Ethical hacking isn’t just a cool hobby. For people who develop solid skills in this niche, it’s also a viable career path offering a respectable paycheck, fascinating work and an outstanding future employment outlook. Organizations in most industries across the globe are currently seeking talented workers who have cultivated ethical hacking skills. Read on for more details about the status of cybersecurity careers around the world:
The United States
In the United States, there are more open cybersecurity jobs than there are people to fill them. Governments, tech companies and businesses in most other industries are hoping to employ cybersecurity professionals to keep their assets safe from hackers, ransomware attacks and data breaches.
In particular, the US government and its agencies have introduced a number of cybersecurity initiatives intended to harden critical infrastructure within the country. These initiatives include a plan to keep the water supply safe and a plan to strengthen the cybersecurity of the rail transit system. To ensure that they’re able to recruit and hire top talent, the US Department of Homeland Security recently launched a Cybersecurity Talent Management System.
Earning Potential for Ethical Hackers in the USA:
Career experts at the US Bureau of Labor Statistics report that information security analysts in the United States earn an average of $103,590 US per year. However, talented professionals who are able to secure government jobs can earn far more; according to CBS News, some high-priority government cybersecurity jobs pay as much as $332,100 US per year.
Australia
If you’re hoping to launch a career in cybersecurity in Australia, you’ll be interested to learn that the Australian government and the private sector both offer many viable employment opportunities. The Australian government recently announced a ransomware action plan, which is part of a more extensive national cybersecurity plan. To implement this plan, government officials are hoping to attract at least an additional 17,000 more workers to this sector by the year 2026.
Typical Salary for Cybersecurity Professionals in Australia:
Career experts at the Australian Government’s National Skills Commission report that ICT security professionals typically earn $1,932 AU per week, which amounts to $100,464 AU per year.
The United Kingdom
According to researchers at the UK government’s Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, cybersecurity is now a £8.9 billion industry in the United Kingdom. The industry is experiencing strong, rapid growth in this region.
Like other countries across the globe, the UK is experiencing a major shortage of cybersecurity talent. Employers report that job openings in this sector have been hard to fill. This means there are many opportunities for cybersecurity professionals who would like to seek work in the UK.
Salary Potential in the UK:
According to the National Careers Service website, cyber intelligence officers in the UK typically earn between £25,000 and £50,000 per year.
India
India offers a thriving market for cybersecurity services. According to the India edition of the 2022 Digital Trust Insights Survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), 82 percent of the surveyed executives intend to increase their organizations’ cybersecurity budgets in 2022. Analysts at PwC are forecasting that the cybersecurity market in India will grow much faster than it will in the rest of the world, reaching an anticipated $3.05 billion US worth of revenues by 2022.
Earning Potential in India:
There is unlimited income potential for entrepreneurial individuals born in India who have solid cybersecurity skills; however, it’s important to be aware that Indian cybersecurity professionals are typically able to find better opportunities outside of India by either working remotely or moving abroad.
One inspiring example: Jay Chaudry is a native of Panoh, Himachal Pradesh, India who moved to the United States. He is one of the founders of multiple noteworthy cybersecurity companies including Zscaler, AirDefense and SecureIT. As a result of these innovations, he is now the richest Indian-American in the world, and he’s #45 on Forbes’ list of wealthiest Americans. Forbes estimates his total net worth at $16.3 billion US.
Although Chaudry’s results are not typical, many Indian cybersecurity professionals do enjoy relatively high earnings for the work they do. Payscale.com reports the average cybersecurity salary in India is ₹742,000; in contrast, the median annual salary in India is only ₹192,000.
If you’re interested in pursuing a career as a cybersecurity professional, the first step is to learn the skills you need for doing the job. Our courses can help to get you started; for some cybersecurity jobs, solid skills are all you need to get hired. For other jobs, you’ll also need to pursue either a university degree or relevant certifications to prove you’re qualified. In any case, as a cybersecurity professional, you’ll have the potential to earn a substantial paycheck while also helping to keep your community safe from criminals. This is definitely a worthwhile career path to consider.
