Explore career options in cyber security
Here you can find information on the types of careers and employment pathways available within cyber security or information technology (networks and security).
You can also discover where to look for job vacancies, as well as professional associations, mentoring and international opportunities.
Opportunities
Studies within cyber security opens diverse and promising career pathways across various industries. Graduates can pursue roles such as information security analyst, responsible for protecting an organisation’s computer systems and networks from cyber-attacks. They might become ethical hackers, identifying and fixing security vulnerabilities, or cybersecurity consultants, advising businesses on best practices and security strategies. Other potential positions include security software developer, incident responder and network security engineer. With the increasing reliance on digital technologies, opportunities in government, healthcare, finance, and tech companies are particularly abundant, and the demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals is expected to continue growing rapidly.
Career fields
- Network security
- Application security
- Cloud security
- Cyber threat intelligence
- Digital forensics
- Incident response
- Penetration testing
- Governance, risk, and compliance
- Security architecture
- Industrial control systems security
- Identity and access management
Employment roles
- Information security analyst
- Security operations center analyst
- Penetration tester (ethical hacker—junior)
- IT security specialist
- Cybersecurity consultant (junior)
- Network security administrator
- Incident response analyst
- Security systems administrator
- Cybersecurity technician
- Risk analyst
- DevOps engineer
- Security architect
- Penetration tester
Occupation snapshot
Employed
64,500
Part-time share
8%
Weekly earnings
$2,228
Future demand
Very strong
This data is based on the occupation profile for ICT security specialists, retrieved from the Government's Jobs and skills Australia website August 2024.
Your employability
In addition to knowledge and skills directly related to your program of study, you will also develop a range of other skills such as teamwork, analytical, communication through academic study, employment, voluntary work, sporting and recreational activities and life experience.
Recognising the value employers place on these skills is an important factor in your graduate job search. You can further develop your employability with these resources:
Vacancies
Information on relevant vacancies can be found in a wide range of sources:
- CareerHub
- Seek IT jobs
- Prosple (formerly Grad Australia)
- GradConnection
- City of Gold Coast Jobs
- Brisbane City Council vacancies
- NSW Government Jobs
- Ethical Jobs
- Hays Cyber Security Jobs
- Australian Signals Directorate
- Australian Government Jobs
Discipline-related resources
- How to get into cyber security
- Australian Cyber Security Strategy
- There’s job security in cyber security
Job application resources
Craft a stand-out resume and cover letter, and learn how to prepare for job interviews.
Approach potential employers
Many work opportunities are not advertised, so we recommend approaching potential employers with the aim of researching their needs and how your skills, experience, interests and qualifications could match theirs.
This is called informational interviewing and will benefit you by:
- clarifying your specific career direction
- enhancing your professional network
- increasing your chances of being offered a job.
Industry outlook
The Your Career website includes helpful information such as job descriptions, employment prospects, average weekly earnings and skills requirements. Every job title in the database has a skills section to help you identify and describe essential skills for your future career.
The My Future website also has job descriptions and a useful career insight section.
The Quality Indicators for Learning and Teaching website has up-to-date information on graduate salaries, especially the Graduate Outlook Survey (GOS) National Report, which contains undergraduate salary figures.
More detailed information is available at the Labour Market Insights portal.
Professional associations
Joining a professional association is a great way to interact with people in your field who can assist you to explore your career options and potentially find employment opportunities. These associations hold regular professional development and networking events:
- Australian Information Security Association
- Australian Computer Society
- Information Technology Professionals Association
Students are welcome to join and often receive a discount on their membership.
Mentoring
The award-winning Industry Mentoring Program provides an excellent opportunity to further develop your employability and build professional networks.
The program is available to students with more than 80CP as well as recent graduates.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned with the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals ( SDGs ) and is committed to fostering quality education and a more equitable and just society, where everyone has a chance to thrive while fostering partnerships for the goals.
Further careers information
Careers counselling
Individual career counselling sessions are available to all current students and recent graduates.
You can book an initial appointment via CareerHub.
Career planning
Our website has an array of career planning resources you can explore at any stage of your student journey.
Career Readiness
Check out our Career Readiness site in Learning@Griffith for additional information and resources for your career development learning:
Similar career options
Please note: The content on this webpage is a guide only. Please refer to degree-specific information and accreditation requirements of your profession on the Degree and Course Finder website and with the relevant professional accreditation body for your degree.