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US cybersecurity job postings fall 26% as demand for AI security engineers jumps 268%
CyberSN's latest jobs report shows US cybersecurity job postings fell 26.4% in the first nine months of 2026, a four-year low, while postings for AI security engineers rose 268.3% year over year.
Key takeaways
- US cybersecurity job postings fell 26.4% in January to September 2026, a four-year low.
- AI Security Engineer postings rose 268.3% year over year to 2,409.
- Penetration tester, risk analyst and insider threat analyst postings fell by 45% or more.
- CISO postings fell 38.9%, though 2025 appears to have been an unusually strong year.
- The data covers US job postings only.
US cybersecurity job postings fell sharply in 2026 even as demand for AI security skills surged, according to CyberSN's Cybersecurity Jobs Report covering January to September 2026. The data was pulled on 7 October 2026 and covers the United States only.
How far did postings fall? #
| Period (January to September) | Postings |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 273,498 |
| 2024 | 244,911 |
| 2025 | 320,210 |
| 2026 | 235,786 |
That is a 26.4% drop from 2025 and a four-year low. CyberSN projects full-year 2026 postings at 288,911 to 325,540, which it describes as a seasonal estimate rather than a forecast.
Which roles are growing? #
AI Security Engineer postings reached 2,409, up 268.3% from the same months of 2025, according to the report. SecurityWeek reported that Cyber Data Scientist postings rose 203.5%. Postings mentioning AI or machine learning made up 14.6% of the total.
Which roles fell the most? #
SecurityWeek, citing the report, listed the largest declines:
| Role | Change | 2026 postings |
|---|---|---|
| Cyber Insider Threat Analyst | Down 55.6% | 1,088 |
| Cyber Risk Analyst | Down 51.5% | 4,031 |
| Penetration Tester | Down 45.9% | 3,063 |
| Cybersecurity Lead | Down 41.0% | 4,688 |
| Threat Hunter | Down 40.0% | 1,013 |
| CISO (including CSO, BSO, ISO) | Down 38.9% | 2,832 |
SecurityWeek noted the 2026 CISO figure is close to 2024's, suggesting 2025 was unusually strong.
How was the data collected? #
The report counts job postings, not people. It uses JobSpikr data with duplicate listings removed, and maps each posting to CyberSN's taxonomy based on the work it describes rather than the job title. The report describes what changed but not why.
What does this mean for security professionals? #
The figures point to demand moving toward AI security and data skills while several traditional roles shrink. Because the data covers US postings only, it may not reflect hiring in other regions.
Sources
- CyberSN Cybersecurity Jobs Report, 2026 through September, CyberSN
- US cybersecurity job postings fall 26%, SecurityWeek
Questions this raises
- Does this cover jobs outside the US?
- No. CyberSN's report covers US job postings only.
- Does it count people or postings?
- Postings. The report counts job listings with duplicates removed, not individual hires or job seekers.
- Which roles grew fastest?
- AI Security Engineer, up 268.3%. SecurityWeek also reported Cyber Data Scientist up 203.5%.