Do you live in the United States and looking for the best cities for cyber security jobs in 2023? If that’s the case, then we have sampled some of the most ideal places to find jobs as cyber security experts.
According to data from CyberSeek, there are more than half-million open cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. The data is based on more than 507,000 cyber security job adverts recorded between June 2019 and May 2020.
The data also shows there are more than 920,000 workers employed in the cybersecurity industry, with cities such as Huntsville and New York leading the way in the number of open cybersecurity jobs.
According to the latest data, the most sought-after cybersecurity experts include;
- Systems engineer
- Cybersecurity consultant
- Cybersecurity engineer
- Cybersecurity analyst
- Cybersecurity specialist or technician
- Cybersecurity manager or administrator
- Vulnerability analyst or penetration tester
- Software developer or engineer
- Network engineer or architect
If you are interested to know more about the cybersecurity career pathway, you can check this website for more info.
If you wish to find cyber security jobs near you, you can check this website and then use the available filters to customize your search.
P.S.: The rankings are based on the geographic concentration of jobs and not the size of the city. Large cities have more jobs but low jobs geographic concentration (hence reduced chances of getting employed). Smaller cities, on the other hand, have a higher geographic concentration of jobs with less competition.
Large cities for cyber security jobs include Washington, D.C., New York (NY), San Francisco (CA), Chicago (IL), Arlington (VA), Los Angeles (CA), Boston (MA), Miami (FL), Philadelphia (PA), Seattle (WA), Atlanta (GA), San Diego (CA), and Dallas (TX).
When it comes to states, these are the best states for cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. where they pay the highest and you enjoy high career growth potential.
Best Cities for Cyber Security Jobs
Now that you have the criteria we used to identify the best cities for cyber security jobs in the United States, below are the most ideal places to try your luck if you’re a fresh graduate.
1. Huntsville, Alabama
With cyber security job concentration being approximately 14 times the national average, Huntsville, Alabama tops the list of best cities to find cyber security jobs in the United States.
The city has more than 3,800 job openings for cyber security professionals while the total employed cyber security workforce has surpassed the 4,500 mark.
2. Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C. is one of the best cities for cyber security jobs due to the high demand for cyber security professionals by government and private agencies. There are top private firms headquartered in D.C. making the capital one of the hot spots for cybersecurity-related jobs.
Current data indicates there are more than 72,000 cybersecurity job openings in D.C. with the total number of employed professionals being more than 100,000.
The geographic concentration of cyber security jobs in Washington, D.C. is 8.5 times the national average.
3. Augusta, Georgia
If you’re a cyber security expert living in Georgia, then your next employer might not be far away. Data indicates the city has approximately 11,000 cyber security job openings with more than 18,000 professionals already employed.
The geographic concentration of cyber security jobs in Augusta, GA is 6.8 times the national average.
4. Des Moines, Iowa
Another beautiful city to find a cyber security job is Des Moines, Iowa. With more than 3,400 employed cybersecurity workforce, the city of Des Moines also has approximately 2,500 jobs ready for the taking.
The city’s geographic concentration of cybersecurity jobs is 5.8 times the national average, making it one of the best cities for cybersecurity jobs in the country.
5. Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is a city in North Carolina with more than 7,500 employed cyber security workforce and an additional 5,800 job openings.
The geographic concentration of cyber security jobs in Raleigh is 5.7 times the national average.
6. Utica, New York
Although Utica is a small city in the state of New York, having a geographic cybersecurity job concentration 4.7 times the national average sees it make its way to our list of the best cities for cybersecurity jobs in 2023.
The city has just 373 cyber security job openings at the moment but has more than 1,050 employed cyber security workforce. The state of New York is also among the highest paying states for cybersecurity jobs in the U.S.
7. Silicon Valley Cities
There are several cities within Silicon Valley including San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, Mountain View, Redwood City, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, and Cupertino.
There are more than 14,800 employed cybersecurity professionals in Silicon Valley, with approximately 11,000 job openings ready for the taking.
The cities’ geographic concentration of cyber security jobs currently stands at 4.5 times the national average.
8. Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California has approximately 550 cyber security job openings while approximately 950 cyber security experts already have jobs.
The city’s cyber security jobs geographic concentration currently stands at 4.3 times the national average.
9. Denver, Colorado
The city of Denver, Colorado currently has more than 11,600 cybersecurity job openings with an employed cybersecurity workforce of approximately 14,900 professionals.
The city’s geographic job concentration is 3.7 times the national average, making it one of the best cities for cyber security jobs in the United States.
10. Austin, Texas
With cyber security job concentration being approximately 3.5 times the national average, Austin, Texas is among the best cities to find a job as a cyber security professional.
The city has approximately 10,500 employed cybersecurity experts and approximately 7,700 job openings.
FAQs about cyber security jobs in the United States
Let’s have a quick look at some of the most frequently asked questions about cybersecurity jobs.
1. What city has the most cyber security jobs
Washington, D.C. is the city with the most cyber security jobs in the U.S. as data indicates there are more than 72,000 cyber security job openings in D.C. There are more than 100,000 employed professionals and its geographic concentration of cyber security jobs is 8.5 times the national average.
2. Which state is best for cyber security jobs?
Virginia is currently ranked as the best state for cyber security jobs with more than 49,000 job openings. The state also boasts the largest number of employed cybersecurity professionals, the highest employment per 1,000 jobs, high annual average salaries, and a strong long-term growth projection in the cybersecurity industry.
On top of this, Virginia also has the highest number of information security analysts compared to any other state and is a hub of some of the largest companies on the Cyber 500 lists. To add the icing on the cake, one study revealed that Virginia ranks 13th in the list of the highest-paying states for cybersecurity jobs in the United States.
3. Where are the highest paying cyber security jobs
The highest-paying states for cyber security jobs are the District of Columbia, New Jersey, Maryland, Maine, and New York. The mean annual wage for cyber security experts in these five states is $118,728, $112,670, $112,063, $111,915, and $109,458 respectively, which ranks them as the top five best-paying states for cyber security jobs.
4. What state pays the most for cyber security jobs
The state of New York tops the list of top-paying states for cyber security jobs in the U.S. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the mean annual wage for information security analysts in New York is $125,920. This is higher than any other state.
5. What cyber security jobs pay the most
According to data from San Diego University, the highest paying cyber security jobs are bug bounty specialist, chief information security officer, lead software security engineer, cyber security sales engineer, cybersecurity architect, and cyber security administrator. These jobs pay anywhere between $120,000 and $300,000 a year with intermediate experience.
Conclusion
As earlier noted, these are the best cities for cyber security jobs based on their respective geographic jobs concentration. You’re more likely to get a job in any of these cities compared to the most populous American cities.