Careers in Cybersecurity | Neumann University

With so much of our daily lives happening online, it's no surprise that criminal activity has gone digital, too. Cybercrime now costs U.S. citizens $10.2 billion a year, according to a report from the FBI. As a result, great cybersecurity professionals are in high demand.
Cybersecurity careers are growing rapidly. Employers from all sectors know cybersecurity experts are essential for stopping these criminals and securing data. There is a huge range of jobs available in many different cybersecurity concentrations, from business risk management to white hat hacking.
Read on for an overview of some of the many careers in cybersecurity you can choose from, as well as a brief look at the kind of education that will help you enter these careers.

Request More Information

What Are the Most Common Careers in Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity professionals find careers keeping private businesses secure, working for specialist cybersecurity firms, helping government agencies catch cybercriminals, and more.

Some common careers in cybersecurity include:

• Cybersecurity engineers design, develop and implement cybersecurity measures.
• Cybersecurity analysts evaluate computer networks and recommend ways to make them more secure.
• Forensic computer analysts investigate security breaches to help solve cybercrimes by analyzing digital data.
• Penetration testers identify weaknesses in organizations’ cybersecurity defenses, often through ethical hacking.
• Computer network architects design, build and maintain custom secure computer networks and cloud infrastructures.

Cybersecurity is a large enough field that it’s easy to find a career that fits your interests. Some cybersecurity professionals do highly technical work writing code or solving problems with coding, while others specialize in high-level cybersecurity management and strategy.

Whether you’re interested in catching criminals, working with avant-garde technologies like AI or cloud computing, or designing your own cybersecurity solutions, it’s likely you’ll be able to find a cybersecurity career that satisfies you.

What Cybersecurity Jobs Become Available With a Master’s Degree?

Many cybersecurity jobs only require bachelor’s degrees, and some entry-level cybersecurity jobs can even be done without a degree (provided you can demonstrate cybersecurity competence).

However, a master’s degree is a great way to open doors to more and higher-paying cybersecurity opportunities.

A master’s degree in cybersecurity lets you perform roles similar to the ones listed above but at higher levels or in leadership positions. It also qualifies you for roles that require more in-depth expertise, such as managing cyber risk for a multinational corporation or developing innovative new cybersecurity technologies.

The highest-paid careers in cybersecurity are as corporate executives. Many companies have Chief Information Officers or Chief Information Security Officers who manage all of a corporation’s cybersecurity and other technical concerns.

How Do You Become Qualified for a Career in Cybersecurity?

Most entry-level cybersecurity jobs require a bachelor’s degree at a minimum, while upper-level roles can require master’s degrees.

There are a number of cybersecurity certifications available as well. A certification on your resume is an excellent way to stand out to employers.

Some popular certifications include:

• Security+
• Certified Network Defender
• Certified Information Systems Security Practitioner
• Certified Information Security Manager
• Certified Ethical Hacker
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional
• Global Information Assurance Certification

The BS and MS in cybersecurity at Neumann University prepare you with the foundational knowledge needed to earn in-demand certifications.

What Is it Like to Have a Career in Cybersecurity?

Cybersecurity is an exciting, fast-paced and high-growth field. Those who pursue a career in cybersecurity are likely to find a lot of opportunities in a variety of sectors.

Who Hires Cybersecurity Professionals?

Cybersecurity jobs can be found in the IT departments of private companies, nonprofits, educational institutions, government agencies and more — if an organization uses technology, it needs cybersecurity professionals.

Even in organizations that are too small to employ their own cybersecurity professionals, there are lucrative job opportunities in consulting and security-specific firms explicitly created to assist these companies.

Government agencies also frequently employ cybersecurity experts to secure government data or to track down criminals.

In short, cybersecurity jobs can be found in almost all sectors of the economy, from private corporations to public agencies.

What Are the Salaries Like?

Salaries in the cybersecurity field are very competitive. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median pay of a cybersecurity analyst is $102,600.
In addition, Salary.com reports entry-level salaries around $76,482 for cybersecurity analysts and $99,900 digital forensic examiners. At the upper end, chief information security officer can expect to make an average of $238,428.

Is the Field Growing?

Yes. Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing fields in the United States.
The BLS estimates that the number of cybersecurity careers will grow by 35 percent over the next 10 years. To put that into perspective, overall employment in the United States is expected to grow by just 5 percent over the same period.

Top Skills Employers Want from Cybersecurity Professionals

Good cybersecurity is essential for any organization, and highly qualified candidates are in demand. Employers often look for cybersecurity experts with the following:

• Strong technical and programming knowledge
• Problem-solving skills
• Analytical skills
• Dedication to continuous learning
• An understanding of the ethical and legal concerns surrounding cybercrime
• The expertise needed to design, build and analyze advanced cybersecurity systems

Rewarding Cybersecurity Careers Begin at Neumann University

Neumann University can help you develop the skills, attitudes and expertise you need to be a successful cybersecurity professional. We offer both a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in cybersecurity.

Over the course of Neumann’s 122-credit BS in cybersecurity, you’ll develop a foundation of business expertise, programming and technical knowledge, and an in-depth understanding of security. Every undergraduate completes an internship before graduating, so you’ll also gain hands-on industry experience.

Our MS in cybersecurity is offered exclusively online, so you can work full-time while earning your degree. Whether earning a BS or MS, all cybersecurity students learn with current-generation software, giving you direct experience with the tools today’s cybersecurity experts use. You’ll learn from faculty who are cybersecurity professionals with years of hands-on experience in the field.

Learn more about how a Bachelor of Science in Cybersecurity or a Master of Science in Cybersecurity from Neumann University can jumpstart your career.

A Guide to Careers in Cybersecurity