Also called: SOC Analyst, Cyber Defense Analyst
Monitors screens of security alerts around the clock and responds to possible attacks.
On a night shift you watch dashboards full of alerts, investigate one strange login from overseas, and lock the account before damage is done. It's the classic first step into cybersecurity.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Associate's degree (2-year), about 2 years after high school. Associate or bachelor's; Security+ and similar certifications.
Ways in: 2-year college, 4-year college, Certification, Military. Training cost: Under $15k.
Majors to look at: Cybersecurity, Information Technology.
Growing much faster than average (about 21% over 10 years). Within BLS information security analysts.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. AI SOC agents now triage most alerts on their own, so tier-1 analyst openings are shrinking; tough cases still go to humans.
Classes: AP Computer Science Principles, Computer applications.
Official data: O*NET occupation 15-1212.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.