A new examination of the top 10 fastest-growing cybersecurity skills shows employers are ready to pay more for workers who can prevent attacks before they occur by building a secure digital ecosystem from the ground up, according to data from Burning Glass Technologies.
The two fastest-growing skills, Application Development Security and Cloud Security, both involve proactively building secure systems from the start rather than responding to attacks. These skills also represent crucial infrastructure for the modern economy, covering the apps on smartphones and the cloud storage businesses depend upon. Demand for these skills over the next five years is projected to grow 164% and 115%, respectively. These skills also carry significant salary premiums of up to $15,000 for workers who have them.
With COVID-19 driving a worldwide shift to remote work and concerns about election security rising in the United States, cybersecurity is a critical topic. Burning Glass, a leading labor market analytics firm, has been tracking demand for cybersecurity skills based on its database of more than one billion current and historical job postings. The Cyberseek.org website, built by Burning Glass in partnership with CompTIA, offers a look at cybersecurity demand by region and job titles.
Based on the Burning Glass analysis of employer demand in postings, the skills projected to grow fastest in the next five years are:
| Skill | 5-Year Projected Growth | Postings Oct. 2019-Sept. 2020 | Salary Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application Development Security | 164% | 29,635 | $12,266 |
| Cloud Security | 115% | 19,477 | $15,025 |
| Risk Management | 60% | 57,967 | $13,379 |
| Threat Intelligence | 41% | 60,039 | $9,609 |
| Incident Response | 37% | 23,497 | $5,683 |
| Compliance and Controls | 36% | 54,770 | $12,423 |
| Data Privacy and Security | 36% | 88,527 | $5,256 |
| Access Management | 32% | 118,096 | $6,451 |
| Security Strategy and Governance | 20% | 82,952 | $7,735 |
| Health Information Security | 20% | 413,687 | $738 |
While many of these skills are highly technical, the demand is not limited to information technology jobs. An increasing number of job postings for attorneys, for example, require expertise in data privacy and security. Jobs requesting health information security skills include cybersecurity engineers, but also health care administrators and even insurance sales agents. This creates hybrid roles that must blend cybersecurity skills within their existing responsibilities.
For more about the top 10 cybersecurity skills for 2021, download the full report here.
