Work Environment
Information security analysts held about 141,200 jobs in 2020. The largest employers of information security analysts were as follows:
- Computer systems design and related services - 26%
- Finance and insurance - 18%
- Information - 10%
- Management of companies and enterprises - 9%
- Administrative and support services - 5%
Many information security analysts work with other members of an information technology department, such as network administrators or computer systems analysts.
Work Schedules
Most information security analysts work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Information security analysts sometimes have to be on call outside of normal business hours in case of an emergency.
Job Outlook
Employment of information security analysts is projected to grow 33 percent from 2020 to 2030, much faster than the average for all occupations.
About 16,300 openings for information security analysts are projected each year, on average, over the decade. Many of those openings are expected to result from the need to replace workers who transfer to different occupations or exit the labor force, such as to retire.
Employment
Demand for information security analysts is expected to be very high. Cyberattacks have grown in frequency, and analysts will be needed to come up with innovative solutions to prevent hackers from stealing critical information or creating problems for computer networks.
The increasing adoption of cloud services by small and medium-sized businesses and a rise in cybersecurity threats will create demand for information security analysts throughout the decade.
Banks and financial institutions, as well as other types of corporations, will need to increase their information security capabilities in the face of growing cybersecurity threats. In addition, as the healthcare industry expands its use of electronic medical records, ensuring patients’ privacy and protecting personal data are essential. More information security analysts are likely to be needed to create the safeguards that will protect personal information and satisfy patients’ concerns.
Earnings
The median annual wage for information security analysts was $102,600 in May 2021. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $61,520, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $165,920.
In May 2021, the median annual wages for information security analysts in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:
- Information - $128,970
- Finance and insurance - $104,790
- Management of companies and enterprises - $101,350
- Computer systems design and related services - $101,170
- Administrative and support services - $95,270
Most information security analysts work full time, and some work more than 40 hours per week. Information security analysts sometimes have to be on call outside of normal business hours in case of an emergency.
