CAREERS IN
Cybersecurity
Pursuing a career in cybersecurity means joining a booming industry, where available jobs outnumber qualified candidates. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of jobs across the industry is expected to increase by 33% over the next 8 years. This growth is fueled by an ever-evolving technology landscape, continued digitalization of both our personal and professional lives, the COVID-19 pandemic, and other global happenings.
The career resources below are provided to support your journey into a career in cybersecurity. Follow your interests, identify opportunities, and create a career path that's right for you.

Why Consider a Career in Cybersecurity ?
If you're looking for an exciting career that has low unemployment, is in high demand, and can provide a sense of career satisfaction, then look no further than the field of cybersecurity.
Constant Growth:
The current demand for cybersecurity professionals in the public and private sectors is making employers scale up and out. If you’re ready for a challenge, the opportunity is there for you.
Job Stability:
One of the biggest benefits of getting into cybersecurity right now is that there is high demand. The current cyber workforce gap stands at 3.4 million, and the global cybersecurity workforce still needs to increase by 65% to effectively defend organizations’ critical assets. Closing the gap means addressing the lack of diversity and inclusion in the industry.
High Salaries:
Due to such high demand and a relatively low supply of qualified labor, cybersecurity has pretty good salary ranges. The average salary in North America for cybersecurity-related jobs is $90,000 compared to the average salary wage of 40,000. So with a reasonable amount of experience and some certifications you can expect to make double the national average.
Interesting variety:
This profession requires you to work in many different situations and with the latest technologies. The broad skills needed make cybersecurity an attractive profession for people from all sorts of backgrounds.
Intellectual Puzzles:
While you’ll learn best practices and principles, there’s always something new to learn and always a new opportunity to excel.
Ongoing Fulfillment:
You’re preventing real criminals from taking advantage of your friends and family, as well as schools, businesses, your community, and more.
Careers & Games
Participating in cybersecurity competitions offers tremendous benefits to job-seekers interested in pursuing a career in cyber. From preparing for the competition to networking afterward, cyber games create impactful opportunities for cyber-interested individuals at all levels of proficiency. These competitions and games expose participants to relevant skills, emphasize teamwork, communication, and leadership, replicate the types of environments cyber professionals work in, and most importantly, they're fun.
Fast Facts
- 500,000 cybersecurity job openings in the last 6 months in the United States. (CyberSeek, June 2023)
- The global cybersecurity workforce needs to grow by 65% to effectively defend organizations’ critical assets. (ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study, 2023)
- 88% of respondents viewed cybersecurity-related risk as a business risk, not just a technology risk. (Gartner, View from the Board of Directors Survey, 2022)
- Information Security Analyst will be the 10th fastest growing occupation over the next decade, with an employment growth rate of 3% compared to the 4% average growth rate for all occupations. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2021)
- The most important technical skills, according to (ICS)2’s Cybersecurity Career Pursuers Study, 2021 include 25% Cloud Security; 17% Data Analysis; 14% Coding or Programming.
The US Cyber Games® is proud to partner with the following agencies and organizations in an effort to connect well-qualified cyber talent to lifelong career opportunities in cybersecurity.
Leidos is a Fortune 500® information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world’s toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, civil, and health markets. The company’s 40,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Leidos is headquartered in Reston, Virginia.
NICE is the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education. Our work focuses on efforts to close the hiring gap in the cybersecurity workforce. We are led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in the U.S. Department of Commerce, and are a partnership between government, academia, and the private sector focused on cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development. There are many ways to get involved. You can attend our events – the NICE Conference & Expo is held annually, typically in early June, and the NICE K12 Cybersecurity Education Conference is held annually in early December. The NICE Program Office also hosts free webinars as well as monthly working group meetings.
At Raytheon Intelligence & Space, we have aligned our corporate social responsibility platforms with our business strategy to make a lasting impact in the community. We help protect and create a sustainable environment, inspire students through STEM education, and support our veterans, service members and their families. Our employees live their values by volunteering in the communities where they live and work, as well as connecting with organizations we support across the business like Student Veterans of America, and Boys & Girls Clubs serving U.S. military bases.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is the nation’s risk advisor, working with partners to defend against today’s threats and collaborating to build a more secure and resilient infrastructure for the future. CISA leads the effort to enhance the security, resiliency, and reliability of the nation's cybersecurity and communications infrastructure.
At Battelle, we have worked to translate scientific discovery and technological advances into societal benefits since we opened our doors in 1929. We deliver when others can’t. We conduct research and development, manage laboratories, design and manufacture products, and deliver critical services for our clients – from multinational corporations to small start-up organizations or government agencies. We use scientific and technological principles to create new innovations that drive our societies and economies forward.
Resources
Cybersecurity CAREER Week
Cybersecurity Career Week, every 3rd week in October, is an effort to build awareness about the variety of cybersecurity careers that are available and share resources for those interested in pursuing a career in cybersecurity.
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Discovering Cybersecurity Careers – A page of resources from industry, academia, and government that provides job descriptions, salary information, employment outlooks, educational requirements, overviews of sample cybersecurity opportunities, and more.
Cyberseek.org
CyberSeek provides detailed, actionable data about supply and demand in the cybersecurity job market.
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Cybersecurity Career Pathway - There are many opportunities for workers to start and advance their careers within cybersecurity. This interactive career pathway shows key jobs within cybersecurity, common transition opportunities between them, and detailed information about the salaries, credentials, and skillsets associated with each role.
National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies (NICCS)
https://niccs.cisa.gov/As technology advances, the United States must develop a workforce of effective cybersecurity professionals. NICCS helps users find the cybersecurity education and training they need to advance their careers and close the skill gaps across the workforce.
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NICCS Cyber Careers Pathway - This tool provides a new and interactive way to explore work roles within the Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework).
The (ISC)² Cybersecurity Workforce Study
This study aims to better understand the barriers facing the cybersecurity profession and uncover strategies that organizations can use to recruit, build and strengthen their cybersecurity teams. It provides insights into these talented individuals who are excelling in this field, securing their organizations’ critical assets, and advancing in their careers.
Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR)
Now in its 15th year, this industry benchmarking report provides information on global cybersecurity data breaches and threat patterns.