Skip to content
Low Risk Growing +35%

Security Engineer

Security Engineers design and implement security systems, conduct vulnerability assessments, and protect organizations from cyber threats.

Security Engineer has an AI risk score of 15/100 (Low Risk). The median salary is $135,000 with 150,000 people employed. The safest transition path is Security Architect with a risk score of 12/100.

$135,000
Median Salary
150,000
Total Employed
3
Career Transitions
AI Risk Score
0 %
Low Risk

Safer than 96% of jobs in our database

How we calculate this score →
Pivot Score 78/100

Strong pivot potential — many safe, transferable career paths available.

Recommended Courses

Start your transition today with these courses

★ Start Here Entry Standard

CompTIA Security+

CompTIA

Duration 3 months
Price $392
Rating ★ 4.7

Skills You'll Learn

Network SecurityComplianceThreatsCryptography
Enroll Now →
Gold Standard

CISSP Certification

(ISC)²

Duration 6 months
Price $749
Rating ★ 4.8

Skills You'll Learn

Security ManagementRisk ManagementArchitecture
Enroll Now →
Most Comprehensive

Data Science Professional Certificate

IBM

Duration 6 months
Price $39/month
Rating ★ 4.6

Skills You'll Learn

PythonMachine LearningData VisualizationBig Data
Enroll Now →

Job Market Data

Real trends from multiple job platforms

Moderate Demand

Listing Trends

5 sources tracked
🇺🇸 United States
vs. Feb 2026
47.7K listings
-4%
🇩🇪 Germany
vs. Feb 2026
1.6K listings
+2%
🇫🇷 France
vs. Feb 2026
220 listings
+6%
🇪🇸 Spain
vs. Feb 2026
129 listings
+1%
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
vs. Feb 2026
7.2K listings
+5%
Sources: AdzunaArbeitsagenturFrance TravailReedJooble
Updated Mar 18, 2026

Career Outlook

Why this is a strong career choice

Job Outlook
Growing +35%
AI Resistance Score
7/10 High
Market Demand
Growing Demand

Why This Career Is AI-Resistant

Massive talent shortage in cybersecurity

Attackers use AI too - humans needed for defense

Complex incident response requires judgment

Compliance and policy decisions need humans

Strong choice for career changers

Career Transitions

Safe career paths based on your existing skills

Best Match

Security Architect

12%
Salary Change +30%
Skill Overlap 85%
Time to Transition 2-4 years

Skills to Learn

Security ArchitectureZero TrustRisk Assessment

Your first step

Look up a free Security Architecture course or tutorial — one evening is enough to know if this path fits you.

Penetration Tester

20%
Salary Change +10%
Skill Overlap 80%
Time to Transition 6-12 months

Skills to Learn

Ethical HackingExploit DevelopmentReport Writing

Your first step

Look up a free Ethical Hacking course or tutorial — one evening is enough to know if this path fits you.

DevOps Engineer

23%
Salary Change +65%
Skill Overlap 65%
Time to Transition 6-12 months

Skills to Learn

CI/CDCloud PlatformsKubernetesInfrastructure as Code

Your first step

Look up a free CI/CD course or tutorial — one evening is enough to know if this path fits you.

Need help making the switch?

Talk to a mentor who's been through a similar career change.

Find a Mentor