Is a degree in cybersecurity worth it?

With data quickly becoming one of the most valuable commodities in the world, the growing need to protect this complex asset means new career opportunities for those ready to face the challenge.

If you're an analytical thinker excited about the idea of helping keep people and businesses safe, a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity may be the first step.

Discover the benefits and potential salaries associated with earning a bachelor's in cybersecurity degree so that you can determine if pursuing one is worthwhile for you.

What is a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity?

A bachelor's degree in cybersecurity is a four-year undergraduate program that provides you with a technical foundation in information technology, cybersecurity, and digital forensics. Additionally, most programs include an introduction to the coding and programming languages needed to succeed, such as Python, JavaScript, SQL, and C+.

While prior programming knowledge is helpful, it is not a prerequisite. If you're interested, you only need a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) equivalent and an interest in better understanding how to protect network systems and combat digital threats.

Some examples of courses included in this degree program may include:

• Ethical hacking
• Computer forensics
• Security law and ethics
• Cryptography

Benefits of a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity

With a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity, graduates could:

• Gain a direct pathway to a job with a cybersecurity firm that focuses on providing third-party data protection services to outside companies
• Earn the knowledge base needed to start a career as an ethical hacker for a private or government agency like the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), National Security Agency (NSA), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• Begin building the experience necessary to explore senior-level positions like cybersecurity engineer, security architect, or chief information security officer (CISO)
• Develop the educational framework needed to explore more specialized career niches within cybersecurity, such as cloud security, malware specialist, digital forensics, and incident responder

How much money can you make with a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), information security analysts — a job open to graduates of a bachelor's in cybersecurity program — earn a median annual salary of $120,360 as of May 2023. As an entry-level position requiring less than five years of experience, this may be attractive to interested applicants.

However, as nearly every industry and company utilizes sensitive data, a bachelor's degree in cybersecurity opens up many other career opportunities as well. While each company may label these roles differently, standard job titles include cybersecurity analyst, network security engineer, penetration tester, digital forensic analyst, application security engineer, and information security analyst.

The earning potential within the industry for these positions is heavily dictated by an individual's knowledge base, experience, and overall skill level.