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2:00Careers & Trades
Breaking Into Tech Without a CS Degree
Maya Brown
Career pathway
Cybersecurity Analyst
Defend systems and data by detecting, investigating and responding to security threats.
Typical salary range
$65K – $120K
Median $92,000
Entry $65KExperienced $120K
- Time to qualify
- 1–3 years
- Education
- Certificate
- Outlook
- Very high (32% growth)
- Remote
- Yes
A typical day
What the work actually looks like between nine and five
A representative day combines hands-on work, coordination with a team, documentation, and problem-solving against a deadline.
The pathway
What the route actually looks like, stage by stage
- 1
Learn the fundamentals
Coursework, certificate or the first stage of an apprenticeship.
≈ 6 months
- 2
Get credentialed
Pass the license or certification the role requires.
≈ 6 months
- 3
Work and specialize
Build hours, take the harder jobs, pick a specialty.
≈ 2 years
- 4
Lead or own
Move into supervision, or take the ownership route.
≈ 3 years
Skills that matter
- Networking
- Threat detection
- Incident response
- Scripting
- Clear writing
Credentials
- Security+
- CySA+
The path to ownership
Where this leads if you want to run it yourself
Analyst → senior → security engineer → independent consulting.
Explore training
Where to start, and where the openings are listed
- Education, training and licensing profileO*NET OnLine (U.S. Department of Labor)Training · opens in a new tab
- Find local training programsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)Training · opens in a new tab
- Cybersecurity careers in governmentCISAOpenings · opens in a new tab
- Search current job listingsCareerOneStop (U.S. Department of Labor)Openings · opens in a new tab
Occupation profile at U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (illustrative)
Hear from someone doing it
Clips tagged with this pathway
Demo footage: these clips were recorded for this build, not sourced from a broadcaster.
