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Cyber Security Job Market in Australia (2026 Data)

ByRashmi Tharuka

Cyber security is one of the few tech fields in Australia that is still growing fast while the rest of IT slows down. Here is what the official numbers actually say, not the usual “huge demand” line you read everywhere.

How many cyber security jobs exist in Australia

Jobs and Skills Australia tracks this field under “Database and Systems Administrators, and ICT Security Specialists.” As of November 2025, 72,300 people worked in this group.

That is up 10,600 people, or 17.2%, over the past three years. Few occupations in the entire economy grew that fast.

A separate Jobs and Skills Australia article from October 2025 zoomed in further: as of August 2025, 70,900 people worked in this exact group, up 3,300 in a single year. The same article projects 14.2% growth from May 2024 to 2029, more than double the 6.6% growth expected across the whole Australian job market.

Who is hiring

According to Jobs and Skills Australia, the industries hiring the most cyber security professionals are:

  • Professional, Scientific and Technical Services
  • Public Administration and Safety (government)
  • Financial and Insurance Services

That spread matters if you are job hunting. It means you are not limited to tech companies. Banks, government agencies and consulting firms are all actively hiring.

What do cyber security professionals earn

SEEK’s salary data, refreshed September 2026, puts the average annual salary for a Cyber Security Analyst role in Australia between $105,000 and $125,000. That is well above the typical Australian salary.

Location matters too. Canberra pays the highest average at around $120,000 a year, which makes sense given how much government cyber security work is based there.

A quick note on unemployment

Here is something interesting. Jobs and Skills Australia rates unemployment in this occupation group as “above average” compared to other occupations, even with all that growth. That is not a contradiction. This is a broad group that includes database administrators too, and the tech sector went through hiring freezes and restructuring in 2025. Read it as a reminder to specialise and build real skills, not as a sign the field is shrinking. The employment and growth numbers above tell the bigger story.

Can you get visa sponsorship for cyber security roles

Yes, though the naming can trip people up. There is no single occupation called “ICT Security Specialist” on Australia’s Core Skills Occupation List. Instead, you will find the specific job titles:

  • Cyber Security Engineer (ANZSCO 261315)
  • Cyber Security Analyst (ANZSCO 262116)
  • Cyber Security Architect (ANZSCO 262117)

All three sit on the list, which means employer sponsorship through the Skills in Demand visa is on the table. Make sure your job title and duties match one of these codes closely when you apply, since that is what visa assessors check.

If you want the full rundown on how that visa process works now, read our Skills in Demand Visa guide. And if you are still mapping out your first move into Australian IT, our piece on the IT career path most Australians follow is a good place to start, alongside our list of IT recruitment agencies in Australia that place cyber roles.

FAQ

Is cyber security a good career for migrants moving to Australia? Yes. Employment in this group grew 17.2% over three years, salaries average $105,000 to $125,000, and three specific cyber security titles sit on the Core Skills Occupation List for visa sponsorship.

What is the average cyber security salary in Australia? SEEK puts the average Cyber Security Analyst salary between $105,000 and $125,000 a year as of September 2026, with Canberra paying the most.

Is ICT Security Specialist on the skilled occupation list? Not under that exact name. Instead, Cyber Security Engineer, Cyber Security Analyst and Cyber Security Architect are the specific titles listed, each with its own ANZSCO code.

Which industries hire the most cyber security professionals in Australia? Professional and technical services firms, government agencies, and banks and insurers are the three biggest employers, according to Jobs and Skills Australia.

Sources

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