Demand confirms pathways approach to preparing a skilled and diverse cybersecurity workforce


WASHINGTON, Oct. 16, 2023 - Cybersecurity employment opportunities numbering in the hundreds of thousands and at all career stages are available across the country, according to the latest update from CyberSeek™, the most comprehensive source of information on the U.S. cybersecurity workforce.

Data released today to kick off Cybersecurity Career Week shows the labor market for cybersecurity talent remains undersupplied, with approximately 315,000 more workers needed to close current supply gaps.1 An estimated 1.1 million people currently work in cybersecurity jobs across the country.

"Managing cybersecurity risks remains a top priority for enterprises within the public and private sectors," said Rodney Petersen, director of NICE. "During Cybersecurity Career Week, we challenge employers from all sectors to promote career opportunities in cybersecurity to individuals of all ages and from diverse backgrounds, and we invite students, career seekers and employees to explore cybersecurity as an exciting, rewarding and in-demand career opportunity."

Nationwide, the supply-demand ratio, a comparison of the number of available cybersecurity workers relative to employer demand, stands at 0.72. That's a modest improvement from the 0.69 ratio in the previous update from CyberSeek, a joint initiative of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's NICE program, Lightcast and CompTIA.2

Between September 2022 and August 2023 employers listed 572,392 job postings for cybersecurity positions, slightly lower than in the May 2022 - April 2023 update.3 Demand has been steady since May 2023, with roughly 45,000 job postings each month.

"The cybersecurity talent gap has narrowed slightly, but companies must still shift their thinking to focus on cyber skills, rather than credentials, to really get the talent they need" said Will Markow, vice president for applied research at Lightcast. "Focusing on skills not only expands and diversifies the talent pool by reaching more workers, it also allows employers to target their training programs and take ownership of their cybersecurity talent pipeline."

"Cybersecurity evolves faster than traditional learning pathways can keep up with," said Nancy Hammervik, chief workforce solutions officer, CompTIA. "It is a significant challenge, but also a promising opportunity. A growing number of employers are considering and hiring job candidates who travel alternate career pathways, but have the knowledge and skills required to succeed in cybersecurity roles."

CyberSeek's interactive career pathway shows key jobs within cybersecurity, where they fit in the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework), common transition opportunities between them, and detailed information about salaries, credentials, and skillsets associated with each role. A training provider tab allows users to connect directly to organizations providing training, education and industry-recognized certifications.

Cybersecurity Career Week is a campaign to promote the discovery of cybersecurity careers and share resources that increase understanding of multiple learning pathways and credentials that lead to careers identified in the NICE Framework. Visit https://www.nist.gov/nice/ccw.

Media Contacts

NIST/NICE

Chad Boutin

charles.boutin@nist.gov

Lightcast

Scott Bittle

media@lightcast.io

CompTIA

Steven Ostrowski

sostrowski@comptia.org

1 Estimated supply-demand gap provides macro insight into the cybersecurity labor market but is not intended to account for the many factors that affect hiring decisions at a micro level.
2 For information about NICE, Lightcast and CompTIA, please see the CyberSeek project partner page.
3 Estimated base includes core cybersecurity positions and job roles with a significant cybersecurity component.

SOURCE CyberSeek