Entry Level Cybersecurity Statistics
Entry Level Cybersecurity Statistics
Q4 2024 Sometime in mid-2024, there was a quibble in the Aspiring SOC Analyst community about how there were no entry-level SOC analyst positions and that jobs all required 1–3 years of cybersecurity experience. Cyber NOW® took the lead in highlighting companies and jobs that hire fresh talent. The search began, and we started releasing job lists every month. It put Cyber NOW® on the map. SANS was retweeting us, and we were receiving traffic like crazy. Our training business was brand new, so we hadn’t worked out the kinks yet on what exactly we were selling, but we became a service to the community. And a leader in the community in which we reside today. Since then, the initial traffic has normalized, but we continued producing these lists and even started doing it twice a month.
This is Entry Level Cybersecurity Statistics.
Initially, most jobs required cybersecurity experience, so we knew this gripe from the Aspiring SOC Analyst community was valid.
Today, we have compiled three months of data and created statistics based on the data from the lists. Our mission is to clarify what it means to be qualified to enter cybersecurity as a SOC analyst. There have long been debates of pure opinion or of anecdotes about whether certifications matter, whether having a degree matters and how likely it is that someone can work from home. In this article, I will state the statistics based on three months of data between October 2024 and January 2025, and then I will tell you my opinion on how you should interpret that number. You can draw your conclusions from the statistics; I have studied what it takes to enter cybersecurity as a SOC analyst for a long time. Not only am I the founder and CEO of Cyber NOW®, but I also published two editions of the multi-award-winning best-selling book Jump-start Your SOC Analyst Career.
Do degrees matter?
Half of all jobs require a degree. So, if you don’t have one and haven’t started on your bachelor’s, WGU has a cost-effective program; otherwise, throw the dice at not having one. It’s essential, but it’s not $50,0000 important. There are undoubtedly other ways to land a job.
Do certificates matter?
Only a third of jobs require certificates, but this doesn’t include jobs that prefer someone to have certificates. Since it only takes a month or two to get a security+ certificate and close to a third of the jobs requiring it or similar, I’d suggest all candidates earn their security+ before starting on a degree, and if someone is in a degree program, then start working on your security+ alongside it. Yes, certificates matter because they’re easy to get.
Can I work from home?
When someone asks me this question, the answer is it’s complicated. If you’re in the upper quartile of applicants, then I’d say your chances are average, but it will still take some networking. Otherwise, you need to evaluate your long-term career strategy, knowing you’ll only be in each position for a few years and working onsite is here to stay again.
I hope this helps clarify some misconceptions about the job market and what you’ll need to do to land gainful employment. With our lifetime membership, Cyber NOW® is prepared to be with you for the entirety of your career.
Tyler Wall is the founder of Cyber NOW Education. He holds bills for a Master of Science from Purdue University and CISSP, CCSK, CFSR, CEH, Sec+, Net+, and A+ certifications. He mastered the SOC after having held every position from analyst to architect and is the author of three books, 100+ professional articles, and ten online courses specifically for SOC analysts.
You can connect with him on LinkedIn.
