Cybersecurity job searches increased nearly six percent between March 2017 and March 2018, according to recently published research by job listings site Indeed. The increase actually outpaced a 3.5 percent uptick in jobs posted.
These numbers do not mean that supply is exceeding demand – far from it. The reality is that finding cybersecurity talent remains a major challenge for employers, both in and outside the tech field. But the Indeed findings seem to confirm what (ISC)² discovered earlier this year: There is a big appetite among cybersecurity workers for a change of employment.
In our “Hiring and Retaining Top Cybersecurity Talent” study, (ISC)² found that 84 percent of cybersecurity workers would welcome new employment opportunities in 2018, including 14 percent who were actively looking to make a move. With this much interest in new employment opportunities, it’s no surprise that job searches have increased.
Most Wanted
So far in 2018, the most common cybersecurity job posting is “IT security specialist,” according to Indeed. Most organizations use this term to describe a generalist position in charge of day-to-day cybersecurity duties. “Information security analyst” ranked second in the Indeed research, followed by “network security engineer” at #3, “security engineer” at #4, and “application security engineer” in fifth.
In its analysis of the findings, Indeed attributed demand for application security engineers to the rapid increase of internet-connected devices. “And as more and more devices connect to the internet and each other, we can expect that securing information will remain a top priority for individuals and companies alike. This is good news for those in the cybersecurity space, as demand for their products and services will likely continue to increase and lead to more jobs,” according to Indeed.
Gartner predicts that some 20.4 billion devices will be connected by 2020 thanks to the expansion of the IoT. The number of connected devices in 2017 was 8.4 billion.
Geographic Differences
In its research, Indeed calculated which cities pay the highest cybersecurity salaries. Not surprisingly, San Francisco ranked first with its average salary close to $150,000. High salaries are common in San Francisco, which borders Silicon Valley and is considered one of the most expensive U.S. cities to live in.
When adjusted for cost of living, San Francisco dropped to third ($116,073), displaced by Charlotte, NC, at the top ($125,173). Chicago ranked second ($119,887); Austin, TX, took fourth place ($113,126); and Denver came in at No. 5 ($112,206).
As for which city offers the most opportunity, Washington, DC, ranked first. It has the highest number of cybersecurity job openings, followed in order by New York, Dallas/Fort Worth, Baltimore and Chicago.
Need for Diversity
It’s clear from the Indeed findings that cybersecurity jobs are not constrained to specific regions. Opportunity for jobseekers is abundant and filling vacancies is bound to remain a challenge for the foreseeable future.
One way to address the challenge is by encouraging more minorities and women to join the profession. Currently women make up only 11 percent of the cybersecurity workforce, something that needs to change to address the skills gap and bring much-needed diversity to the workforce. Women in cybersecurity after all, have the same priorities for the most part as men, as (ISC)² learned in a recent study.