5 Cybersecurity Career Paths (and How to Get Started)

Key takeaways

• You can choose from cybersecurity career paths in engineering and architecture, incident response, management, consulting, and testing/hacking. 

• Your cybersecurity career path roadmap might begin with an entry-level cybersecurity role, such as help desk technician, network administrator, systems administrator, or software developer. 

• Skills you may need to get into cybersecurity include critical thinking, IT networking, forensics software knowledge, project management, collaboration, penetration testing, and cryptography. 

Jobs you can do with a cybersecurity degree include junior cybersecurity analyst, digital forensic examiner, IT security administrator, information security analyst, ethical hacker, and penetration tester. Discover five common career paths within this high-demand field and the skills necessary to succeed. 

If you’re ready to begin developing your cybersecurity skills, enroll in the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate. In as little as six months, you can learn about network security, intrusion detection and prevention, threat management, incident response, Python programming, and more. 

Is cybersecurity a good career path?

Pursuing a career in cybersecurity means joining a booming industry where available jobs outnumber qualified candidates. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of cybersecurity jobs is expected to increase by 29 percent between 2024 and 2034 [1]. If you're interested in a fast-paced, well-paid career focused on protecting valuable data and computer systems, a career in cybersecurity could be right for you. 

Cybersecurity career path roadmap: Starting roles

Many cybersecurity professionals start out in an entry-level IT role to gain experience before moving into the cybersecurity specialization. If you don't yet have experience with computer science or information technology, you'll need to develop core IT skills such as programming, networks and systems administration, and cloud computing. Then, you might pursue one of the following entry-level jobs:

• Help desk technician

• Network administrator

• Systems administrator

• Software developer

If you already have some experience in the field, you may go straight to an entry-level cybersecurity role, such as:

• Information security analyst

• Cybersecurity analyst

In an analyst role, you can take your career in a few different directions, depending on your interests and goals. You may pursue security engineering and architecture if you enjoy planning and building. Maybe you enjoy the thrill of incident response, or perhaps you’d prefer to hone your hacking skills to stay one step ahead of bad actors. While you don’t necessarily need a degree to get a job in cybersecurity, having one or some form of structured training, such as certificate programs or online classes, might accelerate your path toward a job.

Read more: Cybersecurity Degrees and Alternatives: Your Guide

5 career paths for an information security analyst

Whether you're just getting started or looking to take the next step, there are multiple directions for your career, each with its own focus, challenges, and opportunities. In the sections below, we’ll break down five key career paths in cybersecurity. Understanding these options can help you make informed choices about where you want to grow and how to get there.

1. Engineering and architecture

As a security engineer, you’ll use your knowledge of threats and vulnerabilities to build and implement defense systems against various security concerns. You may advance to become a security architect, responsible for your organization's entire security infrastructure. 

Security engineering and architecture could be a good fit if you enjoy tinkering with technology and like to take a big picture approach to cybersecurity.

Skills to develop:

• Critical thinking

• IT networking

• System administration

• Risk assessment

Common certifications: CompTIA Security+, Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP), Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Google Professional Cloud Security Engineer

2. Incident response

Despite a company’s best security efforts, security incidents still happen. The field of incident response involves the next steps after a security incident. As an incident responder, you’ll monitor your company’s network and work to fix vulnerabilities and minimize loss when breaches occur. 

Another area of incident response involves digital forensics and cybercrime. Digital forensic investigators work with law enforcement to retrieve data from digital devices and investigate cybercrimes. 

Incident response could be a good fit if you work well under pressure and love a good mystery. 

Skills to develop:

• Attention to detail

• Technical writing and documentation

• Intrusion detection tools

• Forensics software

Common certifications: GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH), EC-Council Certified Incident Handler (ECIH), Certified Computer Examiner (CCE), Certified Computer Forensics Examiner (CCFE)

Learn about threat analysis, investigation, and response with the Cisco Cybersecurity Operations Fundamentals Specialization.

3. Management and administration

As you gain experience in cybersecurity, you may choose to advance toward a leadership position within your organization. Cybersecurity managers oversee an organization’s network and computer security systems. In this role, you might manage security teams, coordinate between teams, and ensure security compliance. Typically, the highest security role in an organization is that of chief information security officer (CISO). Working in security at the executive level often means managing operations, policies, and budgets across the company’s security infrastructure.

Management and administration could be a good fit if you’re organized, an excellent communicator, and enjoy working with people.

Skills to develop:

• Project management

• Risk management

• Leadership

• Collaboration

Common certifications: Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), GIAC Certified Project Manager (GCPM), CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)

4. Consulting

Companies hire security consultants to test their computer and network systems for vulnerabilities or security risks. In this role, you get to practice cybersecurity offense and defense by testing systems for vulnerabilities and recommending how to strengthen those systems.

Consulting could be a good fit if you enjoy variety and want to make an impact by helping others manage their security.

Skills to develop:

• Penetration testing and vulnerability testing

• Threat management

• Operating systems

• Encryption

Common certifications: CompTIA Security+, Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP), Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP), Certified Security Consultant (CSC)

5. Testing and hacking

This field of cybersecurity goes by many names, including offensive security, red team, white hat hacking, and ethical hacking. If you work in offensive security, you’ll take a proactive approach to cybersecurity. You’ll play the part of the intruder, trying to find vulnerabilities before the bad guys do. 

As a penetration tester, you’ll seek to identify and exploit system weaknesses to help companies build more secure systems. As an ethical hacker (also known as a white hat hacker), you can try out even more attack vectors (like social engineering) to reveal security weaknesses.

Testing and hacking could be a good fit if you want to outsmart the bad guys and get paid to (legally) hack into networks and computer systems.

Skills to develop:

• Cryptography

• Penetration testing

• Computer networking

• Scripting

Common certifications: Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), CompTIA PenTest+, GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN), Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)

Is 30 too old to start cybersecurity?

Thirty is not too old to begin a career in cybersecurity. Certain qualities, such as maturity, communication, and reliability, tend to strengthen with real-world experience, and the cybersecurity industry values these traits. You can succeed in this field by developing the necessary skills, demonstrating a willingness to learn, and earning certifications such as CISSP or CISA. Individuals with substantial professional experience may find cybersecurity opportunities in compliance, security governance, and risk management. 

How much can you make? Cybersecurity salaries by role

Cybersecurity professionals tend to get paid well for their skills, even at the entry level. As you gain experience and move into more advanced roles, salaries also often increase. To give you an idea of what’s possible, here’s a look at the median total pay of several cybersecurity jobs in the US in June 2026, according to Glassdoor. These figures include base salary and additional pay, which may represent profit-sharing, commissions, bonuses, or other compensation.

• Intrusion detection specialist: $132,000

• Junior cybersecurity analyst: $141,000

• Digital forensic examiner: $183,000

• IT security administrator: $123,000

• Incident response analyst: $106,000

• Cybersecurity consultant: $152,000

• Information security analyst: $138,000

• Ethical hacker: $174,000

• Penetration tester: $155,000

• Security engineer: $160,000

• Cybersecurity manager: $177,000

• Security architect: $232,000

• Chief information security officer: $325,000

Cybersecurity degrees and certifications

Fifty-six percent of cybersecurity specialists have a bachelor's degree, and 23 percent have an associate degree [2]. Relevant areas of study include computer science, computer information systems, and information technology. In cybersecurity, the correct credentials can help set you apart from other job seekers and make your resume more attractive to hiring managers.

Resources

• Listen in: Cybersecurity Podcasts

• Cybersecurity Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

• Is Cybersecurity Hard to Learn? 9 Tips for Success

Explore our free cybersecurity resources

Explore career paths, assess your skills, and connect with resume guidance while browsing our Career Resources Hub. Or if you want to learn more about cybersecurity, check out these free resources:

• Watch on YouTube: 5 Cybersecurity Careers: Your Path to Protecting the Digital World

• Explore career paths: Cybersecurity Career Progression: Job Levels & Skills to Advance

• Read our Career Chat issue: 8 Cybersecurity Certifications for Career Growth

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