There’s no question that cyber events, data breaches, and security problems have been on the rise for several years, as shown by Advisen data. Within just 10 years, the number of reported incidents has grown exponentially. This new awareness naturally leads organizations to seek out employees who can stem the tide of cyber events, creating a new demand for cybersecurity and information security professionals.
A new survey from Burning Glass Technologies indicated that while the help wanted ads for security professionals have blossomed, the hiring process can take quite some time. “Job postings for cybersecurity openings have grown three times as fast as openings for IT jobs overall and it takes companies longer to fill cybersecurity positions than other IT jobs. That’s bad for employers but good news for cybersecurity workers, who can command an average salary premium of nearly $6,500 per year, or 9% more than other IT workers,” stated Burning Glass in its study.
Information from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows a dramatic need for information security professionals, rising far above all occupations overall and general computer-related employment. As cyber risk increases, businesses look to those workers who can not only operate a computer, but effectively secure the information contained on systems, databases, and networks. As the Burning Glass survey points out, the pool of qualified individuals is far more limited than the need, which is only expected to grow through the rest of this decade.
Industries vary by level of interest and activity in boosting their cybersecurity ranks, according to the BLS, but in all cases but one, employment growth is expected to increase. The professional, scientific and technical services field is projected to see a 57 percent increase in employment for information security professionals through 2022. The finance and insurance industry, as highlighted, represents a middle-of-the-pack level of anticipated growth. And interestingly, the utilities sector, which has been highlighted as a potential target for hackers, shows an expected decrease in hiring for cybersecurity jobs.
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