iTechGuides is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more
Yes—cybersecurity can still be a good career choice in 2026, but it is not a guarantee of easy entry or job security. In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects employment for information security analysts to grow 21% from 2025 to 2035. At the same time, AI is changing the work: it can speed up routine tasks, while increasing the need for people who can check its output, understand security fundamentals and respond when judgment matters. The outlook depends on the role, location, experience and the kind of work you want—not on a single forecast or a promise that AI will leave jobs untouched.
What the job outlook actually says
The clearest current employment forecast in the available evidence is for U.S. information security analysts, not every cybersecurity specialty. BLS projects 21% employment growth between 2025 and 2035, with about 14,100 openings per year on average over that period. Those openings reflect a mix of employment growth and workers leaving the occupation; they are not a count of jobs reserved for new graduates.
BLS reports a median annual wage of $129,180 for U.S. information security analysts in May 2025. A median is the midpoint of reported wages for the occupation, not a typical starting salary. Pay and hiring prospects vary by location, experience, employer and role. BLS says a bachelor’s degree in a computer science field and related work experience are typical; some employers may prefer certification.
These figures support a positive outlook for one U.S. occupation, but they do not establish hiring odds for an individual, prove that every cybersecurity role is growing, or describe labor markets outside the United States. BLS also cautions that AI’s employment effects are uncertain: changes to tasks do not translate mechanically into a particular number of jobs.
How AI is changing cybersecurity work
AI can accelerate repetitive work such as alert triage and report generation. That can reduce time spent on some routine tasks, but using an AI-generated recommendation is not the same as establishing that it is correct, safe or relevant to a particular system. Reviewing and validating output can itself become part of the work.
In a May 2026 ISC2 survey of 856 cybersecurity professionals who use AI in their roles, 65% said they spent more time deciding whether to trust or act on AI-generated recommendations, and 63% said they spent more time reviewing or validating AI outputs. These are respondents’ reported experiences, not a controlled measurement of productivity across the industry.
AI can also create security problems that require people to understand both the technology and the threat. NIST’s NICE Framework discussion says the workforce must be prepared to secure AI against cyberattacks and mitigate threats presented by AI, including its malicious use. NIST is developing an AI Security Competency Area and considering AI-related task, knowledge and skill statements for relevant work roles. This is a sign of an emerging skill area, not proof that every cybersecurity job will require AI specialization.
Are entry-level cybersecurity jobs disappearing?
There is a real concern, but the available evidence does not support a simple yes or no. In the May 2026 ISC2 survey, 56% of AI-using cybersecurity professionals said AI had somewhat or significantly reduced the need for entry-level positions over the previous year. In the same survey, 53% believed AI was creating new types of entry-level roles. These figures describe perceptions among survey participants; they are not counts of vacancies, layoffs or net new jobs.
Rank #3
AI may put pressure on roles built mostly around routine tasks while creating or changing work that involves operating, integrating and checking AI-enabled tools. That does not make entry into the field impossible, but it raises the value of showing practical ability: understanding what a system is doing, recognizing when an alert or answer is wrong, and explaining the reasoning behind a decision.
Foundational skills remain relevant. In that same 2026 survey, 62% did not believe AI had reduced the need for foundational cybersecurity skills, while 26% believed it had. The responses point to a distinction worth keeping in view: AI can change how tasks are performed without making the underlying security concepts unnecessary.
Which cybersecurity career might fit you?
Cybersecurity is a collection of different kinds of work, not one job title. The evidence here does not rank specialties by growth or AI exposure, so choose based on the work and conditions you can realistically access rather than assuming one specialty is universally safest.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems- Operations and incident response: Consider whether you enjoy monitoring, investigating alerts and acting under time pressure. Ask how much of the role is repetitive triage, how analysts validate automated findings and whether on-call work is expected.
- Engineering and product security: Consider whether you want to build or improve secure systems. Look for opportunities to develop technical depth and understand how security decisions affect software, infrastructure or products.
- Governance, risk and compliance: Consider whether you are comfortable assessing risk, documenting controls and communicating requirements across an organization. Ask how the role balances routine documentation with analysis and stakeholder judgment.
- Testing and vulnerability work: Consider whether you like examining systems for weaknesses and explaining how to address them. Look at the practical skills, authorization boundaries and experience expected for the particular job.
- AI security: Consider this if you want to work at the intersection of AI and security. It is an emerging competency area, and current evidence does not establish how many dedicated AI-security jobs are available in a given market.
For any path, investigate local job postings and talk to people doing the work. Compare the experience and education employers actually request, the availability of junior openings, advancement prospects, budget stability, schedule and on-call expectations. A strong overall occupational projection cannot answer those questions for your city or your circumstances.
Best Value
How to decide whether it is a good choice for you
Cybersecurity is more promising as a career choice if you are interested in continued learning, can build practical skills and are comfortable with responsibility for systems and risk. It may be a poor fit if you expect a quick credential to guarantee a job, dislike troubleshooting or documentation, or cannot accept the schedule and pressure of the roles available to you.
- Check the market you will enter. Review current postings in your region for the specific role and seniority you want. Distinguish entry-level requirements from those for experienced analysts.
- Check the actual entry requirements. BLS describes a degree and related work experience as typical for information security analysts, but pathways differ across roles and employers. Do not treat one degree or certification as mandatory for the entire field.
- Assess work conditions, not just salary. Consider on-call duties, incident pressure, advancement routes and whether the employer invests in security work.
- Test your interest with practical work. Use appropriately authorized exercises or projects to see whether investigating and explaining security problems suits you. A paid course, lab or credential may help with a particular path, but none is established as universally required.
How to prepare for a cybersecurity career in an AI-enabled workplace
- Choose a target role before choosing training. Compare real job descriptions and identify the knowledge and experience they ask for. An analyst, engineer and governance professional do not need identical preparation.
- Build the fundamentals. Learn the concepts relevant to your chosen role, such as systems, networks, access control, risk or secure development. The 2026 ISC2 survey suggests practitioners do not see AI as removing the need for foundational cybersecurity skills.
- Get practical experience. Seek internships, apprenticeships, relevant IT work, projects or other hands-on practice that lets you demonstrate sound reasoning. ISC2’s 2025 workforce study describes multiple entry routes among respondents—including IT, cybersecurity education, internships or apprenticeships, certification, self-teaching and career changes—but does not establish the success probability of any one route.
- Learn to use and check AI tools where relevant. Practice evaluating the accuracy and security implications of AI-generated recommendations rather than treating output as authoritative. For AI-focused work, follow how relevant competency and work-role guidance develops.
- Use credentials selectively. Consider certification or formal study when the target role or employers value it. A credential is evidence of preparation, not a substitute for experience or a guarantee of hiring.
What the broader workforce surveys can—and cannot—tell you
ISC2’s 2025 workforce study included 16,029 cybersecurity practitioners and decision-makers across regions. In that survey, 69% said their organization had integrated AI tools, was actively testing them or was in early evaluation. Among current AI-security-tool users, 63% reported a significant productivity boost. Those are organizational and respondent reports, not controlled measures of productivity or proof of a corresponding increase in jobs.
Also in the 2025 study, 73% of respondents expected AI to create more specialized cybersecurity skills, and 72% expected it to create a need for more strategic cybersecurity mindsets. These are expectations, not confirmed job counts. ISC2 did not publish an overall workforce-gap estimate in that edition, so older shortage estimates should not be treated as current evidence of how many jobs are unfilled.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Bottom line: a viable field, not a guaranteed path
Cybersecurity remains a reasonable career option for people who are interested in the work and willing to build relevant skills. The current U.S. forecast for information security analysts is strong, but it cannot promise an easy first job or predict every specialty. AI is already changing tasks and may make some entry-level work more difficult to find, while increasing the importance of fundamentals, practical judgment and the ability to validate automated output. Make the decision against the role, market and working conditions you can actually pursue.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
