Despite the continuing skills shortage, the US cybersecurity workforce continues to grow, with last year's numbers up by 7.12% from 2023.
Last year, according to Comparitech, 175,350 people were working in cybersecurity roles, compared with 163,690 the year before.
Salaries are also on the rise, the study found, up 4.07% since 2022, and now averaging $124,740. The biggest average salary increases for information security analysts were to be found in Louisiana, with a striking 32.99% increase, Wyoming, at 27.06%, Montana at 23.22%, and South Carolina, where pay rose by 16.39%.
"Recent large-scale incidents, like Russian hackers stealing Microsoft’s source code, emphasize the importance of cybersecurity expertise," researchers said. "The job market looks set to continue growing for many years to come. But prospects look better in some states than others."
Wyoming took a huge leap from 49th to second place, while the District of Columbia dropped sharply this year, going from fifth place to 23rd. These increases, Comparitech said, coincide with state-specific initiatives, such as the 2023 Cybersecurity Awareness Campaign in Wyoming.
"Wyoming’s sharp rise stems from the significant increase in a number of areas, including the difference to the state average annual salary (for all types of employment) and its impressive growth in cybersecurity employment over the last year," researchers explained.
Job hunters are best off in the District of Columbia, with figures from Indeed.com showing 3,099 vacancies. Virginia, meanwhile, boasted the second-highest number, at 1,868, followed by Maryland with 1,458, and Texas with 981.
Cybersecurity job growth shows positive signs
The report also looked at the changes in long-term growth projections over the 10 years from 2022 to 2032. Researchers said that predictions on cybersecurity job growth have been “positive in most states” over the last several years.
The study warned, however, that the number of information security analyst jobs is “largely projected to decrease”.
"This negative trend might be due to the fact that the projections have already reached their peak in the previous years, and we are intrigued to see if it will continue in the coming years."
Previously, in Wyoming, for example, the number of information security analyst jobs was projected to increase by 50% from 2020 to 2030. More recent estimates covering the period from 2022 to 2032 now put the projected increase at just 33%.
In Colorado, by contrast, there was an improvement in long-term growth projections of 83.75%, while in New Hampshire the figure was 300%, and in Mississippi a massive 995.45%.
So where should you be looking for the best cybersecurity roles?
"Initially, you may consider Washington thanks to the highest salary ($148,090). Alternatively, you might opt for the District of Columbia for its large number of job vacancies (3,099) and high salary ($134,810)," the study noted.
"Ultimately, the majority of states offer great prospects for cybersecurity roles. All states except Vermont show at least some positive growth (when looking at the long-term projections) and each and every state has an average cybersecurity salary that’s above the state average for all types of employment."
