The demand for cybersecurity jobs in the UK is high. As the skills gap continues to increase, this demand is going to keep growing. The global information security workforce study that suggested by 2022, there could be approximately 100,000 vacant cybersecurity positions in the UK.
While employers struggle to find the right talent, employees have more opportunities to find the perfect job. Because of this, we have seen an increase in salaries. In particular, infosec specialists have experienced a 7% increase in their salaries.
In total, there are currently 58,000 workers in cybersecurity. Today, we are going to look into the most demanded jobs, as well as some of the functions that come with them.
Application Security Engineer
Average Annual Income: £68,637
This position is in demand in all fields that require the creation, implementation, and maintenance of computer apps. Their main responsibility is to embed security in the projects worked on by the developers. They will also perform web application security assessments, automated security tests, and review codes.
Cyber Security Consultant
Average Annual Income: £71,517
Those who don’t have in-house cybersecurity specialists are turning to cybersecurity consultants. These consultants can be hired on a contract basis, providing more flexibility while offering optimal security solutions. Considering the difficulty in hiring cybersecurity specialists, short-term solutions such as these are highly popular.
Data Protection Officer
Average Annual Income: £55,000
Since the implementation of Europe’s new GDPR, the role of the data protection officers (DPO) has become more apparent. Businesses are facing heavy fines for not compiling with data protection. A DPO is responsible for this. Any company that processes the data of EU citizens must have a data protection officer. Since 2018, the demand for DPOs has shot up. Their roles may include training staff in data protection and communicating with GDPR authorities.
Chief Security Officer
Average Annual Income: £115,000
Because of the manner in which digital technology is expanding, for example, the IoT, Chief Security Officers (CSO) or Chief Information Security Officers (CISO) is necessary to cope with today’s complex cyber threats. Their responsibilities are extensive and can include IT security for systems, processes, and personnel. Their role also covers cloud services and the management of third parties.
Security Analyst
Average Annual Income: £49,000
A security analyst must prepare and perform tests on a company’s networks and systems. They have to be able to provide suitable protection against malicious attacks and viruses. This may be from consulting or scrutinizing code. Part of the job involves being up-to-date with the latest IT and security solutions. They must also know how to plan a recovery strategy for if security is breached.
Security Consultants
Average Annual Income: £65,000
This type of consultant will focus on creating solutions for the specific needs of a company. They must be prepared for any and every type of cybersecurity issue. Within the title of security consultants, there are certain fields. The most in-demand are information security consultants. 16% of IT professionals work as security consultants with a 20% increase in job openings within the last 5 years.
Security Engineers
Average Annual Income: £55,000
This position is bout designing a security system that will act fast and block potential cyberattacks or malware. Again, there are a number of roles within this branch. Looking back at the last five years, the demand for infrastructure engineers has gone up by 617% and network engineers by 139%.
Security Managers
Average Annual Income: £65,000
With a more supervisory role, their job is to review the best policies and oversee security tests and the installation of new software. This was the most advertised of all the cybersecurity jobs. Last year, each quarter saw 330 job postings. In the last 6 years, positions for security managers have grown by 138%. More specifically, project management roles have grown by 231% in an 8 year period.
Security Architects
Average Annual Income: £77,500
Security architects must have knowledge of all of the most recent cybersecurity trends and threats. They are in charge of updating and maintaining a company’s programs, infrastructure and know-how to spot potential security threats. The general role of a security architect has grown by 269% over the last 5 years, specifically, enterprise architects by 137% since 2011.
Security Officers And Admins
Average Annual Income: £45,000
This is more often an entry or junior kevel security position. The objective is to focus on the day-to-day security procedures. Last year, there were approximately 150 security officer job positions advertised per quarter.
Security Tester/Penetration Tester
Average Annual Income: £60,000
IT is down to the penetration tester to discover the location of the pitfalls in security software by thorough testing, often using tools similar to those that hackers would use. The idea is to find the flaws in order to strengthen a companies security system in the present, and the future. Penetration tester positions rose by 123% since 2011. In the same period of time, general security tester jobs increased by 120%.
