Navigating the UK Cyber Security Job Market and Growing Your Career

The UK cyber security sector remains one of the fastest-growing areas of the digital economy. According to the Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2025 report, over 143,000 professionals are now employed in cyber roles – a 5% increase from the previous year.

Yet, the workforce gap persists, with an estimated shortfall of 3,800 professionals, down from 11,100 in 2023.

Despite this progress, 49% of UK businesses report basic cyber skills gaps, and 30% face challenges in advanced areas like incident response, penetration testing, and cloud security.

AI is reshaping the cyber landscape. Over half of cyber firms (53%) now use AI in daily operations, and 65% expect demand for AI-related skills to grow in the next 12 months. However, only 42% have provided AI training to their teams, highlighting a new and urgent skills gap.

CyberLab’s own services reflect this shift, with increased demand for AI-aware penetration testers, SOC analysts, and threat hunters trained to detect AI-driven attacks.

Women make up just 17% of the cyber workforce, and only 12% hold senior roles – a drop from previous years and far below the wider UK workforce average of 48% female representation.

This highlights the need for inclusive hiring practices and leadership development programmes.

In 2024, there were 32,370 core cyber job postings, a 33% decrease from the previous year. While this suggests market stabilisation, 28% of cyber firms still report internal technical skills gaps, and 37% of vacancies are considered hard to fill.

Roles in highest demand include:

• Penetration testers (especially CREST and CHECK-certified)
• Cloud security engineers
• AI and machine learning specialists
• Incident response analysts
• Security consultants

In 2024, there were 32,370 core cyber job postings, a 33% decrease from the previous year. While this suggests market stabilisation, 28% of cyber firms still report internal technical skills gaps, and 37% of vacancies are considered hard to fill.

Roles in highest demand include:

• Penetration testers (especially CREST and CHECK-certified)
• Cloud security engineers
• AI and machine learning specialists
• Incident response analysts
• Security consultants

The UK cyber job market in 2025 is dynamic, competitive, and increasingly shaped by AI. While the skills gap is narrowing, challenges remain in diversity, training, and advanced capabilities.

Organisations must invest in continuous learning, and professionals must stay agile to thrive in this evolving field.