Cybersecurity roles lead the pack in tech hiring in 2026 - Spiceworks

David Weldon April 3, 2026 (Credits: Tupungato/Shutterstock) As I’ve written in previous articles on IT careers, 2026 holds a lot of promise for IT professionals, and cybersecurity is no different. According to Matthew Baden, managing director of tech recruitment at recruiting firm The Search ExperienceOpens a new window , hiring demand is expected to grow 10% to 15% year-on-year in cybersecurity roles, with some longer-term forecasts projecting around 30% growth over the next five years. “There’s still a sizable global talent shortage, roughly 3.5 million vacant cybersecurity roles, which makes cyber one of the most under-served segments of the tech stack,” Baden says. “If you were advising a young person who wants to work in tech, you’d tell them to look at cybersecurity. It may not be deemed as interesting compared to engineers who build, since security pros defend, but they’re in demand everywhere.” Tech trends driving this robust hiring This hiring surge is largely driven by escalating threats such as agentic AI-based cyberattacks and quantum risks. Organizations are so concerned that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 29% growth for information security analysts through 2034, far outpacing average job growth, explains Arthur F. Ream III, professor and assistant chair of the Computer Information Systems Department at Bentley UniversityOpens a new window , and director of consulting services at Deer Brook Consulting.Opens a new window “Globally, we’re looking at a persistent 4.8 million skills gap,” Ream says. “Organizations are prioritizing precision hires in high-impact areas like cloud and AI security, leading to competitive markets for mid-to-senior roles.” Entry-level professionals may feel nervous about job security as AI automation handles more routine tasks. Demand for strategic pros who can bridge tech and business will surge, especially in healthcare and finance, Ream says. Security hiring follows threat trends Cybersecurity hiring trends reflect the evolving threat landscape and organizational priorities, explains Greg Fuller, VP of Skillsoft Codecademy EnterpriseOpens a new window . AI skills are in great demand for professionals who can leverage AI-driven threat detection tools and defend against adversarial AI attacks. Communication, leadership, and adaptability are increasingly essential for cross-functional collaboration and stakeholder influence, Fuller explains. Governance and compliance expertise are also a priority with organizations looking for talent familiar with frameworks like NIST, ISO 27001, and emerging AI governance standards. Employers increasingly review a candidate’s GitHub or public code to gauge their currency and engagement with the wider security community. As the demand is so strong, more than half of companies raise their offer at closing, candidates routinely hold multiple competing offers, Baden explains. Supply chain and risk management skills are critical, as businesses work to secure complex ecosystems and third-party integrations. Mandatory skills for cybersecurity pros Several hiring trends stand out, Baden says. Zero Trust and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) experience has gone from ‘nice-to-have’ to ‘mandatory’ in many senior job descriptions, largely due to the rise of remote work. Organizations now need people who can secure cloud and remote environments, not just defend a corporate office network. Growing reliance on AI and ML have elevated the need for security professionals capable of implementing, securing, and governing these technologies, driving both public and private organizations to align their strategic objectives around specialized and emerging skill sets, explains Sherif Osman, senior cybersecurity program manager at CACI International Inc.Opens a new window “As a result, cybersecurity is expanding into an area of largely untapped talent potential,” Osman says. “Skills shortages will continue to pose a major risk to cybersecurity resilience—now more than ever—as threats evolve.” Other key trends include a shift toward ‘human-AI hybrid’ skills, where non-technical attributes like problem-solving outrank pure tech prowess, as AI automates basics but amplifies needs for oversight, Ream explains. Employers are targeting precision roles in DevSecOps and zero-trust architectures, with 53% boosting pay for cloud/AI expertise. Demand for cybersecurity leaders Demand for CISOs is stronger than ever, driven by several converging factors, explains Fuller. Organizations are rapidly deploying AI solutions, often without full governance,a phenomenon known as “shadow AI,” creating compliance and security gaps that require executive oversight. Persistent talent gaps also mean CISOs must also lead workforce development initiatives to build internal capabilities. Expanding global regulations such as GDPR, the AI Act, and SEC cyber disclosure rules further require CISOs to ensure compliance and manage risk effectively, Fuller says. Cybersecurity has evolved into a core business risk rather than a purely technical issue, Fuller explains. This gives CISOs a seat at the boardroom table to influence corporate strategy and resilience planning. Cybersecurity jobs that top the most wanted list Several cybersecurity roles are in especially high demand, Fuller says. AI security specialists are focused on securing AI models and mitigating adversarial attacks, which barely existed a few years ago but is now indispensable. Cloud security architects with multi-cloud expertise across AWS, Azure, and GCP, are equally sought after as organizations embrace hybrid environments. Cybersecurity and privacy attorneys are  increasingly needed to navigate data protection, AI ethics, and compliance in a rapidly changing regulatory environment. Based on 2025 postings data from several university research projects, the roles with the most openings are security engineer (64,300), security analyst (45,500), and DevSecOps engineer (36,000), reflecting priorities in threat detection and integrated security, Ream explains. Rounding out the top are security architect, cybersecurity manager, IAM engineer, and incident responder,“roles I’ve filled or led teams in during EHR implementations at CHA,” Ream says. Emerging high demand roles include AI security specialist and quantum cryptographer. In terms of earnings potential, Ream says the following are potential national averages: Salaries for AI trained security are skyrocketing Given the talent shortage, it’s no surprise that cybersecurity pay is trending up, but AI-linked cybersecurity roles are on a whole other level, Baden says. “We’re seeing cybersecurity professionals with strong AI experience receiving offers up to around 60% higher than their peers without that background,especially those with about five years of hands-on AI security experience,” Baden explains. In 2026, companies will increasingly hire strong cyber professionals without AI experience and then train them into AI security roles. “I’d expect that shift,‘hire great security, teach them AI’, to become much more common by mid -next year.” Looking ahead, Fuller says many of the roles and skills that will be critical in the next 12 months likely do not exist today. The cybersecurity landscape is evolving toward an era of AI-versus-AI cyber battles, where attackers and defenders both leverage AI to outmaneuver each other. Organizations must prepare for this paradigm shift by investing in continuous learning, adaptive strategies, and forward-thinking talent development. “The ability to anticipate emerging threats and innovate defensive measures will define success in the near future,” Fuller explains. “Building a resilient Skillforce,focused on skills, not titles,will be essential, as human-AI collaboration becomes the cornerstone of cybersecurity defense.” Share This Article: David Weldon David is a freelance editor, writer and research analyst from the Boston area. He has worked in a full-time senior editorial capacity at several leading media companies, covering topics related to information technology and business management. As a freelancer, he has contributed to over 100 publications and web sites, writing white papers, research reports, online courses, feature articles, executive profiles and columns. His special areas of concentration are in technology, data management and analytics, management practices, workforce and workplace trends, benefits and compensation, education, and healthcare. Contact him at dweldon646@comcast.net Do you still have questions? Head over to the Spiceworks Community to find answers. Take me to Community