General Career

About 90% of job postings require a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, computer science or a related field.

Advanced jobs require bachelor's or master’s degrees.

• Can be earned online or in school

 Mid-level cybersecurity professional needs a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity.

Internships help give you an advantage over other applicants.

Most cybersecurity professionals have certificates. Most common certificates are:

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional certification (CISSP)

• Certified Information Systems Auditor® certification (CISA)

• Certified Information Systems Manager® certification (CISM)

Some jobs may require specific skills

• Penetration testers may need to create their own solutions.

• Security analysts must be able to manage and track multiple pieces of evidence for businesses or corporations.

1. Certificates (Issued by academic institution)

2. Certifications (Evidence of passing an industry standard, like Security+ or CISSP)

3. Bootcamps

4. Self-directed learning

5. Online Courses

Entry-level jobs can be obtained with general knowledge gained from bootcamps, internships, and community college but businesses often prefer someone with a degree.

Average salary of cyber entry level jobs provide higher earnings than other jobs in different fields, which falls between $88,230 and $110,000 per year.

Common Entry-Level Jobs

1. Information Security Analyst

   •  Responsible for system and network security analysis & utilizes collected data to improve security systems against cyber attacks

   • Average annual salary of $73,031

2. Penetration Tester

   • Responsible for identifying security vulnerabilities in an infrastructure

   • Average annual salary of $86,241

3. Computer Incident Responder (CIRT Analyst)

   • Responsible for evaluating systems for security risks, threats, and vulnerabilities & automating security testing processes

   • Be able to work in a fast-paced, high pressure environment

   • Average annual salary of $89,000

4. Security Auditor

   • Responsible for auditing & reporting a company's information system

   • Average annual salary of $89,876

5. Security Engineer

   • Responsible for designing, implementing, troubleshooting, and monitoring security measures put in place

   • Test systems to make sure everything is up to date and working correctly

   • Average annual salary of $93,704

• Information Security Analyst 

• Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst

• Security Operations Center (SOC) Analyst

• Product Manager

• Compliance Officer

• Security Auditor

• Software developer

• Cyber Security Engineer

• Software Engineer/Programmer

• Penetration Testing/Ethical Hacker

• Digital Forensic Analyst

• Cryptographer

Most Prevalent Programming Language

• C & C++

• Python

• JavaScript

• PHP

• SQL

• Entry-level government jobs require a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a related field

• Most government jobs require IT certifications, such as Microsoft and and ISACA (Information Systems Audit and Control Association)

• Specialist cybersecurity jobs may need related field experience

• Pays less at times than contracted positions or private companies

• Unpredictable schedule

• Can get college reimbursement, scholarships, student loan assistance, or loan-forgiveness

  • Popular government scholarship --> CyberCorps

Websites to Search for Government Jobs

• Federal Bureau of Investigation

• National Security Agency

• Central Intelligence Agency

Commonly Required Skill

• • Solving Problems

  • Computer Forensics

  • Programming Languages

  • Risk Assessment

  • Machine Learning

Frequently Desired Skill

• • Cybercrime law

  • Cyber Counterintelligence

  • Cyber-physical Infrastructure Practice

  • Power Systems Protection

  • Cybersecurity Public policy