Technology and Mathematics · Career brief

Cybersecurity Analyst

Is it a good career to pursue?

The 30-second read

Cybersecurity Analyst at a glance

Six signals to look at before you spend time on the full guide.

1Pay

$129,180

Very high national median pay

2025 national median. Top 10% for pay among careers on ChooseField.

2Demand

21%

Very fast projected growth

Projected employment growth for 2025–2035. Top 10% for growth among careers on ChooseField.

3Openings

14,100

Above the middle on opening volume

Average openings per year in 2025–2035, including replacement hiring. Above the middle of ChooseField careers for openings.

4Route in

Bachelor's degree

A bachelor's degree is typically expected

Bachelor's degree + related experience. Related work experience is typically required.

5The work

Structured / detail

Accuracy, process, and organized information matter

Develop plans to safeguard computer files against accidental or unauthorized modification, destruction, or disclosure and to meet emergency data processing needs.

6The catch

Know this first

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

ChooseField take

The strongest national signals are pay and growth; each ranks in the top quarter of ChooseField careers. It makes the most sense if structured, detail-oriented work appeals to you and you are comfortable with a bachelor's-degree path. Main tradeoff: BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

Before choosing, compare:Software Developer Data Scientist Computer Hardware Engineer

National labor-market measures: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 projections. Work-profile signals: O*NET. See sources and caveats.

Compare Cybersecurity Analyst with another field Explore rankings in Technology and Mathematics Open shareable infographic

Want the evidence behind the snapshot?

Market and path

Pay, outlook, and the route in

National median pay (2025)

$129,180

A midpoint for workers nationwide, not a starting salary.

2025–2035 outlook

21%employment growth14,100openings per year

Openings include replacement hiring, not only newly created jobs.

Typical entry route

Bachelor's degree; Prior related experience: less than 5 years

BLS reports the usual education, related experience, and on-the-job training, not a guaranteed minimum for every employer.

2025 employment

192,900

Estimated workers in this occupation across the United States.

Source: BLS 2025 wages and 2025–2035 occupational projections ↗ · Information security analysts (15-1212).

Actual responsibilities

What you would be trusted to own

Selected O*NET task statements, not a list of traits that applies to almost every career.

Develop plans to safeguard computer files against accidental or unauthorized modification, destruction, or disclosure and to meet emergency data processing needs.
Monitor current reports of computer viruses to determine when to update virus protection systems.
Encrypt data transmissions and erect firewalls to conceal confidential information as it is being transmitted and to keep out tainted digital transfers.
Perform risk assessments and execute tests of data processing system to ensure functioning of data processing activities and security measures.

Decision-changing realities

What could make this a poor fit

BLS lists less than 5 years of related experience. This is normally reached through feeder roles, not directly from school.

Work profile

What the work emphasizes

O*NET importance scores. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Working with Computers4.7
Getting Information4.5
Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events4.3
Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards4.1
Processing Information4.1

Interest profile

Career interests

O*NET interest scores describe work someone may enjoy, not personality requirements. Bars are relative to the highest score shown within this chart.

Relative mix of the interest scores below, not percentages of your workday.

Conventional6.1
Investigative5.4
Realistic3.6
Enterprising2.9
Social2.1
Artistic1.3

Preparation

What the training must make you competent at

Subject matter

Computers and Electronics Engineering and Technology Telecommunications Public Safety and Security

Software and tools named in job postings

Linux UNIX Python Splunk Enterprise Amazon Web Services AWS software Tenable Nessus

Before choosing the major or training

Run a cheaper test first

Build one small working project from a blank file, then diagnose and fix at least one failure without copying a finished answer.
Ask someone doing this job which feeder role built the required experience, what that earlier job paid, and how long the transition actually took.

Field-specific evidence

What changes the picture

Budget pressure is real

36%

Respondents reporting cybersecurity budget cuts in 2025.

ISC2 Workforce Study · 2025 ↗

Hiring freezes remain common

39%

Hiring freezes remained broadly flat in ISC2's 2025 workforce study.

ISC2 · 2025 ↗

AI is creating new skill demand

73%

Respondents who said AI will create more specialized cybersecurity skills.

ISC2 · 2025 ↗

The fuller career guide

How the evidence fits together

The tradeoff that matters most

Cybersecurity combines an excellent long-run projection with a less uniformly strong current hiring picture. ISC2's budget-cut and hiring-freeze findings are useful because they show why a shortage narrative does not mean every applicant faces an easy market. Specialization still matters.

Common questions

Questions people ask about this career

Is cybersecurity a good career?

Consider this field if its core work interests you: plan, implement, upgrade, or monitor security measures for the protection of computer networks and information. Try an introductory project, class, or permitted observation before committing to training. Compare the actual cost and required experience with entry-level work available where you plan to live.

Is cybersecurity oversaturated?

The evidence does not establish a single national saturation verdict for Cybersecurity Analyst. Hiring varies by location, specialty, and experience. Compare entry-level postings with their required credentials and experience, and ask recent entrants about hiring outcomes. Long-term projections cannot tell you how many qualified applicants compete for a particular job.

Will AI replace cybersecurity jobs?

The workforce survey linked here records expectations about changing cybersecurity skills, not proof that security jobs will disappear or be protected. Ask how AI changes alert investigation, vulnerability assessment, incident response, and verification of automated decisions. Hiring needs and the employer's security budget are separate questions.

Cybersecurity salary

The national median annual wage in May 2025 was $129,180. This is a benchmark rather than an expected starting salary; actual compensation varies by experience, location, employer, specialty, credentials, and hours.

Adjacent options

Compare before committing

The useful question is not whether one field wins overall, but what changes when you choose a nearby path. Explore the full career guides for Software Developer, Data Scientist, Computer Hardware Engineer, Database Architects.