Demand for tech staff who specialise in cybersecurity is increasing rapidly, with a 15 percent increase in job ads for workers with this skill set between 2017 and 2018.
The job title with the most demand is that of ‘IT security specialist’, which has nearly three times as much demand among employers as the second-placed ‘security engineer’, according to the data compiled by recruitment website Indeed.
While IT security specialist is the role most advertised, at £45,722 it’s not the highest paying of the top five jobs; IT auditor with an average salary at £58,328 is the top payer.
Looking more broadly, Indeed said the job with the fastest growing demand in the UK is that of ‘IT engineer’, which covers IT support roles such as installing and maintaining equipment and software, as well as troubleshooting. Also in its top 10 fastest growing jobs in the UK is ‘mobile developer’, which it said includes Front End, Android, iOS and .NET developers.
The research also found that the big consulting firms such as KPMG and PwC are among the UK’s top recruiters when it comes to cybersecurity roles. The other 20 top companies looking for security expertise, according to Indeed, include telecoms companies, finance and tech firms, and retail giants.
“It’s telling that many large organisations now talk of ‘critical’ infrastructure rather than ‘IT’ infrastructure. Every aspect of a modern company relies on its IT, and the growing threat of cyber attack and tightening of privacy laws means demand is rising fast for professionals who are able to protect companies’ most precious information,” said Bill Richards, Indeed’s UK managing director.
Security roles are not the only tech jobs where salaries are rising: research released earlier this month showed that salaries for in-demand programming skills are rising rapidly. Java programmers have seen the biggest rise — 41 percent — over a three-year period.
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