Cybersecurity is also one of the most popular choices among many students who are interested in learning about computers, networking, and digital security. Cybercrimes and hacking have become some of the most notorious problems in the current digital world and that is why companies, businesses, and governments need professionals to protect their data. Hackers attack networks, and computer systems and cause disruption, and steal valuable data from these networks. To prevent this companies, businesses, and governments need professionals who are capable of securing these systems and servers. That is why they hire a cybersecurity professional to help them secure their servers and databases.

The purpose of a cybersecurity major is to produce cybersecurity professionals and train them with techniques, ways, and tools that can be used for making a network, or a system secure. From this paragraph, you can understand the importance and demand for IT security or cybersecurity professionals. Currently, cybersecurity offers some of the highest-paying jobs in the industry after a minimal education and a few years of experience in the field. Also, as it is a digital field, you can gain experience easily by working remotely as a freelancer or doing internships. Below is a list of some of the highest-paying career choices after cyber security.

Top 15 Career Choices After a Cybersecurity Degree:

Here are the top 15 best and highest paying career choices after a Cybersecurity degree.

• Cybersecurity Analyst
• Cybersecurity Research Scientist
• Computer Network Architect
• Computer Systems Analyst
• Network Administrator
• Information Systems Managers
• Cyber Crime Analyst
• Penetration and Vulnerability Tester
• Computer Programmer/Coder
• Software Developer
• Cryptologist
• Database Administrator
• Software QA Analyst
• Support Specialist
• Full-Stack Developer

Below is the detail about each of these career choices in Cybersecurity.

1. Cybersecurity Analyst:

You can become a cybersecurity analyst after completing your education in the field of cybersecurity. The job of a cybersecurity analyst is to test the companies websites, or servers, and databases for vulnerabilities. They do it by testing the security measures and finding the possible flaws and correcting them. A cybersecurity analyst also protects large-scale networks, for example, a company that is based in multiple locations and is using a specific type of internet connection, a cybersecurity analyst will come up with several techniques to make the access of the network security for its clients. It is one of those jobs that pay a six-figure salary after a bachelor’s degree and within a few years of experience.

Cybersecurity analysts also report the breaches to higher management so that they can be closed. That means communication is also a part of their job. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a cybersecurity analyst is about $103,590. The top ten percent can make more than $163,300 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $60,060. The total number of jobs in the cybersecurity analyst profession is about 141,200 and the profession will grow at the rate of 33% for the next ten years. It is one of the fastest growth rates, indicating small competition for those with the right type of skills. This profession will also create more than 47,100 new jobs in the next few years.

2. Cybersecurity Research Scientist:

After completing your master’s in cybersecurity, you can become a cybersecurity research analyst. This is a higher-level research position that is why the required qualification for this job is a master’s degree at least. The job of a cybersecurity research scientist is to research different aspects of cybersecurity, information technologies, networking, and other related subjects. This research helps develop new offensive or defensive technologies in cybersecurity. This new research also helps in many other divisions of the science and research community as well. For example, new technologies that are developed because of cybersecurity research can also be used in software engineering, computer systems design, and network architectures to prevent the previous flaws of the system.

As it is a research position, it requires a master’s degree or doctorate and some background in research. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of cybersecurity research scientists is about $126,830. The top ten percent can make more than $194,430 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $72,210. The total number of jobs in the cybersecurity research profession is about 33,000 and the profession will grow at the rate of 22%. This is one of the fastest growth rates in different job professions. This indicates lower competition and more jobs in the future. From this data, it can be concluded that this profession would create more than 7,200 new jobs in the future.

3. Computer Network Architect:

The job of a computer network architect is to create network structures. All of our internets work because of the network architecture in the world. Computer network architects are professionals, who are also known as network engineers. Their job is to work on networking technologies, and topologies to create new network structures that are better and redundant, and secure. They are hired by IT companies, governments, network infrastructure companies, and private businesses. They not only design the networks but also make them secure so that these networks cannot be accessed by outsiders.

You will need a bachelor’s degree and five years of experience or a master’s degree in cybersecurity for this job. This is also one of those jobs that can provide a six-figure salary. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of computer network architects is about $116,780. The top ten percent can make more than $175,570 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $67,000. The total number of jobs in the computer network architect profession is about 165,200 and the profession will grow at the rate of 5% for the next ten years. This is an average fast growth rate, indicating competition and a small number of jobs being available.

4. Computer Systems Analyst:

You can also become a computer systems analyst after completing your studies in cybersecurity. This is also one of the highest-paying career choices after this degree as it offers some of the best salaries. Computer systems analysts design, evaluate, report about computer systems and how the existing computer systems can be optimized. This helps businesses lower the cost of operating a computer system. Take the example of a company like Google, which has massive data centers, and computer systems, it needs systems analysts to analyze and evaluate the performance of their systems and remove the flaws. The techniques, methods, and software developed by computer systems analysts are also used by other companies as well.

You can get this job after a bachelor’s degree and some experience in this field. You can get this experience by working as an intern or as a freelancer. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of computer systems analysts is about $93,730. The top ten percent can make more than $152,060 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $56,510. The total number of jobs in the computer systems analyst profession is about 607,800 and the profession will grow at the rate of 7% between 2020 to 2030 and will create 42,800 new jobs. From this, we can conclude that this profession will have comparatively less competition.

5. Network Administrator:

You can also become a network administrator after completing your education in the field of cybersecurity. In cybersecurity, you will also learn about effective networking and network administration. That knowledge and skills will help you become a network administrator. It is also one of those jobs that can provide a six-figure income. The job of a network administrator is to organize a network of computers and resolve any problems in the network or the computer systems. They also help companies set up their local area networks, or large area networks, and help them protect the access of their data to unwanted persons.

A bachelor’s degree and some years of experience in the field of network and computer systems administration is enough for you to get this job. You can get this experience by working as a freelancer or as an intern. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of network administrators is about $84,810. The top ten percent can make more than $134,970 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $52,830. The total number of jobs in the network administrator profession is about 350,300 and the profession will grow at the rate of 5%for the next ten years, which is one of the average growth rates. According to this data, this profession will create 18,800 new jobs.

After completing your degree in cybersecurity, you can also become an information systems manager. This is one of the highest-paying jobs in this field. Apart from a degree in cybersecurity, you might also need some training in systems management to get this job. Information systems are large systems deployed by governments and private companies. The purpose of these systems is to securely store the data of millions of users. Not only that, but these systems also offer other services. You can take the example of the U.S Department of States, which provides IDs to U.S. citizens. Police and other public officials also have access to these systems. The job of a systems manager is to make sure that these systems remain viable and working all the time as if one of these services goes offline, it can cause multiple disruptions.

You might need a bachelor’s degree and five years or more experience to become an information systems manager. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of information systems managers is about $151,150. The top ten percent can make more than $208,000 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $90,430. The total number of jobs in the cybersecurity analyst profession is about 482,000 and the profession will grow at the rate of 11% between 2020 to 2030. This is an average fast growth rate. According to this data, this profession will create more than 52,700 jobs in the next ten years. That means there will be some competition but less as compared to some other professions in this domain.

7. Cyber Crime Analyst/Investigator:

You can also become a cybercrime investigator or analyst after this degree. The job of a cybercrime analyst or investigator is to investigate cybercrimes and identify criminals. Cybercrime investigators are hired by the police and law enforcement agencies to help them in their cases. You only need a bachelor’s degree for this job, but some of the job training may be provided to you by the agency that is hiring you to keep you safe and help you get more clues about the incident.

This is not a very high-paying job but still provides a stable source of income per year. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a cybercrime analyst or investigator is about $60,590. The top ten percent can make more than $00,000 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $40,000. The total number of jobs in the Cyber Crime Analyst/Investigator profession is about 17,200 and the profession will grow at the rate of 16% for the next ten years. According to this data, this is a very small profession that is why there will be more competition for each job in the future.

8. Penetration and Vulnerability Tester:

You can also become a penetration and vulnerability tester after this degree. Their job is to test the security measures deployed by websites, companies, and governments and find out the back doors, or possible flaws that can be used for unauthorized access. You can think of them as white hat hackers. They do all of this with the permission of the authorities or the owners of the system, database, or websites. Most of these jobs also require some certifications that can be obtained from various online and offline resources.

You can get this job after a bachelor’s degree but you will need some extra training in testing and finding backdoors. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of Penetration and Vulnerability Testers is about $103,590. The top ten percent can make more than $163,300 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $60,060. The total number of jobs in the Penetration and Vulnerability Tester profession is about 141,200 and the profession will grow at the rate of 33% for the next ten years.

9. Computer Programmer/Coder:

After completing your degree in cybersecurity, you can also become a computer programmer or a coder. The job of a computer programmer is to develop programs using coding. These programs are also known as computer software or applications. This job requires the knowledge of coding that you can learn while studying your cybersecurity. You can create cybersecurity-related applications, and write code for security programs.

There are a lot of job opportunities for computer programmers with knowledge of the right type of language. You can get this job after a bachelor’s degree. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of computer programmers is about $89,190. The top ten percent can make more than $120,000 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $55,000. The total number of jobs in the computer programmer profession is about 185,700 and the profession will grow at the rate of 9%.

10.  Software Developer:

After completing your education in cybersecurity, you can also become a software developer. The job of a software developer requires the knowledge of multiple programming languages, systems, and applications of the software. You can learn all the skills required for this profession from your course of study of cybersecurity. This job also requires a bachelor’s degree and some experience in software development. This is one of those professions that provide a six-figure salary and some of the best working conditions.

Software developers are hired by software development companies, technology companies, gadget manufacturers, and also government agencies. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of software developers is about $110,140. The top ten percent can make more than $170,100 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $65,210. The total number of jobs in the cybersecurity analyst profession is about 1,847,900 and the profession will grow at the rate of 22% for the next ten years. This data indicates that it is one of the fastest-growing professions.

11. Cryptologist:

You can also become a cryptologist after completing your studies in cybersecurity. Cryptology is the study of codes or cryptography. The job of a cryptologist or cryptographer is to create sophisticated cryptography or codes that encrypt data. This encryption cannot be broken unless the users have a specific type of code. This is used by many government and private agencies for secure communication and data transfer. Nowadays, it is also being used by cryptocurrency companies.

You need a bachelor’s degree and some experience in this field to get this job. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of cryptologists is about $103,590. The top ten percent can make more than $208,000 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $60,000. The total number of jobs in the cybersecurity analyst profession is about 141,200 and the profession will grow at the rate of 33%, which is one of the fastest growth rates.

12.  Database Administrator:

The job of a database administrator is to design, plan, and create databases and manage the databases. All of our data that we use goes to some database and the job of a database administrator is to make sure that is safe and no one has unauthorized access and data is being managed and accessed properly. They also write codes and set up database automation to facilitate authorized access. This is one of the highest-paying jobs in the computer and cybersecurity professions.

A bachelor’s degree and some experience are required for this job. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of database administrators is about $98,860. The top ten percent can make more than $155,660 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $54,070. The total number of jobs in the database administration profession is about 168,000 and the profession will grow at the rate of 8% for the next ten years. This means this profession will create 13,200 new jobs in the future.

13.  Software QA Analyst:

You can also become a software quality assurance analyst. The job of a software quality assurance analyst is to test software and make sure that it is according to the client. Apart from that, they also make sure that the software is reliable and is doing the intended work in the right way. Software quality is checked using multiple measurements or criteria, the QA analysts test and analyze the software according to these requirements. Software is only published or released to the users if it has been tested by a QA analyst.

You can get this job after a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity, as in cybersecurity, you will also learn software testing. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of a Software QA Analyst is about $110,140. The top ten percent can make more than $170,100 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $65,210. The total number of jobs in the Software QA Analyst profession is about 1,847,900 and the profession will grow at the rate of 22%. This is one of the fastest growth rates in most of the cybersecurity professions.

14. Computer Support Specialist:

The job of a computer support specialist is to listen to the complaints of the clients, and help them troubleshoot a problem on their networks, computer, or computer systems. Companies that sell computer systems, networking equipment, or telecommunication devices, provide support assistants, or support specialists. These are highly trained professionals that understand the problem a user might be facing and help them solve it remotely or on the site.

This job also requires a bachelor’s degree and some on-the-job training. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of computer support specialists is about $55,510. The top ten percent can make more than $70,000 and the lowest ten percent earners make about $35,000. The total number of jobs in the computer support specialist profession is about 844,600 and the profession will grow at the rate of 9% for the next ten years. That means it would create more than 72,200 jobs.

15.  Full-Stack Developer:

After completing your degree in cybersecurity, you can also become a full-stack developer. This job might require some additional training in coding and programming but after that, you will be able to develop projects on your own. Full-stack developers design, plan, and create small websites, and software for mobile applications and desktops. Full-stack developers can work alone as a freelancer, or join a software development and website development company to work with.

A bachelor’s degree and some experience in developing websites, and applications are required for this job. According to the data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median income of full-stack developers is about $77,200. The total number of jobs in the full-stack development profession is about 199,400 and the profession will grow at the rate of 13% for the next ten years. This data indicates that this profession will create more than 26,000 jobs in the next few years. Apart from that, it also indicates a low level of competition in this profession.

Benefits and Salaries for Cybersecurity Related Jobs:

Job Position	Requirements	Number of Jobs	Job outlook	Median Income
Cybersecurity Analyst	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	141,200	33%	$103,590
Cybersecurity Research Scientist	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	33,000	22%	$126,830
Computer Network Architect	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	165,200	5%	$116,780
Computer Systems Analyst	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	607,800	7%	$93,730
Network Administrator	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	350,300	5%	$84,810
Information Systems Managers	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	482,000	11%	$151,150
Cyber Crime Analyst	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	17,200	16%	$60,590
Penetration and Vulnerability Tester	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	141,200	33%	$103,590
Computer Programmer/Coder	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	185,700	9%	$89,190
Software Developer	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	1,847,900	22%	$110,140
Cryptologist	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	141,200	33%	$103,590
Database Administrator	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	168,000	8%	$98,860
Software QA Analyst	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	1,847,900	22%	$110,140
Support Specialist	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	844,600	9%	$55,510
Full-Stack Developer	Bachelor-Master-Ph.D.	199,400	13%	$77,200

Note 🙁 Bachelors for the job and Masters for further promotion) Data Source Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Types of Cybersecurity Degrees:

Here is the list of the top three degrees that you can do with a Cybersecurity major.

1.   Bachelor’s Degree:

Bachelor’s in cybersecurity is a four-year college degree that will prepare you for many entry-level jobs in cybersecurity, computer, networking, and database administration professions. In this degree, you will not only learn about cybersecurity, but also about programming, database and network administration, vulnerability testing, and other related subjects. It requires completion of 120 credit hours and can cost more than $100,000.

2.   Master’s Degree:

A Master’s in cybersecurity can take more than two years to complete and can cost more than $60,000. This degree will prepare you for the jobs of administrator, manager, and director position. It will also prepare you for research-based jobs in the cybersecurity space.

3.   Ph.D. or Doctorate:

A Ph.D. in cybersecurity is a high-level research degree that not only provides the latest knowledge and understanding of ways to protect data but also provides research opportunities in cybersecurity. This degree can take more than four years to complete and can cost more than $200,000.

Skills You Will Learn From Cybersecurity Degree:

• Programming skills
• Cybersecurity skills
• Analytical skills
• Attention to minor details
• Ingenuity
• Problem-solving skills

Conclusion:

Cybersecurity is a major that will prepare you for multiple job roles including some of the highest-paying career choices after a degree. Cybersecurity is linked with computer science, networking, and data protection. The job of a cybersecurity professional is to ensure that data is protected against all unauthorized access and is only accessible by those who are authorized. This is very important as it helps to make the cyber world more secure. Without cybersecurity, the modern world would fall apart. Not only that, but it also offers some of the highest-paying career choices. So, if you are looking for a high-paying major in college, you should also consider cybersecurity.

FAQs:

Question: Why is cybersecurity important?

Answer: Cybersecurity is important as it protects the online (digital) information and data of billions of users from across the world. If there is no cybersecurity or low level of security, this data will be hacked and can be used against these users. For that reason, cybersecurity is very important.

Question: Which cybersecurity certificates are the best?

Answer: There are multiple cybersecurity certificates for those who want to become highly acclaimed professionals. Here is a list of some of these certificates.

1. Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
2. Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA)
3. Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)
4. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
5. GIAC Security Essentials Certification (GSEC)

Question: What are the types of cybersecurity?

Answer: The type of cybersecurity is determined by the type of cyberattack, as there are multiple types of attack, there are multiple types of cyber securities. Here is a list of some of these.

1. Network Security
2. Cloud Security
3. Application Security
4. Operational Security