While the demand for artificial intelligence security specialists continued to grow, cybersecurity job postings decreased to a four-year low in 2026 in the United States. CyberSN's Cybersecurity Jobs Report indicates that between January and September 2026, employers posted 235,786 cybersecurity jobs, a 26.4% decline from the same period in 2025 when 320,210 jobs were posted. 4
Using JobSpikr job listings, CyberSN categorizes the listings into 45 cybersecurity functional roles across ten groups based on the skills and responsibilities required rather than the job title assigned. While overall job openings declined, some AI-related positions experienced significant growth. In 2015, AI Security Engineer positions grew by 268.3% year over year, while listings for Cyber Data Scientists increased by 203.5%.
These figures indicate that the demand for professionals with expertise in artificial intelligence, data analysis, and cybersecurity is growing. Additionally, AI-related skills are becoming increasingly commonplace in a wide range of cybersecurity positions.
The use of AI was mentioned in approximately 15% of cybersecurity job postings during the first nine months of 2026, roughly matching the 15.1% that was mentioned in the previous year. However, this share reached 20% in September, which indicates that AI is increasingly common in job postings.
AI Skills Gain Ground Across Cybersecurity Roles
According to the report, AI was most commonly mentioned in research positions, with 32.7% of listings in that category mentioning AI mentions, an increase of 11.7% over the previous year. A 23.3% increase over last year was observed in offense-related jobs, an increase of 4.8 points. AI was mentioned in 19.8% of GRC listings, while planning-related positions accounted for 18.9%.
While several established cybersecurity positions experienced substantial decreases during the period, postings for Cyber Insider Threat Analysts decreased by 55.6% to 1,088, while Cyber Risk Analysts accounted for a 51.5% decline to 4,031 positions. Postings for penetration testers decreased 45.9% to 3,063 while postings for threat hunters decreased by 40%, reaching 1,013 positions. There was a 38.9% decline in CISO-related positions, including Chief Security Officer and Information Security Officer roles.
The figure, however, was close to the 2,808 level of 2024, suggesting that the sharper comparison may partly reflect unusually high demand for CISOs in 2025. As of the second quarter of 2026, CISO-related jobs also increased by 19.5%. It remains possible to work remotely in many categories, particularly Sales, where 32.8% of listings offer remote work, followed closely by GRC at 31.2%.
The report does not determine the reasons for the changing figures, since it measures advertisements rather than completed hires. It should be noted, however, that the contrast between decline in vacancies overall and rapid growth in AI-focused positions indicates that employers are seeking a significant shift in the skills that cybersecurity professionals possess.
Remote Work Remains Available Across Several Security Functions
A number of cybersecurity job categories continued to feature remote opportunities, with Sales registering 32.8% of remote listings, Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) posting 31.2%. 24.7% of remote postings were related to offensive roles, while 22.9% were related to product security. Educating, researching, and defending also contributed notable shares, respectively, containing 22.8%, 21.9%, and 21.3%.
Although remote work remains available across different cybersecurity functions, its availability varies from role to role. According to the report, these proportions do not appear to reflect changes in employer policies or changes in the types of positions being advertised.
Report Highlights Limits of Job Market Data
A CyberSN analysis measures not only posted positions, but also confirmed hires and the number of individuals entering or leaving the profession. It does not also explain why postings have declined or why AI-focused positions are in high demand. In this respect, the figures provide an overview of employer requirements during the reporting period rather than providing an exhaustive analysis of the factors influencing cybersecurity employment in general.
While the report indicates uncertainty regarding senior leadership opportunities, the number of CISO-related postings in 2026 was close to what it was in 2024, and listings increased from the second to the third quarters. Thus, the year-over-year decline must be considered in conjunction with the unusually high level recorded the prior year as well.
Cybersecurity professionals should monitor changes in skills requirements as the contrasting figures highlight the importance of monitoring these changes. As AI-related expertise appears in increasing numbers of job listings, several established roles have been reduced substantially. However, the available data does not indicate that AI demand is directly correlated with other job losses. It will be important to determine whether growth in AI security roles continues in the next quarter, as well as whether senior cybersecurity positions remain stable.
According to the report, there are fewer cybersecurity vacancies overall but a strong demand for specialized AI and data skills in the coming quarters. As evidenced by the latest figures, the cybersecurity job market is changing, with AI-related skills taking on increased significance even as overall job openings decline. Future hiring data will be able to provide insight into whether this trend continues and how demand for traditional security jobs is anticipated.
