Technology
Will AI replace cybersecurity engineers?
BLS places information security analysts in its “Very high” AI-exposure category (of four, relative to other occupations). BLS projects employment to grow 21.0% from 2025 to 2035, with about 14,100 openings a year. OEWS May 2025 median pay is $129,180 (10th–90th percentile $75,090–$199,850). Typical entry education: bachelor's degree.
Sources: BLS AI exposure categories and Employment Projections 2025–35 (released 27 August 2026); BLS OEWS May 2025; tasks from O*NET 31.0 (CC BY 4.0).
Figures are for the BLS occupation Information security analysts (SOC 15-1212), the closest occupation BLS tracks. BLS has no security-engineer occupation; security work is Information Security Analysts.
Cybersecurity engineers design and maintain the controls that protect systems and data, and respond when they fail.
The figures, with their sources
| AI-exposure category | Very high (of Low, Moderate, High, Very high)BLS AI exposure categories, 2025–35 |
|---|---|
| Employment, 2025 → 2035 | 192,900 → 233,400BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 |
| Projected change, 2025–35 | +21.0%BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 |
| Openings per year (2025–35 average) | 14,100BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 |
| Median annual pay | $129,180BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| 10th–90th percentile pay | $75,090 – $199,850BLS OEWS, May 2025 |
| Typical entry education | Bachelor's degreeBLS Employment Projections 2025–35 |
National figures, all industries and all experience levels. Employment and openings are published by BLS in thousands; pay is annual, in US dollars.
What BLS says, in its own words
“Very high” relative AI exposure generally indicates that, compared to other occupations, a larger fraction of an occupation’s tasks can be completed or assisted by AI technology, and that LLMs have been observed performing some of the occupation’s tasks.
“An exposure category is not a forecast of employment growth or decline.” “Exposure does not imply job loss, productivity gains, automation probability, or wage effects.”
“Demand change, productivity change - share increases as firms increase their IT security staffs and capabilities as a response to increasing threats of cyberattacks aimed at sensitive or financial data, offset slightly by efficiencies gained through increased use of automated and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to improve security measures.”
Our count from the BLS table: 141 of the 206 occupations in the “Very high” category are projected to grow from 2025 to 2035. That is our arithmetic on BLS data, not a BLS statement.
What the work is: O*NET® tasks
The occupation’s core tasks, most important first, as O*NET 31.0 words them.
- 1.Develop plans to safeguard computer files against accidental or unauthorized modification, destruction, or disclosure and to meet emergency data processing needs.Accountability
- 2.Monitor current reports of computer viruses to determine when to update virus protection systems.Judgment
- 3.Encrypt data transmissions and erect firewalls to conceal confidential information as it is being transmitted and to keep out tainted digital transfers.
- 4.Perform risk assessments and execute tests of data processing system to ensure functioning of data processing activities and security measures.Judgment · Accountability
- 5.Modify computer security files to incorporate new software, correct errors, or change individual access status.
- 6.Review violations of computer security procedures and discuss procedures with violators to ensure violations are not repeated.Accountability
- 7.Document computer security and emergency measures policies, procedures, and tests.
- 8.Confer with users to discuss issues such as computer data access needs, security violations, and programming changes.Relationships
How we tag: a task is tagged Judgment, Accountability or Relationships when O*NET’s wording uses one of these verbs. Judgment: evaluate, assess, determine, decide, interpret, diagnose, recommend, investigate, approve, prioritize, resolve. Accountability: direct, supervise, manage, oversee, ensure, plan, establish, authorize, comply. Relationships: confer, consult, negotiate, advise, collaborate, liaise, mentor, train, counsel, persuade, interview, present, meet with. This is our reading of the task text, not an O*NET or BLS classification, and it is not a measure of AI exposure.
For new graduates
- Typical entry education
- Bachelor's degree
- BLS Employment Projections 2025–35
- Openings per year
- 14,100
- All levels, not entry-level only
The tasks to show proof for: 5 of 8 are about judgment, accountability or relationships
We point you at these because our method treats them as the work that is hardest to hand to AI. That is our judgment, not a BLS or O*NET finding. A capstone, an internship or a part-time job where you made the call, owned the outcome or worked with the people involved is proof. Write what you did, not what you were assigned.
Show the 5 tasks
- Develop plans to safeguard computer files against accidental or unauthorized modification, destruction, or disclosure and to meet emergency data processing needs.
- Monitor current reports of computer viruses to determine when to update virus protection systems.
- Perform risk assessments and execute tests of data processing system to ensure functioning of data processing activities and security measures.
- Review violations of computer security procedures and discuss procedures with violators to ensure violations are not repeated.
- Confer with users to discuss issues such as computer data access needs, security violations, and programming changes.
What this data does not tell you
- How many openings are entry-level, or how many go to new graduates. BLS counts openings at every level.
- How AI will change hiring for junior roles in this occupation. The exposure category is about the occupation’s tasks, and BLS says it is not a forecast.
- Pay or openings in your city or industry. These are national figures.
- Whether your own tasks match these. O*NET describes the occupation, not your job.
BLS also publishes the work experience and on-the-job training usually needed; see the BLS projections table.
Proof worth finding for a Cybersecurity Engineer application
Our editorial starting list, not a survey of postings. The posting you apply to decides what counts.
- Relevant certifications: CISSP, CEH, Security+, or OSCP
- Hands-on experience with SIEM platforms and incident response
- Cloud security experience (AWS, Azure, or GCP)
- Ability to communicate risk clearly to non-technical stakeholders
- Demonstrated experience with AI-assisted threat detection tools
Show your proof for one real posting
- Step 1Job Match · 5 tokensPaste a real posting. For each requirement, we quote the line in your resume that proves it, or say nothing was found.
- Step 2Resume · 15 tokensRewrite toward that posting from your own words. Any number we could not find in them is listed for you to check.
- Step 3Know your tasks · FreeYour own tasks against the information security analysts data above, labeled task by task.
Related role guides
Technology guideSame BLS occupation: Security Analyst.
- Product Marketing ManagerProduct marketing managers position a product for its market: launches, competitive analysis, messaging and the material sales teams use.
- Software EngineerSoftware engineers design, build, test and maintain software, from a single feature to the systems many teams depend on.
- Data AnalystData analysts turn business questions into queries, charts and recommendations that someone can act on.
Questions people ask
Will AI replace cybersecurity engineers?
The data does not say so. BLS places information security analysts in its “Very high” relative AI-exposure category and states that “An exposure category is not a forecast of employment growth or decline.” In BLS’s words: “Very high” relative AI exposure generally indicates that, compared to other occupations, a larger fraction of an occupation’s tasks can be completed or assisted by AI technology, and that LLMs have been observed performing some of the occupation’s tasks. BLS projects employment to grow 21.0% from 2025 to 2035 (BLS Employment Projections 2025–35). By our count from the BLS table, 141 of the 206 occupations in the “Very high” category are projected to grow.
How many cybersecurity engineers jobs open each year?
BLS projects about 14,100 openings a year for information security analysts, averaged over 2025–35. BLS defines openings as net employment change plus workers permanently leaving the occupation, so a declining occupation can still have openings. Employment was 192,900 in 2025.
How much do cybersecurity engineers earn?
BLS OEWS (May 2025) puts the national median annual wage for information security analysts at $129,180. The 10th percentile is $75,090, the 25th $97,810, the 75th $163,500 and the 90th $199,850. These are all industries and all experience levels in the United States; pay in your city and at your level will differ.
What education do cybersecurity engineers need?
BLS lists “Bachelor's degree” as the typical education needed to enter information security analysts. It is the typical path, not a rule: postings set their own requirements.
How does AISkillScore check a Cybersecurity Engineer application?
We count, we do not guess. Job Match reads the posting’s requirements and, for each one, quotes the line in your resume that proves it, or says nothing was found. The resume rewrite keeps your claims and lists any number it could not find in your own words so you can check it before you send.
Sources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Artificial Intelligence (AI) exposure categories; Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics; Employment Projections definitions; Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025: Information security analysts. BLS data is in the public domain.
This page includes information from the O*NET 31.0 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. O*NET 31.0 Database · CC BY 4.0 · Information security analysts on O*NET OnLine. Changes: we show up to eight of the occupation’s core tasks, most important first, merged across the O*NET codes BLS groups into one occupation, and we add our own task tags.
Check your proof against a real Cybersecurity Engineer posting
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