Entry-Level Cybersecurity Jobs: How to Land Your First Role

To land an entry-level cybersecurity job, aim for analyst, support or administrator roles, hold a bachelor’s degree if you can, and show proof of skill from an internship, lab or certification. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) lists a bachelor’s degree as typical for information security analysts and projects 21 percent job growth from 2025 to 2035.

What Counts as an Entry-Level Cybersecurity Job?

“Entry level” in cybersecurity is a fuzzy phrase. Some postings use it for roles that need no experience, and others use it for roles that ask for a year or two. Read the requirements, not the label.

The roles people usually mean are junior security analyst, SOC analyst, IT support with security duties, and systems administrator with some security work. The federal wage survey puts analysts in the information security analyst category, with a national median of $129,180 a year.

Another way to think about it is by what you’ll do. BLS lists analyst duties as monitoring networks for breaches, investigating them, maintaining firewalls and encryption software, checking for weak points and writing reports. An entry-level role will give you a slice of that list and some supervision.

Do You Need a Degree to Start in Cybersecurity?

BLS lists a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education for information security analysts, and it says graduate school isn’t required. It doesn’t name a field, so cybersecurity, computer science and IT degrees all fit.

You can find people who started without one, usually through IT support, certifications and a lot of self-study. That path is possible but slower, and it leaves you competing with degree holders for the same postings.

A degree also gives you structure. Programs teach networking, operating systems, risk and security tools in an order that builds, and the better ones add labs or an internship. If you’re deciding on cost, read is a cybersecurity degree worth it next.

Which Degree Level Should You Choose?

Choose by where you are today. With no college credits, an associate degree is the fastest path into an IT or security support role. The median total tuition for the online associate programs we compare is $15,822, and our online associate degrees in cybersecurity list shows what each charges.

With some credits, look for degree-completion programs, which let you transfer what you’ve earned. Our online cybersecurity degree completion programs list covers them.

With a bachelor’s degree in another field, a master’s is the common step. Nearly half of the programs on this site are master’s programs, and the median total tuition is $25,488. Our online cybersecurity degrees for career changers list shows programs that accept students from other backgrounds.

What Does Starting Pay Look Like?

BLS doesn’t publish pay by experience. The closest guide is the lower end of the range for information security analysts: the 10th percentile is $75,090 and the 25th is $97,810.

State matters. The 25th percentile is $123,590 in Washington and $62,870 in Montana. Virginia, Texas, California, Florida and New York employ the most analysts, so they give you the most chances to be hired.

Our entry-level cybersecurity salary page has the state table and shows how to compare an offer with it.

Is IT Support or Systems Administration a Good Way In?

Yes, and it’s one of the most common routes. Network and computer systems administrators have a median of $99,130 a year, and the 25th percentile is $78,010. BLS lists maintaining network and computer system security among their duties, so you start building security experience right away.

The outlook is mixed. BLS projects employment for administrators to decline 4 percent from 2025 to 2035, while it expects about 13,400 openings a year from turnover. Treat the job as a bridge, not a destination, and add security skills while you’re in it.

Our systems administrator salary page has the pay by state, and it explains how an administrator moves into an analyst role.

Which Certifications Help You Get Hired?

Start with CompTIA Security+. CompTIA calls it foundational, lists no required prerequisite and recommends Network+ plus two years of experience in a security or systems administrator role. The exam has a maximum of 90 questions and runs 90 minutes.

The ISC2 Systems Security Certified Practitioner (SSCP) is the next step for people with at least a year in security operations. The EC-Council CEH suits people who want offensive skills, and our CEH guide covers it.

Many degree programs build certification preparation into coursework. Thirty-four programs we compare name Security+ preparation. Our online cybersecurity degrees with certifications list shows them. That saves you the cost of separate prep courses and keeps your study in one place.

How Do You Show Skill When You Have No Experience?

Employers want to see that you can do the work. A few things carry weight.

Internships are the strongest, because they’re real work. Forty-nine programs we compare list an internship or similar experience, and a handful require one. Hilbert College’s bachelor’s and the University of Maine at Augusta’s bachelor’s require internships. American National University’s master’s requires 50 hours of practicum training each term.

Labs and projects come next. The University of Maryland Global Campus bachelor’s has a Virtual Security Lab, and Norwich University’s bachelor’s partners with Hack The Box. Write up what you do. A short report on a vulnerability you found is a portfolio piece.

Certifications round it out. Together, these three give a hiring manager a picture of what you can do.

Which Programs Build Experience Into the Degree?

Some programs go further than a single internship. The SANS Technology Institute bachelor’s is a degree-completion program with hands-on courses, a portfolio practicum and the chance to earn 9 GIAC certifications. West Virginia Junior College lists a 90-hour externship in the last quarter of its associate program.

Northcentral Technical College’s associate program includes an IT internship course in the fourth term, and Pikes Peak State College’s associate program lists a three-credit internship.

Our online cybersecurity degrees with internships list shows every program with an internship or similar experience, so you can filter for it. If a program doesn’t have one, ask what else it offers, such as a capstone or lab.

What If You’re Changing Careers From Outside IT?

You have more options than you might think. Plenty of programs accept a bachelor’s degree in any field. Mercyhurst University’s online master’s takes a bachelor’s in any discipline, and it doesn’t require prior programming experience. Excelsior University’s bachelor’s and master’s also don’t require it.

Our online cybersecurity degrees with no programming list covers programs that don’t ask for coding as a condition of admission. Some still teach scripting in the coursework, so check the course list.

Your earlier career is an asset. Someone from healthcare knows how sensitive records are handled, and someone from finance knows how audits work. Those backgrounds fit compliance and risk roles, where security work meets rules and process. Our online cybersecurity policy and law degrees list shows programs aimed at that side of the field.

Expect to start lower on the pay range than you would in your old field, and expect the climb to depend on how quickly you build technical proof. Tell that story plainly in applications.

What Help Exists for Veterans and Service Members?

Some programs publish military pricing, which can change the cost of getting started. Twenty-two programs we compare list a military rate. West Virginia University’s master’s in business cybersecurity management lists a $100 per credit hour discount for current and former service personnel and takes part in the Yellow Ribbon program for graduate study.

The University of New Haven’s cyber risk management master’s offers a 50 percent tuition discount to public safety personnel. Our online cybersecurity degrees for military list shows the programs that publish a rate or discount.

Check each school’s veterans office before you commit. Rates and benefits change, and the school’s page is the final word.

Which Formats Work While You Hold a Job?

Flexibility decides whether you finish. Asynchronous programs let you study when it suits you, with no set class times. Excelsior University’s bachelor’s is asynchronous with 8-week terms. Western Governors University’s bachelor’s is asynchronous with six-month terms where you complete as many courses as you can.

Other programs run on terms with more structure, which some people prefer for accountability. Hallmark University’s master’s has 8-week terms and six start dates a year, and Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota’s master’s has six start dates a year as well.

Our online cybersecurity degrees for working adults list covers programs built around a job. If you need to start soon, the multiple start dates list helps.

How Do You Choose Between Roles?

Early on you don’t have to commit. A first job teaches you what you like. Still, it helps to know the main branches.

Monitoring and response roles suit people who like a steady flow of problems. Testing roles suit people who enjoy breaking things on purpose, and BLS has no separate category for them. Compliance roles suit people who like documentation and rules, and compliance officers have a median pay of $80,730. Administration and engineering roles suit people who like building and fixing systems.

Pay differs by branch, but fit matters more at the start. A role you enjoy teaches you faster, and the skills transfer. Our what can you do with a cybersecurity degree guide maps the paths in more detail.

What Mistakes Slow Down a First Job Search?

Applying only to roles titled “analyst” is one. Many starting jobs have other names, such as help desk, IT technician or junior administrator. If a role touches security duties, it’s worth a look.

Relying on a certification alone is another. It helps, but employers want to hear how you’ve used the skills. Prepare a story for each credential.

Ignoring location is a third. Pay and openings differ across states, and remote policies differ by employer. Check your state’s wage table and the number of analysts it employs before you decide where to focus.

Another is skipping the follow-up. After an interview, a short note that names one thing you learned about the team’s work keeps you in mind, and it shows the communication skills analysts use every day.

Finally, don’t wait until graduation to start. Internships, labs and certifications take time, and the earlier you begin, the more you’ll have to show.

How Should You Plan Your First Year?

Pick a target role and a target state. Then work backward.

In the first months, build fundamentals, whether through a degree, a certificate or self-study. Add Security+ preparation as soon as you’re comfortable with networking and operating systems.

Along the way, get hands-on. Join a lab, take an internship or build a home project, and write up what you learn. Apply for support and junior roles while you finish, since many employers hire students.

When you’re ready to compare programs, start with our best online cybersecurity degrees list. If cost is your main concern, the cheapest online cybersecurity degrees list sorts by price.