According to a recent analysis by CyberSN, job postings in the cybersecurity sector within the United States experienced a striking decline of 26.4% year-over-year from January to September 2026. This downturn has raised eyebrows in the industry, as it marks the lowest number of cybersecurity roles advertised in the four years that CyberSN has been conducting its analysis.
The total number of cybersecurity roles posted on the job market intelligence platform JobSpikr in 2026 stood at 235,786. In stark contrast, data from previous years reveals that in 2023 there were 273,498 postings, 244,911 in 2024, and a notable 320,210 roles advertised in 2025. This substantial drop in available positions has sparked questions about the current demand for cybersecurity professionals.
The decline was particularly pronounced in leadership roles. Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) postings saw a dramatic fall from 4,632 in the period from January to September 2025 to just 2,832 in the same timeframe for 2026, translating to a staggering 38.9% reduction. This trend of decreased leadership postings extended to other critical roles, including cybersecurity director, which saw a 32.5% drop, and cybersecurity manager, with a reduction of 24.4%. The cybersecurity lead position experienced the most significant decline of 41%.
Overall, of the ten cybersecurity functions that were monitored by CyberSN, nine experienced fewer postings in 2026 compared to 2025. The only exception to this trend was research roles, which surprisingly grew by 26.1%. The report, published on October 16, suggested that while the sharp decline in job postings raises concerns, it remains unclear if this trend indicates a faltering demand for cybersecurity professionals or if it simply represents a return to more typical levels following the robust hiring in 2025.
The report highlighted that job postings across the three quarters tracked in 2026 maintained a steady range, remaining within 1.5% of one another. Researchers noted, “That is consistent with demand having settled at a lower level rather than continuing to fall.” This observation suggests that while the market has stabilized, it has settled into a less vigorous position than before.
Notably, a significant portion of job postings in 2025 emerged from small businesses with 200 or fewer employees, accounting for 39.9% of the total. Large firms with 1,001 or more employees were responsible for nearly half (47.3%) of the postings, while businesses with 201 to 1,000 employees made up 12.7% of the market.
### AI Security Engineer Postings Surge
Amid these trends, there has been an extraordinary surge in postings for AI security engineers, categorized within the cybersecurity function labeled “defense” by CyberSN. During the first three quarters of 2026, these roles jumped by an astonishing 268.3% when compared to the same period in 2025. This remarkable growth reflects an increasingly urgent need for professionals adept in the intersection of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.
Interestingly, the incidence of job postings that specify AI or machine learning as a requirement remained relatively stable between 2026 and 2025, with 14.6% in 2026 compared to 15.1% in the previous year. The consistent demand for these skills amid an overall decline in other cybersecurity roles may indicate a strategic pivot by employers towards more specialized and technologically advanced positions.
Furthermore, the month of September 2026 witnessed a substantial uptick in cyber data scientist postings, which numbered 667 compared to only 247 in August of the same year. A promising statistic from the roles posted in 2026 is that a remarkable 88% of these positions mentioned AI in the job description, underscoring the growing significance of artificial intelligence in shaping the future landscape of cybersecurity.
In summary, while the overall cybersecurity job market in the U.S. appears to be softening in some areas, there is a clear, emergent trend favoring roles rooted in artificial intelligence and data science. The industry is watching closely as these dynamics develop, weighing the implications for both job seekers and employers in the evolving landscape of cybersecurity.