This year, the cybersecurity workforce held steady at around 5.5 million workers — but the job vacancy rate increased 19%. To meet growing demand, the industry needs more than 10 million more professionals.
Jobseekers won’t necessarily have to go to only the most famous cyber security hubs.
It’s true that places like San Francisco, New York, and Seattle in the U.S. and Tel Aviv, Singapore, and London globally have dominated cybersecurity research and startup ecosystems. But their success hasn’t stopped other cities from emerging as serious players in the cybersecurity economy. For instance, cities like Dublin have surged ahead in cybersecurity job growth.
That made us wonder: where are American jobs in cybersecurity growing fastest? Are the classic tech hubs still leading the charge, or are new contenders rising up to claim their share of the industry’s future?
We analyzed BLS data for year-over-year job growth and wage increases in cybersecurity jobs, limiting our focus to job-rich markets with at least 500 roles in the field since 2020. That helped us eliminate anomalies as well as focus on the most robust markets for cybersecurity jobs. We scored the remaining metropolitan areas based on employment and salary growth.
The result? With high job growth and year-over-year wage increases, 2024’s top cybersecurity hotspot is Indianapolis, Indiana.
Key Takeaways
- The Midwest is nurturing emerging cybersecurity hubs, with 7 of the top 10 growing cybersecurity hotspots in the region.
- #1 Indianapolis, IN, takes the top spot with 31.8% job growth year-over-year and a wage growth increase of 17.2%.
- #2 Raleigh, NC, and #3 Cleveland, OH, surged onto the podium as the top cybersecurity hotspots overall due to their 59 and 60% year-over-year job growth, respectively (~72% higher than all other top-ten cities).
- Wage growth is highest in #1 Indianapolis, increasing more than any other city in percentage terms and when adjusted for price parity between cities. While salaries in Indianapolis grew 25.55% more than #2 Kansas City, MO, they remain in the bottom quartile for annual wages.
- #3 Cleveland, OH, takes the #1 spot for job growth overall. Last year, cybersecurity jobs in the metro area skyrocketed 60% — from 700 total jobs to 1,120.
When it Comes to Fastest Growth, The Midwest Edges Out Traditional Tech Towns
While #5 San Francisco, CA, and #10 Seattle, WA, maintain a foothold in the top ten, notorious tech cities aren’t growing their cybersecurity positions at the same rates as other cities across the nation. Though, it’s worth noting that these two cities, with 4,520 and 3,910 total jobs last year, respectively, represent almost 47% of the total jobs in all top ten cities combined.
However, a new hub for cybersecurity is emerging far from the West Coast. From #8 Omaha, NE, to #1 Indianapolis, IN, #9 Cincinnati, OH, #6 Columbus, OH, #3 Cleveland, OH, and #7 Pittsburgh, PA, the cybersecurity job market in the Midwest is hot, with Ohio leading the way. These midwestern cities signal a shift whereby cybersecurity jobs can thrive outside traditional power centers while balancing growing volume with increasing wages.
These rankings could also signal the broadening of industry dynamics, with demand for cybersecurity professionals outside traditional tech hubs.
That’s evident as accelerating wage growth takes place not just in traditional tech hubs with high costs of living but in cities like Kansas City, MO, and Indianapolis, IN. Further, higher salaries help locations like these become more attractive to job searchers, as high salaries invariably stretch farther in the Midwest with its lower cost of living.
Mid-size metros are punching above their weight
It’s not just a Midwest success story for cybersecurity. For one, the Midwest’s largest metro, Chicago, doesn’t make the top ten. This year’s cybersecurity job findings suggest that it’s also mid-size cities where job and wage growth are strongest.
In addition to the hold the Midwest has on growing cybersecurity jobs and salaries, mid-size cities like #2 Raleigh, NC, #3 Cleveland, OH, and #8 Omaha, NE, are experiencing some of the fastest growth in cybersecurity. Raleigh’s 59% job growth has driven wages up — now, cybersecurity professionals in North Carolina’s capital enjoy an average adjusted annual wage just below that of their San Franciso and Seattle counterparts. And while Omaha, NE, has the weakest job growth in the top ten, at just 5.8% year-over-year, salaries are still up more than 10% over last year.
The trend highlights that smaller metros can be major players, perhaps emerging as regional superstars in the tech ecosystem, spurred by increasing demand and cybersecurity investment supported by a panoply of different industries across the country, all needing digital defenses.
Overall, the growing prominence of mid-sized metros, along with Midwestern ones, could decentralize the cybersecurity workforce, reducing dependence on coastal tech hubs.
Cybersecurity Job Growth is Highest in Cleveland, OH
Though the lakeside city comes in third overall, Cleveland, OH, leads the way with a staggering 60% job growth year-over-year. That’s more than 166% higher than Pittsburgh, PA, which sits at #10 on the list, and shows that cities once considered secondary tech players are now leading in cybersecurity job creation.
| City, ST | Year over Year % Change in Cybersecurity Employment | 2023 Total Cybersecurity Employment |
| Cleveland, OH | 60.0% | 1,120 |
| Raleigh, NC | 59.0% | 1,590 |
| Orlando, FL | 45.0% | 2,160 |
| Columbus, OH | 34.3% | 1,450 |
| Cincinnati, OH | 34.1% | 1,220 |
| Indianapolis, IN | 31.8% | 870 |
| Tampa, FL | 30.6% | 3,160 |
| Portland, OR | 30.0% | 1,170 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 27.8% | 4,600 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 22.5% | 980 |
High percentile growth does signal that Cleveland started with a small number of overall jobs; even today, with 1,120 total cybersecurity jobs in its growing ecosystem, Cleveland’s total employment of professionals in this field is among the bottom quartile of our index. For instance, large cities on the job-growth list, like Los Angeles, have seen job growth increase at a much lower rate of 27.8% this year — but the city added 1,000 new jobs compared to Cleveland’s 420.
Other notable cities include Indianapolis, IN (52.7%) and Kansas City, MO (49.8%). Both cities’ job growth successes underscore how cybersecurity is diversifying, allowing smaller cities to grow tech industries without being overshadowed by large hubs. The result? A more distributed, competitive job market that could redefine where cybersecurity careers are built.
Indianapolis Enjoys Highest Wage Growth in Cybersecurity
Demand for cybersecurity professionals hasn’t just created more jobs, it’s also driving up wage growth across the U.S. Several metros stand out for their significant increases in annual salary, reflecting increased competition in the market, regardless of where workers call home.
With the highest wage jump, Indianapolis, IN, leads the pack. Its sky-high 17.2% increase in annual wages over the past year has pushed adjusted wages up $15k to $106,870. Given that the regional price parity is 93.7, that reflects an annual salary that feels more like $114,046.
| City, ST | Year over Year % Change in Cybersecurity Wages | 2023 Cybersecurity Average Annual Wages |
| Indianapolis, IN | 17.2% | $106,870 |
| Kansas City, MO | 13.7% | $107,020 |
| Seattle, WA | 13.3% | $154,600 |
| San Francisco, CA | 12.8% | $157,660 |
| St. Louis, MO | 11.5% | $106,060 |
| Colorado Springs, CO | 10.9% | $127,270 |
| Omaha, NE | 10.6% | $108,040 |
| Pittsburgh, PA | 9.0% | $110,220 |
| Austin, TX | 8.4% | $117,040 |
| Raleigh, NC | 8.4% | $129,000 |
The wage growth highlights that non-coastal players are rapidly increasing wages to become more attractive destinations for cybersecurity workers. In Indianapolis, new hires find larger and larger offers but also higher affordability than in traditional coastal tech hubs.
Other cities experiencing strong wage growth include Kansas City, MO, and Seattle, WA, which saw increases of 13.7% and 13.3%, respectively. Seattle’s high wage increases exist tantalizingly alongside the highest adjusted pay rate in the top ten: workers here may earn less than their San Francisco counterparts, but they’ll enjoy higher spending power.
| City, St | 2023 Annual Wages | Regional Price Parity | Adjusted “Real Wage” |
| Seattle, WA | 154,600 | 113.68 | $136,001 |
| San Francisco, CA | 157,660 | 117.90 | $133,729 |
Note: To calculate the adjusted "real wage," we divided the 2023 annual wages by the Regional Price Parity (RPP) for each city, then multiplied by 100. This adjustment reflects the relative cost of living, showing workers' true spending power compared to other regions. For example, Seattle's lower RPP gives its wages greater real value than San Francisco's, despite slightly lower nominal pay.
St. Louis, MO, and Colorado Springs, CO, also made the list with increases of 11.5% and 10.9%, showing that mid-size cities are also increasingly competitive in attracting top talent and are helping spread opportunities across more regions.
Cybersecurity Jobs are Growing…Revealing Unexpected Tech Hubs
Future cybersecurity pros don’t have to build careers in the country’s most expensive tech hubs. While these cities hold the highest number of cybersecurity jobs, in 2024, they’re being overshadowed by high-speed growth in smaller cities, particularly in the Midwest.
We looked at cities where cybersecurity workers are finding the highest job growth and the biggest wage increases this year and found that professionals looking for cybersecurity employment need not wrestle with the high costs of life on the West Coast.
If they prefer, they can leave their hearts in San Francisco and take their wallets to up-and-coming hotspots like Indianapolis or Cleveland, where a thriving cybersecurity industry awaits them.
Methodology
To pinpoint the top U.S. metros for cybersecurity jobs, we used data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), using two distinct criteria to capture the state of the industry in one particular role: information security analyst. The BLS offers data on jobs by metropolitan area across the U.S. We looked at:
- Job volume: Year-over-year employment growth
- Wage growth: Year-over-year increases in average wages offered in the metro, scored in terms of real wages, adjusted for parity across metros
By scoring on both criteria, we captured a holistic view of the job market in each metro.
We narrowed our analysis to metros with meaningful cybersecurity markets, eliminating metros with less than 500 overall jobs in 2023 (and measuring growth from 2022 to 2023). That eliminated metros with minimal cybersecurity industries and stabilized data so anomalous jumps in small metros wouldn’t distort overall trends.
In the end, the approach balances both wages and job volume, but also small and large metros, evening the playing field to reveal emerging tech hotspots best.
