listings over the preceding 12 months in its 2025 reporting, nearly 57,000 (12%) more than the prior 12-month period. | Historical listings, not unique vacancies, hires or people needed. [NIST] |
| U.S. occupational projection | The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects information security analyst employment to grow 21% from 2025 to 2035, with about 14,100 openings per year on average over that period. | A defined occupation, not every job described as cybersecurity. Many projected openings are expected to come from people transferring occupations or leaving the labor force, including retirement—not only new positions. [BLS] |
| Workforce survey | In ISC2’s 2025 survey, 95% of respondents said their organizations had at least one cybersecurity skills need, and 59% reported critical or significant needs. | Responses from 16,029 cybersecurity professionals, not independently counted vacancies. [ISC2] |
Taken together, the indicators support a measured conclusion: demand is substantial, but the figures do not describe one uniform market. CyberSeek’s broader listing scope includes adjacent technical roles, while the BLS projection concerns information security analysts specifically.
Why can demand coexist with a difficult job search?
Organizations can need security skills and still lack the budget or hiring capacity to add staff. In ISC2’s 2025 workforce survey, 33% of respondents said their organizations lacked resources to staff teams adequately, and 29% said their organizations could not afford to hire the skills they needed. ISC2 Acting CEO and CFO Debra Taylor, CC, described the survey’s emphasis this way: “A shift is happening. This year’s data makes it clear that the most pressing concern for cybersecurity teams isn’t headcount but skills.” That is a statement about ISC2’s survey context, not a universal finding about every employer. [ISC2]
ISC2’s April 2026 analysis of its 2025 study adds nuance: 34% of respondents said their organization had the right number of cybersecurity staff, while 44% reported only a slight shortage. Skills needs remained widespread. ISC2 notes that training takes time and that applied capabilities in areas such as AI and cloud security can be difficult to build. Difficulty accessing skills is not, by itself, proof that there are too few people available. [ISC2]
Is cybersecurity hard to get into right now?
It can be challenging to enter directly, because employers’ desired skills do not always match what they expect from new hires. In ISC2’s survey of 929 hiring managers across Canada, Germany, India, Japan, the U.K. and the U.S., managers said prior IT work experience and entry-level cybersecurity certifications could be relevant when considering candidates; internships and apprenticeships were also hiring channels. These are survey findings, not universal requirements.
The cloud security example illustrates the experience gap: although cloud security was a hiring priority, only 18% of managers thought entry-level professionals could handle cloud security tasks, while 46% said junior-level expertise was required. The percentages refer to hiring-manager responses in that study, not a rule for every cloud security job. [ISC2]
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For U.S. information security analysts, BLS says a computer-science-related bachelor’s degree and related work experience are typical; employers may prefer professional certification. That describes the named occupation, not a prerequisite for every cybersecurity role. BLS lists work such as monitoring for breaches, investigating incidents, checking vulnerabilities, maintaining protective software, preparing reports and communicating security needs. [BLS]
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Routes people report taking
ISC2’s 2025 workforce study found that 56% of participants entered cybersecurity through an IT pathway. Within the reported routes, 36% had taken on cybersecurity responsibilities while working in IT before moving into a cyber-focused role, and 20% moved directly from IT. Other reported pathways were cybersecurity education (10%), non-IT professional experience (8%), cybersecurity certifications (6%), self-study (4%), military backgrounds (3%), and internships or apprenticeships (3%). These figures describe participants’ reported backgrounds, not the success rate or best route for a new applicant. [ISC2]
Practical steps for an aspiring applicant
- Choose a target role. Read current local postings for the work you want, rather than treating “cybersecurity” as one job. Compare the duties and requirements for analyst, engineering, cloud security or risk-focused positions.
- Build evidence for the stated requirements. Consider relevant IT work, internships, apprenticeships and practical projects alongside formal education or certification. The appropriate mix depends on the position; the cited studies do not establish a mandatory credential or a guaranteed path to employment.
- Check the level of responsibility. A skill listed as a priority may still be expected only at junior or experienced levels. Look for the experience and task scope in each posting, not just its keyword list.
- Show communication as well as technical ability. Security work can involve investigating incidents, reporting findings and explaining security needs, not only operating tools.
Which cybersecurity skills are employers looking for?
In ISC2’s 2025 hiring-manager survey, the most frequently named technical priorities were cloud security (29%), AI (27%), security engineering (24%), security analysis (23%) and risk assessment (23%). Managers also named problem-solving (29%), collaboration (24%), communication (22%), willingness to learn (20%) and strategic thinking (16%) as nontechnical priorities. These are survey priorities and can vary by role; they are not a universal checklist or ranking of job openings. [ISC2]
Technology priorities also do not automatically translate into entry-level responsibilities. ISC2’s analysis describes the need for applied skills in areas such as AI and cloud security, and the challenge of combining cybersecurity knowledge with AI, machine learning or data science. When assessing a role, distinguish an employer’s broad priority from the specific tasks a new hire will actually perform. [ISC2]
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Is cybersecurity still a good career?
For someone whose interests and preparation fit a particular role, the U.S. outlook for information security analysts is favorable by the measures available here: BLS projects 21% employment growth from 2025 to 2035 and about 14,100 openings per year on average. Its reported median annual wage for the occupation was $129,180 in May 2025. That is an occupation-wide median, not a starting salary or a promise about an individual offer. [BLS]
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Those U.S. figures cannot establish the outlook or pay in another country, or for every job carrying a cybersecurity label. Evaluate the actual role, local postings, experience level and qualifications required. The evidence here supports opportunity alongside meaningful entry barriers—not an assumption that a broad shortage claim makes hiring easy.
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