There is no shortage of jobs and growth opportunities in the field of cybersecurity. The industry is booming, with well over 700,000 job positions currently available in the United States. There are major cities in every state with job openings in the cybersecurity field with 1,091,575 people currently employed. Aside from ample job prospects, the scope of feeder roles with transfer potential to the profession is well varied, the skill specifications diverse, and the average pay?
It’s up there.
With Cybersecurity, the Job Market is Thriving
If you are looking to take your career in Internet Technology to the next level, cybersecurity is absolutely where its at. Individuals with talent and experience in the field of cybersecurity are being sought by organizations in every sector, in every corner of the U.S. And for good reason. We live in a digital world and with that, we are more vulnerable and susceptible to malicious hackers. Hackers from every dark corner of the web are becoming increasingly savvy, costing the world trillions of dollars every year by flooding networks, stealing data, phishing, malware, and more. Becoming skilled at protecting organizations and individuals from these attacks is worth your while (and everyone else). With 714,548 current cybersecurity job openings in the U.S. alone, the opportunity to be the hero of your company and earn a high-paying salary is waiting. And you may not have to go far.
Every state has numerous job openings in cybersecurity with Texas, California, and Virginia leading the pack.
Top States for Cybersecurity Job Opportunities:
- Texas → 83,126 total job openings
- California → 77,141 total job openings
- Virginia → 56,416 total job openings
Top Metro Areas for Cybersecurity Job Opportunities:
- Washington – Arlington – Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV → 67,532 total job openings
- Dallas – Fort Worth – Arlington, TX → 39,798 total job openings
- New York – Newark – Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA → 34,747 total job openings
Cyber Seek is a great resource for looking at current data surrounding cybersecurity jobs in the United States. Check out their heat map to see how your city and state fares in the cybersecurity job market.
Remote CyberSecurity Work Opportunities
If you’ve gotten rather comfortable with working from home, there are ample remote opportunities in the field as well, particularly for cybersecurity analysts. So if you’re not yet ready to ditch the soft pants and the non-existent commute, start with that one.
What are the Best Jobs in Cyber Security in 2022?
Let’s get to what you came here for. Depending on location, company, certification level, and experience, the salary of a cyber security professional in one of the top nine jobs vary, with the median average salary of all nine falling at $107,500. So, what are the jobs you ask? Rankings are based on the top job titles requested by employers within the cybersecurity job market in a particular location.
Drumroll, please…
- Cybersecurity Analyst – Detects cyber threats and implements necessary changes.
- Software Developer – Merges IT skills with cybersecurity to develop security software.
- Cybersecurity Consultant – Protects the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and network devices.
- Penetration & Vulnerability Tester – The GOOD hackers.
- Cybersecurity Manager – Installs, administers, and troubleshoots security solutions and writes security policies and training documents for an organization.
- Network Engineer – Builds and designs communication networks (LANs, WANs, and intranets).
- Systems Engineer – Works with computer science, engineering, mathematics, and analytics to build systems for an organization while monitoring and managing hard- and software.
- Senior Software Developer – An advanced career in security software development.
- Systems Administrator – Keeps IT systems up and running.
While each of these careers requires a variety of skill sets and specific job attributes, what they all have in common is keeping organizations secure from hackers. Data breaches and cyberattacks are no match for any of these cybersecurity-trained professionals.
How to Get a Top Job in Cybersecurity
If you currently have a background in IT, the jump from your current role to a career in cybersecurity won’t be huge, but any effort to get there will be worth it. There is also room to grow within each job category. Most cybersecurity jobs do require formal training and education, including Bachelor’s, Master’s, or even Graduate degrees. Most also require specific certifications obtained via exams.
Top Skills Required for Jobs in Cybersecurity
- Information Security/ Assurance
- Security Operations
- Cryptography
- Risk Assessment and Management
- Threat Analysis
- Authentication
- Network Security
- NIST Cybersecurity Framework
- Internal Auditing
Cyber Seek is a great resource for discovering Cybersecurity career pathways. According to Cyber Seek, the following feeder roles lead to the entry-, mid-, and advanced levels of the top-ranking cyber security jobs (see tables below), and the certifications required for each. Use this information by finding your current role and determining which cybersecurity careers it feeds into. Alternatively, if you are just starting out and there is a cybersecurity career that interests you, determine which feeder role you should start working toward first. Please note that the best jobs in cybersecurity in 2022 are highlighted in bold.
Feeder Role: Networking
| Entry-Level | Mid-Level | Advanced-Level |
| Cybersecurity Specialist ($104,482) Cyber Crime Analyst ($100,000)Incident & Intrusion Analyst ($88,226)IT Auditor ($110,000) | Cybersecurity Analyst ($107,500)Cybersecurity Consultant ($92,504)Penetration & Vulnerability Tester ($101,091) | Cybersecurity Manager ($130,000)Cybersecurity Engineer ($117,510)Cybersecurity Architect ($159,752) |
TOP CERTIFICATIONS REQUESTED
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Certification
Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
Feeder Role: Software Development
| – | Mid-Level | Advanced-Level |
| – | Cybersecurity Analyst ($107,500)Penetration & Vulnerability Tester ($101,091) | Cybersecurity Engineer ($117,510)Cybersecurity Architect ($159,752) |
TOP CERTIFICATIONS REQUESTED
IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Certification
Project Management Certification
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
ITIL Certification
Feeder Role: Systems Engineering
| Entry-Level | Mid-Level | Advanced-Level |
| Cybersecurity Specialist ($104,482)Cyber Crime Analyst ($100,000)Incident & Intrusion Analyst ($88,226)IT Auditor ($110,000) | Cybersecurity Analyst ($107,500)Penetration & Vulnerability Tester ($101,091) | Cybersecurity Engineer ($117,510)Cybersecurity Architect ($159,752) |
TOP CERTIFICATIONS REQUESTED
IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Certification
Project Management Certification
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
Feeder Role: Financial and Risk Analysis
| Entry-Level | – | – |
| Cybersecurity Specialist ($104,482)Cyber Crime Analyst ($100,000)Incident & Intrusion Analyst ($88,226)IT Auditor ($110,000) | – | – |
TOP CERTIFICATIONS REQUESTED
Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
Certified Internal Auditor (CIA)
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
Project Management Certification
Feeder Role: Security Intelligence
| Entry-level | – | – |
| Cybersecurity Specialist ($104,482)Cyber Crime Analyst ($100,000)Incident & Intrusion Analyst ($88,226) | – | – |
TOP CERTIFICATIONS REQUESTED
SANS/GIAC Certification (Various)
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst
GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
Feeder Role: IT Support
| Entry-Level | – | – |
| Cybersecurity Specialist ($104,482)Cyber Crime Analyst ($100,000)Incident & Intrusion Analyst ($88,226) | – | – |
TOP CERTIFICATIONS REQUESTED
IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Certification
Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP)
Getting Certified in Cybersecurity
Getting certified, sometimes in multiple areas, is an important way to demonstrate a candidate’s knowledge and skill set for employers. For example, the total number of job openings, in addition to the number of people who currently hold the CompTIA Security+, adds up to a whopping 213,775. Cyber Phoenix has the courses you need to start or grow your career in Cyber Security. We have a growing number of courses in our catalog and a drive to get you what you need.
According to CompTIA, from the endless list of (IT) certifications out there, the following are the most requested certification recommended for the top 9 cybersecurity job titles:
The CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway: CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+, CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Cybersecurity Analyst (CySA+), CompTIA PenTest+ and CompTIA Advanced Security Practitioner (CASP), the CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway helps technical specialists achieve cybersecurity mastery, from beginning to end.
Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP): CISSP is an advanced-level cybersecurity certification put out by (ISC)2. It focuses on cybersecurity management skills.
Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA): At the associate level is where Cisco certifications begin to specialize, and some of the most common ones include CCNA Routing and Switching, CCNA Security, CCNA Cyber Ops, and CCNA Data Center.
GIAC: GIAC certifications cover topics including cyber defense, penetration testing, digital forensics and incident response, and developer, and information security management.
So Where Do I Begin?
Interested in a new career path but do not have the credentials you think you might need to start in cybersecurity? Everyone has to start somewhere. Cyber Phoenix is a fresh new way to access top-of-the-line cybersecurity, leadership, and IT management courses online. Our team has years of experience in the industry identifying best practices and excellent learning resources to propel any prospective student into a successful career. With accessibility at an all-time high, we offer a variety of classes and new courses to meet the ever-changing needs of professionals wanting to lead, protect, or upscale their networks.
We are working day and night to bring you fresh courses every month. And we have brand new features in the works like guided career paths, hands-on labs and experiences, dedicated mentors, cyber range integration and so much more coming very soon. Grow with us because at Cyber Phoenix, as you grow, we grow. Reach out today and we will get you started on your path to a top job in cybersecurity.
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