cybersecurity workforce-trends it-jobs recruitment

Cybersec is a thankless job: expanding workload and shrinking pay packet

Cybersecurity professional getting more work and less pay

theregister.com

April 28, 2026

3 min read

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

48/100

Summary

Seventy-one percent of cybersecurity professionals experienced stagnant wages last year despite increased workloads and responsibilities. In the UK, 77 percent of security staff saw no salary increase in 2025, reflecting a global trend in the industry.

Key Takeaways

71% of cybersecurity professionals globally experienced wage stagnation in 2025, with 77% in the UK seeing no salary increase despite increased responsibilities.
Cybersecurity professionals rank among the lowest in workplace satisfaction, alongside QA testers and infrastructure workers, despite being in high demand.
The cybersecurity job market is experiencing instability, with a decline in full-time job opportunities due to economic factors and technological advancements like AI.
Organizations need to recognize and support cybersecurity talent as a strategic capability to reduce attrition and improve incident response.

Read original article

View story →

Coverage & discussions

Hacker News · theregister.com

Cybersec is a thankless job: expanding workload and shrinking pay packet ↗

Community discussions

Hacker News discussion ↗

Historical count: 5 · 5 saved in sample · Historical sample

Analysis ready

Community Sentiment

Mixed

Positives

The increasing demand for cybersecurity solutions highlights the potential for AI-driven tools to enhance security analysis and response, making it a promising field for innovation.
AI is perceived as a source of job security in cybersecurity, as it can automate routine tasks and allow professionals to focus on more complex security challenges.

Concerns

The cybersecurity industry is often viewed as underappreciated, with professionals overworked and underpaid, leading to a lack of meaningful investment in security improvements.
Many cybersecurity roles are seen as frustrating and ineffective, often revolving around compliance rather than genuine security enhancements, which demoralizes professionals in the field.
There is a concern that AI may exacerbate security issues rather than solve them, as internal misuse of AI tools can create new vulnerabilities.