Cybersecurity Career Offers Top Pay and Growth Opportunities

Posted in #LetsBFRANK: The College Admissions Blog on October 1, 2020

This post was written by Marie Gendron

In this post, we talk about how to get into the growing field of cybersecurity, where the starting salaries are high and the demand for qualified professionals far exceeds the supply.

Advances in online technology have made it possible to access information right from our smartphones and other devices. With this growth in online information sharing has come an explosion of cybercrime, as hackers use increasingly sophisticated schemes to try to steal private data from both individuals and businesses.

Cybersecurity Job Growth Is Outpacing Companies’ Ability to Hire

To keep their data safe, companies are making it a priority to hire cybersecurity professionals to beef up online security and prevent data breeches. These cybersecurity professionals oversee technologies like firewalls and antivirus software, direct advanced threat detection efforts, monitor security, and educate users about strong passwords and how to respond when something bad happens.

Job openings in the field far outnumber the people available to fill them. Employers advertised more than 14,000 cybersecurity job openings between June through May 2020 in Massachusetts—and nearly 508,000 job openings nationwide—according to Cyber Seek, a program sponsored by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Job postings for openings in cybersecurity are growing three times faster than those for information technology (IT) jobs overall, and cybersecurity professionals are earning 9 percent more than their IT counterparts, says a 2018 report from job analytics firm Burning Glass Technologies.

“There is a zero unemployment rate in cybersecurity and the opportunities in this field are endless,” says Robert Herjavec, founder and CEO of Herjavec Group, in his firm’s Cybersecurity Jobs Report 2018-2021.

Cybersecurity Pros Are Needed in All Areas

The biggest demand for cybersecurity professionals has traditionally come from the professional services, finance, and manufacturing/defense sectors. But that has changed in the wake of recent, high-profile security breaches. Today, the biggest increases in demand for cybersecurity workers are in industries that manage massive volumes of consumer data, such as finance, healthcare, and retail.

When cyberattacks happen, an organization may suffer financial losses, fines, and perhaps worst of all, a hit to their public image and credibility. In one of the most extreme cyberattack examples, the 2017 Equifax data breach affected nearly half of Americans. Organizations including Facebook, Target, Dow Jones, and even the Federal Emergency Management Agency have also suffered security breaches in recent months.

Companies in every industry have gotten the message that they need to focus on protecting their sensitive data as well as their customers’ data.

Skills and Education You Need for a Successful Cybersecurity Career

Cybersecurity careers come with a lot of responsibility because they involve protecting an organization’s information assets and complex IT systems. Professionals in this field typically need to know the basics of IT and security. Experience with data analysis, engineering, or computer programming is also a plus. Average salaries vary, but the median pay for an information security analyst, a common cybersecurity career, is more than $95,000, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

While some entry-level job postings in the cybersecurity field advertise that candidates must hold a bachelor’s degree in IT, cybersecurity, or computer science, those working in cybersecurity say that a four-year degree is not necessary to enter and succeed in the field.

“There are no degree requirements and companies that have a general requirement around 4-year degrees will make exceptions for cybersecurity roles,” says Renier Moquete, CEO of CyberWarrior, a Boston consulting firm, and founder of CyberWarrior Academy, a technical school that delivers cybersecurity training, apprenticeships, and professional development.

However, Moquete says going to college can help you thrive in the cybersecurity field. An associate degree in Computer Technology can be a good way to get your foot in the door.

“Part of what a college education does for you is it teaches you how to learn and it gives you structure,” he says. “That’s important because security is one of those industries that never stops evolving—it is very much for the person who is a lifelong learner and is committed to that.”

Here are some examples of entry-level cybersecurity positions open to candidates with less than a bachelor’s degree. Each position is followed by its average annual salary:

Cybersecurity specialist/technician ($75,000)
Cybercrime analyst/Investigator ($85,000)
Incident analyst/responder ($99,000)
IT auditor ($86,000)

Success in these entry-level positions can lead directly to mid-level and then advanced-level careers in cybersecurity. Check out Cyber Seek’s interactive cybersecurity career pathway graphic to see common transition opportunities and detailed information about salaries, credentials, and skillsets associated with a variety of common cybersecurity roles.

Cybersecurity Profession Is Focused on Increasing Diversity in its Workforce

While the IT field has traditionally been largely male and white, there are growing efforts to increase the diversity of the workforce. In part, this is because the overwhelming need for more information security professionals has forced companies to look beyond their usual pool of candidates.

A growing body of research also shows that greater diversity benefits a company’s bottom line because more diverse teams actually produce better results. Cybersecurity, perhaps more than any other technology field, requires a multidisciplinary, creative approach to a problem. Having a team made up of diverse individuals with varied experiences and viewpoints makes the organization better able to tackle the ever-changing security landscape.

“Hackers are some of the most creative people on earth and they are located across the world,” Moquete says. “The fact that you’re able to bring different perspectives to figuring out how to stop them is huge. Cybersecurity must be approached from diverse points of view, not just from the traditional, monolithic stance that computer science has been in the US.”

Moquete says improving workforce diversity is also a matter of economic justice and there is a moral imperative to find ways for long under-served populations to share in the cybersecurity jobs boom.

“For people looking for economic empowerment and for longevity, this industry presents a huge opportunity,” Moquete says. “If there’s a recession-proof business, it’s cybersecurity.”

Even Non-technical Experience Can Prepare You for Cybersecurity Roles

The demand for cybersecurity professionals, coupled with the talent shortage and high earning potential, makes cybersecurity one of the most in-demand fields in which to work. And there are a wide variety of jobs within the industry from which to choose, each with its own career pathway.

A variety of IT-related jobs—such as IT help desk, tech support, software development, engineering, and coding—can provide an easy pathway into a career in cybersecurity. But Moquete says the security industry also has opportunities for people with non-technical job experience. For example, there is strong industry demand for auditors, who ensure that security controls have been implemented properly and that the company is in compliance with all legal mandates.

“Much like an accountant goes in and does an audit to make sure certain things are what people claim they are, an auditor related to information security validates what controls are in place to protect information and data,” Moquete says. “They ask a lot of questions of the people who are responsible for administering systems.”

Cybersecurity is a career that offers not just large financial rewards but also variety in the work, the challenge of learning something new almost daily, and a chance to be creative while addressing a core business and societal need. If you’re curious, detail-oriented, analytical, and love to learn new things, a career in cybersecurity might be a good fit for you.

At Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology (Franklin Cummings Tech), we are committed to creating opportunities for any student who wants to work toward a better future. And we promise to always provide the facts you need to make an informed decision about your education.