Job Market Intelligence:

Cybersecurity Jobs, 2015

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies
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Introduction: Cybersecurity and the Job Market

American employers have realized the vital importance of cybersecurity—but 

that realization has created a near-term shortage of workers that may require 

long-term solutions.

Cybersecurity was once the province of defense contractors and government 

agencies, but in this, the third edition of our annual analysis, we find hiring 

has boomed in industries like Finance, Health Care, and Retail. A glance 

at the headlines is enough to explain why. In addition to the federal Office of 

Personnel Management, recent cyber breaches have hit major consumer 

companies like Chase and Target. According to PwC’s 2015 State of US 

Cybercrime Survey, a record 79% of survey respondents said they detected a 

security incident in the past 12 months. Many incidents go undetected, 

however, so the real tally is probably much higher.

Yet we are also seeing multiple signs that demand for these workers is 

outstripping supply. 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. 

Or put another way, there were nearly 50,000 postings for workers with a CISSP certification in 2014, the primary credential in 

cybersecurity work. That amounts to three-quarters of all the people who hold that certification in the United States—and 

presumably most of them already have jobs.

This is a gap that will take time to fill. The skills for some IT positions can be acquired with relatively little training, but cybersecurity 

isn’t one of them. For example, five years of experience are required to even apply for a CISSP certification. That doesn’t even

consider the rising demand for experience in a specific industry, like finance or health care. This suggests that the shortage of 

cybersecurity workers is likely to persist, at least until the education and training system catches up.

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies
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Key Trends in Cybersecurity Demand

Cybersecurity jobs are in demand and growing across the economy

• The Professional Services, Finance, and Manufacturing/Defense sectors have the highest demand for cybersecurity jobs.

• The fastest increases in demand for cybersecurity workers are in industries managing increasing volumes of consumer 

data such as Finance (+137% over the last five years), Health Care (+121%), and Retail Trade (+89%).

Positions calling for financial skills or a security clearance are even harder to fill than other cybersecurity jobs

• The hardest-to-fill cybersecurity jobs call for financial skills, such as Accounting or knowledge of regulations associated 

with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, alongside traditional networking and IT security skills. Because finance and IT skills are rarely 

trained for together, there is a skills gap for workers who meet the requirements of these “hybrid jobs.”

• More than 10% of cybersecurity job postings advertise a security clearance requirement. These jobs, on average, take 10% 

longer to fill than cybersecurity jobs without a security clearance.

Cybersecurity positions are more likely to require certifications than other IT jobs

• One third (35%) of cybersecurity jobs call for an industry certification, compared to 23% of IT jobs overall.

Cybersecurity employers demand a highly educated, highly experienced workforce

• Some 84% of cybersecurity postings specify at least a bachelor’s degree, and 83% require at least three years of 

experience. Because of the high education and experience requirements for these roles, skills gaps cannot easily be 

resolved though short-term solutions. Employers and training providers must work together to cultivate a talent pipeline 

for these critical roles.

Geographically, cybersecurity jobs are concentrated in government and defense hubs, but are growing most quickly 

in secondary markets

• On a per capita basis, the leading states are Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and Colorado; all have high 

concentrations of jobs in the federal government and related contractors.

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies
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By the Numbers: The Cybersecurity Job Market

● In 2014, there were 238,158 postings for cybersecurity-related jobs nationally. Cybersecurity jobs account for 

11% of all IT jobs.

● Cybersecurity postings have grown 91% from 2010-2014. This growth rate is more than faster than IT jobs 

generally.

● Cybersecurity posting advertise a 9% salary premium over IT jobs overall.

● Cybersecurity job postings took 8% longer to fill than IT job postings overall.

● The demand for certificated cybersecurity talent is outstripping supply. In the U.S., employers posted 49,493 jobs 

requesting a CISSP, recruiting from a pool of only 65,362 CISSP holders nationwide.*

*According to the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, Inc., (ISC)2® membership counts as of July 14, 2015

$6,459

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies
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Cybersecurity Demand Grows in Finance, Professional Services

• Professional Services, Finance, and Manufacturing & Defense are the leading sectors for cybersecurity 

professionals. 

• Sectors managing increasing volumes of consumer data such as Finance, Health Care, and Retail Trade have 

the fastest increases in demand for cybersecurity workers.

• Within these sectors, demand for cybersecurity professionals is growing rapidly in more specific industry 

subsectors not typically associated with cybersecurity, including Air Transportation (+221%) and Accommodation 

(+157%).

*The Manufacturing Sector includes services divisions of a number of defense contractors (e.g. Raytheon) and computer manufacturers (e.g. Hewlett Packard).

** Industry growth rates are suppressed for the Public Administration and Other industry sectors because a significant portion of labor market demand in these 

industries exists offline.

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies
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Engineers, Managers, and Analysts Dominate the Field

The cybersecurity workforce covers a range of job types and skills. This includes advanced Engineer and Architect roles, 

Auditors (which are concentrated in Finance) and Specialists, which typically have lower entry level requirements.

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies
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Employers Demand More Education, Experience

Cybersecurity jobs require significant education and experience. Some 84% of cybersecurity postings specify at least a 

bachelor’s degree, and just as many (83%) require at least 3 years of experience, with an average of 5.4 years.

High education and experience requirements make skills gaps hard to close. Because cybersecurity jobs require years 

of training and relevant experience, skills gaps cannot easily be resolved though short-term solutions. Employers and 

training providers must work together to cultivate a talent pipeline for these critical roles.

Requested Education Level* Minimum Experience

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies
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Certification Shapes the Path to Advancement

The cybersecurity job market is shaped by certifications, and job seekers of all experience levels can improve their employment 

opportunities by obtaining the relevant credentials. Entry-level workers, for example, can obtain foundational certifications 

such as Security+, which represents an entry point into the field and is by far the largest cybersecurity certification in terms of 

total holders. Experienced workers can target more advanced certifications such as CISSP, which requires holders to pass a 

rigorous exam and possess at least five years of information security experience – common requirements among advanced 

certifications.

*Requires a minimum of 5 years of information security experience.

Advanced Certifications

Typically require at least 3-5 years of experience

• Certified Information Systems Security 

Professional (CISSP)*

• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)*

• Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)*

• GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)

• GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA)

Entry-Level Certifications

Typically require less than 3 years of experience

• Security+

• GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)

• Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP)

• Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP)

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies
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Certification is More Common in Cybersecurity Jobs

Cybersecurity jobs are highly certificated: More than one in three (35%) of all cybersecurity positions request at least one of 

the certifications listed below. Only 23% of overall advertised IT jobs request an industry certification.

Certification increases salary: Security+ represents the entry-level certification for cybersecurity roles, and postings 

requesting it advertise an average salary of $75,484. This serves as a baseline salary for certified cybersecurity workers, and as 

workers obtain additional certification they can qualify for ever greater salaries. Postings requesting CISSP, for example, 

advertised an average salary of $93,010 – a premium of $17,526 over the average salary for Security+. 

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies
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Certifications: Too Many Openings Chasing Too Few Workers

Employers prefer workers with cybersecurity certifications, but there can be three or more postings for every 

certificate holder. When you consider that most of these certificate holders are already employed, the situation 

looks even better for workers. Even the generous supply of Security + holders is somewhat misleading. Security 

+ is a entry level certificate, so many people with more advanced credentials have one, and the openings that 

require it are relatively low-level.

Note: Different certifying organizations report slightly different counts of holders. For example, some may report total certifications awarded, while others may report only active 

certification holders.

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies
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Cybersecurity Workers Need to Know IT and Their Industry

Additional Skill and Domain Knowledge 

Requirements by Industry

Health Care:

Skills:

• Generally Accepted Accounting 

Principles

• Financial Reporting

Compliance & Standards:

• HIPAA

• HITECH

• Payment Card Industry Data Security 

Standard (PCI DSS)

Finance & Accounting:

Skills:

• Generally Accepted Accounting 

Principles

• Financial Reporting

Compliance & Standards:

• Payment Card Industry Data Security 

Standard (PCI DSS)

• Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)

Manufacturing & Defense:

Compliance & Standards

• JAFAN 6/9 & 6/3, DCID 6/3 and DIACAP

• NERC Reliability Standards

The graphic below describes the expertise required for various cybersecurity roles in 

demand. On top of those skills, job postings often call for additional knowledge in 

certain information-sensitive industries, such as Health Care; Finance; and 

Manufacturing and Defense. 

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies 
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Hybrid Jobs Combining Different Skills are Hardest to Fill

Fastest-Growing Skills in 

Cybersecurity Job Postings

Five-Year 

Growth

Python 309%

HIPAA 248%

Risk Management 209%

Internal Auditing 200%

Audit Planning 170%

Risk Assessment 169%

ITIL 153%

Management Information 

Systems 132%

Accounting 121%

Configuration Management 106%

Hardest to Fill Skills in 

Cybersecurity Job Postings

Posting 

Duration

Time to Fill Above

Average

Management Information Systems 50 days +10 days

Information Assurance 47 days +7 days

Sarbanes-Oxley 47 days +7 days

Accounting 45 days +5 days

Python 45 days +5 days

Dynamic Host Configuration 

Protocol (DHCP) 45 days +5 days

Configuration Management 44 days +4 days

C++ 44 days +4 days

Public Accounting 43 days +3 days

Internal Auditing 43 days +3 days

Employers often struggle to fill positions with specialized skill requirements. The fastest-growing skills include industry 

knowledge areas, such as HIPAA requirements in Health Care and Risk Management, and Accounting in Finance. The hardest-tofill skills are typically related to finance, such as Information Assurance, Sarbanes-Oxley, and Accounting. Finding candidates 

with these unique skill sets can take roughly 17% longer to fill on average than other cybersecurity job openings.

The difficulties in filling jobs that require a combination of IT security and financial skills reflects a broader trend in the market: 

hybrid jobs which combine skill sets that are not traditionally trained for together. This often results in skills gaps where

employers struggle to find employees that meet these skill needs. 

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies 
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Roles Requiring Security Clearance Take Longer to Fill

Workers with a security clearance—or the ability to get one—have an advantage. In 2014, there were 25,654 cybersecurity 

postings calling for a government Security Clearance to access classified information, representing 11% of all cybersecurity 

postings. On average, cybersecurity postings requesting Security Clearance remained open 10% longer than cybersecurity 

postings overall.

Posting Duration (2014)

Average # of Days to Fill Online Job Postings in 2014

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies
© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies 13

Cybersecurity Job Postings by State

Cybersecurity Job Postings in 2014

By State

*See Appendix 1 for state-level data tables on total postings and postings growth.

State Total 

Postings

Location 

Quotient**

% Growth 

(2010-2014)

1 California 28,744 1.02 75%

2 Virginia 20,276 3.09 38%

3 Texas 18,525 0.92 113%

4 New York 14,089 0.97 104%

5 Illinois 11,428 1.16 163%

6 Maryland 11,406 2.40 39%

7 Florida 9,847 0.67 135%

8 Georgia 8,757 1.22 121%

9 New Jersey 8,268 1.21 80%

10 Massachusetts 7,911 1.45 92%

11 Colorado 7,688 1.77 111%

12 North Carolina 7,503 1.06 127%

13 Ohio 6,281 0.72 141%

14 Pennsylvania 5,745 0.59 69%

15 Arizona 5,502 1.18 87%

Top States by Total Postings*

Cybersecurity Location Quotient in 2014

By State

**Location quotients show how concentrated demand is in a particular geography relative to employment in that area. National location quotient equals 1.0; an LQ of 1.2 indicates 

that demand is 20% more concentrated than nationally.
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Cybersecurity Job Postings by City

City (MSA) Total Postings % Growth 

(2010-2014)

1 Washington, D.C. 27,246 39%

2 New York 17,982 90%

3 San Francisco / San 

Jose 13,869 88%

4 Chicago 9,623 164%

5 Dallas 8,694 138%

6 Los Angeles 7,654 47%

7 Boston 6,918 99%

8 Atlanta 6,604 128%

9 Denver 4,744 176%

10 Baltimore 4,643 49%

City (MSA) Total Postings % Growth 

(2010-2014)

1 Austin 2,937 209%

2 Columbus 1,916 178%

3 Denver 4,744 176%

4 Portland 2,424 175%

5 Chicago 9,623 164%

6 Miami 2,872 158%

7 Charlotte 3,000 147%

8 Tampa 2,606 145%

9 Dallas 8,694 138%

10 Atlanta 6,604 128%

Top Cities by Total Postings Top Cities by Growth

© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies
© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies 15

Methodology

All jobs data in this report are drawn from Burning Glass’s database of online job postings, which includes nearly 100M 

worldwide postings collected since 2007. Each day, Burning Glass visits close to 40,000 online jobs sites to collect 

postings. Using advanced text analytics, over 70 data fields are extracted from each posting including job title, 

occupation, employer, industry, required skills and credentials and salary. Postings are then deduplicated and placed in a 

database for further analysis.

This report classifies cybersecurity jobs as those which have a cybersecurity-related title, require a cybersecurity 

certification or request cybersecurity-specific skills. Cybersecurity-related titles used to define the roles analyzed in this 

report include “network security”, “information security”, “information assurance”, and “penetration tester”. 

Cybersecurity skills include information assurance, cryptography, computer forensics, malware analysis, 800-53, and 

ArcSight. 

The data in this report use a broader definition of cybersecurity roles than Burning Glass’s 2014 report examining the 

same topic. That report looked only at those roles with cybersecurity-specific titles, whereas this update includes jobs 

with cybersecurity titles, certifications or skills.
© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies 16

Appendix 1: State Data

State Total 

Postings

Location 

Quotient*

% Growth 

(2010-2014)

1 Alabama 2,159 0.66 31%

2 Alaska 556 1.00 17%

3 Arizona 5,502 1.18 87%

4 Arkansas 989 0.5 117%

5 California 28,744 1.02 75%

6 Colorado 7,688 1.77 111%

7 Connecticut 2,771 0.97 98%

8 Delaware 1,152 1.67 92%

9 Florida 9,847 0.67 135%

10 Georgia 8,757 1.22 121%

11 Hawaii 1,364 1.31 39%

12 Idaho 634 0.53 260%

13 Illinois 11,428 1.16 163%

14 Indiana 2,347 0.48 139%

15 Iowa 1,951 0.74 158%

16 Kansas 1,654 0.71 168%

17 Kentucky 1,753 0.58 209%

18 Louisiana 1,563 0.48 275%

19 Maine 791 0.74 214%

20 Maryland 11,406 2.40 39%

21 Massachusetts 7,911 1.45 92%

22 Michigan 4,225 0.59 117%

23 Minnesota 4,059 0.88 98%

24 Mississippi 827 0.45 161%

25 Missouri 4,004 0.86 88%

State Total 

Postings

Location 

Quotient*

% Growth 

(2010-2014)

26 Montana 344 0.43 189%

27 Nebraska 1,603 1.00 68%

28 Nevada 1,462 0.70 89%

29 New Hampshire 581 0.50 134%

30 New Jersey 8,268 1.21 80%

31 New Mexico 1,003 0.72 119%

32 New York 14,089 0.97 104%

33 North Carolina 7,503 1.06 127%

34 North Dakota 322 0.49 341%

35 Ohio 6,281 0.72 141%

36 Oklahoma 1,476 0.53 196%

37 Oregon 2,618 0.89 136%

38 Pennsylvania 5,745 0.59 69%

39 Rhode Island 1,267 1.53 134%

40 South Carolina 2,312 0.69 134%

41 South Dakota 354 0.50 195%

42 Tennessee 2,340 0.51 97%

43 Texas 18,525 0.92 113%

44 Utah 1,371 0.61 146%

45 Vermont 281 0.52 168%

46 Virginia 20,276 3.09 38%

47 Washington 5,119 0.96 94%

48 West Virginia 496 0.41 35%

49 Wisconsin 2,429 0.51 139%

50 Wyoming 176 0.37 245%

*Location quotients show how concentrated demand is in a particular geography relative to employment in that area. National location quotient equals 1.0; an LQ of 1.2 indicates 

that demand is 20% more concentrated than nationally.
© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies 17

Appendix 2: City (MSA) Data

MSA Total Postings Location 

Quotient*

% Growth (2010-

2014)

1 Atlanta 6,604 1.57 128%

2 Austin 2,937 1.88 209%

3 Baltimore 4,643 2.04 49%

4 Boston 6,918 1.52 99%

5 Charlotte 3,000 1.87 147%

6 Chicago 9,623 1.24 164%

7 Columbus 1,916 1.12 178%

8 Dallas 8,694 1.56 138%

9 Denver 4,744 2.03 176%

10 Detroit 2,753 0.84 112%

11 Houston 3,453 0.69 91%

12 Kansas City 1,884 1.06 111%

13 Los Angeles 7,654 0.78 47%

14 Miami 2,872 0.69 158%

15 Minneapolis 3,285 1.02 93%

16 New York 17,982 1.18 90%

17 Philadelphia 4,519 0.95 75%

18 Phoenix 4,044 1.26 101%

19 Portland, OR 2,424 1.30 175%

20 San Diego 3,068 1.32 94%

21 San Francisco / San Jose 13,869 4.89 88%

22 Seattle 4,105 1.32 100%

23 St. Louis 3,248 1.41 95%

24 Tampa 2,606 1.25 145%

25 Washington, D.C. 27,246 5.25 39%

*Location quotients show how concentrated demand is in a particular geography relative to employment in that area. National location quotient equals 1.0; an LQ of 1.2 indicates 

that demand is 20% more concentrated than nationally.
© 2015 Burning Glass Technologies 18

About Burning Glass

Burning Glass Technologies delivers job market analytics that empower employers, workers, and educators to make datadriven decisions. Burning Glass is reshaping how the job market works, with data that identify the skill gaps that keep job 

seekers and employers apart and tools that enable both sides to bridge that gap and connect more easily. The company’s 

artificial intelligence technology analyzes hundreds of millions of job postings and real-life career transitions to provide insight 

into labor market patterns. This real-time strategic intelligence offers crucial insights, such as which jobs are most in demand, 

the specific skills employers need, and the career directions that offer the highest potential for workers.

Burning Glass’ applications drive practical solutions and are used across the job market: by educators in aligning programs 

with the market, by employers and recruiters in filling positions more effectively, and by policy makers in shaping strategic

workforce decisions. At the same time, Burning Glass’ data-driven applications for workers and students help them choose 

career goals and build the skills they need to get ahead.

Based in Boston, Burning Glass is playing a growing role in informing the global conversation on education and the workforce,

and in creating a job market that works for everyone.

For More Information

Dan Restuccia

Chief Analytics Officer

t +1 (617) 227-4800

drestuccia@burning-glass.com

www.burning-glass.com