There will be around 3.5 million cybersecurity job openings worldwide by the end of 2021. As corporations, governments, and other organizations rely more on digital platforms, the demand for cybersecurity engineers will rise.
That is good news. The bad news, at least from a business owner’s point of view, is that there will be a growing skills gap among Cybersecurity workers.
According to a Forbes story from a few years ago, cyber security is “the fast-growing job with a large skill gap.” Also, the article says that an ISACA report predicted a shortage of two million cybersecurity experts worldwide by 2019. And now, in 2022, not only has Forbes’ prognosis come true, but the situation is deteriorating.
Cybersecurity Ventures predicted that the damages caused by cybercrime would cost $6 trillion a year by the end of 2021, up from $3 trillion in 2015. Furthermore, cybersecurity Ventures says that by 2025, the cost of cybercrime around the world will be more than $10,500,000,000,000,000 per year. As a result, Gartner forecasts that cyber security investment will reach $172 billion this year.
Even though there are a lot of companies that hire cybersecurity engineers, these ten companies are at the top of the field.
Lockheed Martin FireEye Symantec Check Point Software BAE Systems
Taken together, these projections portray a rosy picture for anyone interested in a career as a cyber security engineer. It’s fair to describe cyber security engineering (and related occupations) as a “recession-proof vocation.”
Now that you know what a cyber security engineer does, how much they earn, and how secure the job is, you’re probably wondering how to become one.
Let us look at the following job path to learn how to become a cybersecurity engineer.
Salary of a Cybersecurity Engineer
According to Glassdoor, the typical cybersecurity engineer’s income is roughly $101,000 annually. Senior engineers make an average of $145K per year, while if they can get their foot in the door, beginners can expect to earn $71K. Excellent work!
A cyber security engineer’s income in India averages $600,000 per year, while a similar expert in Australia makes $95K and an engineer in the United Kingdom can earn £47,048 per year.
Of course, the following figures may change depending on demand in your region. However, a cyber security engineer can earn a good living regardless of the range.
Before we go into how to become a cybersecurity engineer, let’s take a look at the job market.
How Long Does It Take to Get a Job as a Cybersecurity Engineer?
The average time it takes to become a cybersecurity engineer is determined by your education, experience, and certifications. Most people can get into an entry-level cyber security engineer position within two to four years if they have the necessary knowledge. A certificate is a surefire way for someone who has already worked in IT and has enough experience to shift into this area quickly.
What Education Do You Need to Be a Cybersecurity Engineer?
To become a cybersecurity engineer, you need a bachelor’s degree in a field that has something to do with cybersecurity. Computer science, IT, and software engineering are a few examples. Before, most companies didn’t require such a degree if a person had enough skills, but as competition has grown, many companies have started to use this as a requirement.
If you already have a bachelor’s degree in another profession, you can further your education by earning a master’s degree in a field closely linked to cybersecurity. This is important if you want to be a senior cybersecurity engineer. You can also get certified in related professions to advance your career.
