Strong • Lead or Specialist

Information Security Engineer.

Develop and oversee the implementation of information security procedures and policies. Build, maintain and upgrade security technology, such as firewalls, for the safe use of computer networks and the transmission and retrieval of information. Design and implement appropriate security controls to identify vulnerabilities and protect digital files and electronic infrastructures. Monitor and respond to computer security breaches, viruses, and intrusions, and perform forensic investigation. May oversee the assessment of information security systems.

Salary$108,970per year
Openings31,300per year
Growth+7%10 year

Example job titles

BISO (Business Information Security Officer)Cloud Engineer, EngineerInformation Security AuditorInformation Security System EngineerInfrastructure Security EngineerSecurity AnalystSecurity Data ScientistSecurity EngineerSystems Engineer

Why This Rating.

[01]

This role is strong

Security engineers design and build the systems that protect organizations from constantly evolving cyber threats, requiring creative problem-solving in situations that have never been seen before. Their deep knowledge of specific organizational architectures and threat landscapes is hard for AI to replicate. The explosion of AI-powered tools and AI-driven attacks is creating more demand for experts who can architect defenses and oversee automated security systems-making this role a clear beneficiary of AI's rise.

Risks & Opportunities.

[02]
[01] Risks
25%

of cybersecurity teams reported layoffs in 2024[1]

AI-powered vulnerability scanners, automated penetration testing platforms, and cloud-native security tooling are consolidating work that previously required dedicated engineering headcount, smaller teams can now cover more attack surface with fewer engineers [ISC2, Oct 2024]. The entry tier is thinning: junior security engineering roles focused on firewall configuration and routine policy enforcement are being absorbed by managed security service providers and automated platforms, compressing the traditional on-ramp [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sep 2025].

[02] Opportunities
$15,000

annual salary premium for CISSP-certified security engineers[1]

Designing security architecture for AI systems is an emergent specialty with no established playbook, organizations deploying LLMs and ML pipelines need engineers who can threat-model novel attack surfaces like prompt injection, model inversion, and supply chain compromise that automated tools are not yet built to catch [ISC2, Oct 2024]. Every organization faces regulatory accountability for security failures that cannot be delegated to software: engineers who own the architecture and can testify to its soundness command a persistent premium [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sep 2025].

Observed AI Impact.

[03]

AI is starting to automate these

Share of AI conversations where this task is handled solo, with little human involvement.

Troubleshoot security issues
Troubleshoot security and network problems.
89.6% automated
Med usage
Solve security problems
Identify or implement solutions to information security problems.
71.6% automated
Med usage
Build security detection tools
Develop or implement software tools to assist in the detection, prevention, and analysis of security threats.
67% automated
Med usage
Install firewalls/encryption tools
Develop or install software, such as firewalls and data encryption programs, to protect sensitive information.
59.6% automated
Med usage
Provide technical support
Provide technical support to computer users for installation and use of security products.
57.3% automated
Med usage

AI assists but needs guidance

Share of AI conversations where this task is handled collaboratively, with a human steering.

Recommend security enhancements
Recommend information security enhancements to management.
53.1% augmented
Med usage

AI hasn't figured these out

Low or no AI usage recorded for these tasks.

Monitor networks for breaches
Coordinate monitoring of networks or systems for security breaches or intrusions.
No data
Assess security controls
Assess the quality of security controls, using performance indicators.
No data
Scan for vulnerabilities
Scan networks, using vulnerability assessment tools to identify vulnerabilities.
No data
Train staff on security
Train staff on, and oversee the use of, information security standards, policies, and best practices.
No data

Data: Anthropic Economic Index (Jun 2026) · Real-world Claude usage patterns across occupations

How to Adapt.

[04]
[01] Already in this role?

Start by mapping which parts of your current work have been absorbed by automated tooling in the last two years, those are not where to build depth. The work that remains most human is threat modeling novel systems: AI pipelines, zero-trust architecture decisions, and incident response judgment under ambiguity [ISC2, Oct 2024]. Over the next six months, build hands-on experience securing at least one AI system end-to-end, from data pipeline to model serving, since that intersection of ML and security is where demand is outpacing supply [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sep 2025].

“Security engineers who can configure, tune, and validate AI-driven detection systems are among the most in-demand professionals in the field. The skill is not building the model -- it is knowing when the model is wrong and owning the decision to escalate.”

ISC2, Cybersecurity Workforce Study 2024

“We are seeing a shift where organizations want fewer, more senior security engineers rather than larger teams of generalists. The engineers who are thriving are the ones who can operate at the architecture level, who can look at a new AI deployment or a cloud migration and immediately identify the trust boundaries that automated scanners are not designed to evaluate.”

ISC2, Cybersecurity Workforce Study 2024

[02] Thinking of entering?

CISSP or CompTIA CASP+ are the credentials that distinguish candidates in this field, but hiring managers increasingly want to see lab evidence alongside the cert [ISC2, Oct 2024]. Build a home lab: deploy a SIEM, run a penetration test against a controlled environment, and document your methodology. The roles opening fastest are in cloud security and AI system security, so portfolio work demonstrating familiarity with AWS Security Hub, Azure Defender, or LLM threat modeling will carry more weight than general programming projects [U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Sep 2025].

“Employers hiring for information security engineering roles increasingly list AI security, adversarial machine learning awareness, and zero-trust architecture as preferred qualifications alongside traditional network and endpoint defense skills.”

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook

“Employers hiring for information security engineering roles increasingly list AI security, adversarial machine learning awareness, and zero-trust architecture as preferred qualifications alongside traditional network and endpoint defense skills.”

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook

The Career Map.

[05]

The full BLS career track, plus relevant emerging AI-native paths. Click any role to see how to transition to it.

Entry

Computer Programmer

15-1251.00

Risky
Mid-Level

Web Developer

15-1254.00

Risky

Web Designer

15-1255.00

Strong

Web Administrator

15-1299.01

Exposed

Software QA Analyst

15-1253.00

Risky
Senior

Software Developer

15-1252.00

Strong

Database Architect

15-1243.00

Solid

Information Security Analyst

15-1212.00

Strong

AI Security Engineer

✦ Emerging

Cloud Security Architect

✦ Emerging

Lead or Specialist

Information Security Engineer

★ This Role

Computer Systems Architect

15-1299.08

Solid

Data Scientist

15-2051.00

Strong

IT Project Manager

15-1299.09

Solid
Principal

Computer Science Researcher

15-1221.00

Strong