Key Takeaways
- 514,359 cybersecurity job openings were posted in the U.S. from May 2024-April 2025.
- 1 in 4 cybersecurity roles has no qualified candidate – the supply-demand ratio is just 74%.
- Openings grew ~9.4% year-over-year, adding over 44,000 additional unfilled roles in 12 months.
- Cybersecurity roles take 21% longer to fill than other tech positions on average.
The Story Behind the Numbers
U.S. employers posted 469,930 cybersecurity job openings in the 12-month period from May 2023 to April 2024. The following year, that figure rose to 514,359 – a ~9.4% year-over-year increase, representing over 44,000 additional unfilled roles in just 12 months.
The supply-demand ratio in the U.S. currently sits at just 74%, meaning roughly 1 in 4 cybersecurity roles has no qualified candidate to fill it. At this rate, the workforce cannot keep pace with accelerating demand.
The skills gap is making it worse. Cybersecurity is the field where the fewest companies with hiring plans are targeting early career candidates – leaving the next generation of defenders without a clear entry point into the profession.
Why This Data is Important
Understaffed cybersecurity teams mean real risk for ordinary people. Hospitals, banks, schools, and governments are operating with fewer defenders than they need – and cyber attacks in the U.S. are happening at a relentless pace, making every unfilled role a potential liability.
The financial consequences are just as stark. The average cost of a data breach continues to climb – and organizations with understaffed security teams are among the most exposed when attacks succeed.
When institutions fall short, the burden shifts to individuals. Understanding your own digital exposure – starting with the basics of how a VPN works – and taking steps to protect your personal data becomes not just smart – but necessary.
Looking Ahead: Future Outlook
Demand is not easing. Cybersecurity roles already take 21% longer to fill than other tech positions – a sign that qualified candidates are hard to find even when employers are actively hiring.
With 81% of organizations rating cybersecurity a top priority, pressure on the talent pipeline will only intensify. As long as the workforce gap remains, the responsibility for staying safe online increasingly falls on individuals – not just institutions.
Source & Methodology
Data in this article is drawn from CyberSeek, a joint initiative of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Lightcast, and CompTIA. Job posting figures cover two 12-month periods: May 2023-April 2024 and May 2024-April 2025. The 21% longer time-to-fill figure and skills gap data are from CompTIA’s State of Cybersecurity 2025 report. The 81% priority rating is also sourced from the same report.