Cyber Security Jobs in the UK 2026: Demand, Salaries & Hiring Data

If you want one place to check what the UK cyber security jobs market actually looks like in 2026 — how many roles are live, what they pay, where the hiring is happening and how wide the skills gap remains — this is it. The figures below are drawn from government, industry and recruitment sources published in 2025 and 2026. We have hedged every estimate, because no single source captures the whole market and definitions vary between them. Treat the numbers as a reasonable snapshot rather than an exact census.

The Short Answer

The UK cyber security workforce is estimated at roughly 143,000 professionals as of the latest DSIT count (2024 data, published 2025), growing around 5% year on year. The dedicated cyber security sector employs about 69,600 full-time-equivalent staff across roughly 2,603 firms and generated around £14.7 billion in revenue in 2025, up about 11% (DSIT/Telecompaper). Demand stays high: UK recruitment trackers rated IT and cyber roles "HIGH" versus the all-occupation average in early 2026 (Learning People). Typical pay runs from about £25,000–£40,000 entry-level to £190,000+ median for a CISO, with the mean UK cyber salary near £55,065 (IT Jobs Watch, early 2026). The estimated unfilled workforce gap has narrowed to roughly 3,800 (DSIT), but skills gaps persist: about 49% of businesses report a basic technical gap. The NCSC remains the lead authority.

How big is the UK cyber security jobs market in 2026?

The headline figures depend on which population you count, so it helps to separate three.

First, the total cyber security workforce — everyone doing cyber work across all sectors. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) "Cyber security skills in the UK labour market 2025" report estimated this at around 143,000 people (2024 data), up roughly 5% on the prior year, with graduate intake rising about 20%.

Second, the dedicated cyber security sector — firms whose core business is cyber. DSIT's Sectoral Analysis 2025 put this at about 69,600 full-time-equivalent jobs across roughly 2,603 active firms (a 20% rise in firm numbers), generating an estimated £14.7 billion in revenue in 2025, up around 11%, with gross value added near £9.1 billion.

Third, live vacancies at any given moment. Vacancy counts move week to week and no source is definitive, but recruitment data through early 2026 consistently rated cyber demand "HIGH". One tracker logged 3,339 unique IT-and-cyber postings across a single quarter, and DSIT found about 83% of cyber employers likely to recruit during 2026.

These figures use different methodologies and reporting years, so do not add them together — the sector employment of ~69,600 is a subset of the broader ~143,000 workforce, and vacancy counts are a separate, more volatile measure.

What do cyber security jobs pay in the UK?

Salaries vary widely by seniority, specialism, clearance and location, but the broad shape is consistent across sources. The mean UK salary for cyber and IT-security roles in early 2026 was reported at about £55,065 — roughly 27% above the national mean (IT Jobs Watch). Entry-level roles typically advertise in the £25,000–£40,000 band, mid-level analysts around £35,000–£60,000, and senior specialists and leaders well into six figures.

The table below gives indicative bands rather than guarantees; actual offers depend heavily on sector, clearance and employer.

A few patterns are worth flagging. Cloud security, AI security and security engineering skills attract clear premiums, and DSIT found 65% of cyber firms expecting AI-skills demand to grow over the following year. Roles requiring UK security clearance (for defence and government work) also tend to pay above the equivalent commercial band. Figures should be read as ranges, not promises — the spread within any single title can be large.

Which UK regions and cities are hiring most?

London remains the single largest market by vacancy volume and pay, but the cyber map is genuinely national, anchored by a handful of clusters.

Cheltenham and Gloucestershire sit at the centre of UK cyber thanks to GCHQ's headquarters and the surrounding ecosystem of defence and intelligence suppliers — BAE Systems Digital Intelligence maintains secure offices in Gloucester for exactly this reason.

Manchester and the North West form the fastest-growing cluster outside the capital. GCHQ opened a Manchester hub in 2019 with plans to grow toward 1,000 staff, and the region hosts 300-plus cyber companies including NCC Group, BAE Systems and BT. Regional projections (which are inherently uncertain) suggest North West cyber roles could expand substantially over the next decade.

Bristol and the South West form a third hub, supported by strong university links and defence proximity.

Regional growth projections come with wide error bars and depend on continued public and private investment, so treat any single forecast cautiously.

How big is the cyber skills gap — supply versus demand?

This is where the 2026 picture is more nuanced than the "huge shortage" headlines suggest. The estimated unfilled workforce gap — the shortfall between roles and available people — has actually narrowed sharply, from around 11,100 in the 2023 DSIT report to roughly 3,500 in 2024 and about 3,800 in the latest figures. So the raw numbers gap is smaller than it was.

The persistent problem is a skills gap rather than a headcount gap. About 49% of UK businesses report a basic technical cyber skills gap, and around 30% report gaps in more advanced areas (DSIT). ISC2's 2025 Workforce Study, drawing on 950-plus UK professionals, found respondents now rank the need for critical skills above the need for more bodies — to the point that ISC2 stopped publishing a single global "gap" number this year. UK respondents cited financial constraints (28%) and difficulty finding qualified candidates (25%) as the leading causes of shortages.

In short: the market needs specific expertise — AI security, cloud security, security engineering, risk management — more than it needs generalists. Diversity also remains a structural weakness, with women making up about 17% of the workforce and only around 12% of senior roles.

What share of cyber security jobs are remote or hybrid?

Flexible working is common but appears to be tightening. ISC2's 2025 study found that over half — about 56% — of cyber professionals globally are in flexible or hybrid arrangements, with 42% saying flexible working is offered. UK-specific behaviour broadly tracks this. However, ISC2 also flagged that some employers are scaling back remote and hybrid options, and that this is having a measurable negative effect on retention and contentment. For job-seekers in 2026, hybrid is still the realistic default for many roles, but fully remote postings — especially for cleared or SOC-floor positions — are less common than during the pandemic peak. Treat advertised "remote" flexibility as something to confirm at offer stage.

Who are the most active cyber security employers in the UK?

Hiring spans government, defence primes, specialist consultancies, the Big Four and a deep bench of vendors and scale-ups. Among the consistently active UK employers:

• BAE Systems (Digital Intelligence) — around 4,500 digital, cyber and intelligence staff across Gloucester, Manchester and London.

• GCHQ — the UK signals-intelligence agency, recruiting across Cheltenham, Manchester and London.

• NCC Group — Manchester-headquartered specialist consultancy and testing firm.

• BT — large in-house security function plus managed services.

• The Big Four (Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG) — substantial cyber advisory practices recruiting at scale.

• Defence and systems integrators such as Raytheon UK and Northrop Grumman, plus a wide vendor field (CrowdStrike, Microsoft, Darktrace and others).

This is not a ranking — vacancy volumes shift constantly — but it reflects where sustained demand has clustered through 2025–2026.

Who regulates and supports UK cyber security?

The lead technical authority is the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, which publishes guidance, runs certification schemes and shapes professional standards. Policy and labour-market research sit with DSIT, whose annual labour-market and sectoral reports underpin much of the data above. The UK Cyber Security Council acts as the professional body, developing chartered standards and career routes. There is no single licensing regime for the profession, so employer requirements (certifications such as CISSP, OSCP, or NCSC-recognised schemes) effectively function as the practical gatekeepers.

Where is the UK cyber jobs market heading?

The direction of travel looks like steady, skills-led growth rather than a headcount free-for-all. Sector revenue and firm counts are rising at a double-digit clip, AI is reshaping required skill sets faster than training can keep up, and demand is concentrating in higher-value specialisms. Barring a sharp macroeconomic shock, expect continued hiring with a premium on cloud, AI and security-engineering expertise — and on candidates who can demonstrate hands-on capability, not just certifications. These are reasonable expectations, not certainties.

Frequently Asked Questions: Cyber Security Jobs in the UK 2026

How many cyber security jobs are there in the UK?

There is no single definitive count. The total cyber workforce is estimated at around 143,000 (DSIT, 2024 data), while the dedicated cyber sector employs about 69,600 full-time-equivalent staff. Live vacancy numbers fluctuate constantly, but demand was rated "HIGH" through early 2026, with roughly 83% of cyber employers planning to recruit during the year.

What is the average cyber security salary in the UK in 2026?

The mean UK salary for cyber and IT-security roles was reported at about £55,065 in early 2026 (IT Jobs Watch), roughly 27% above the national mean. Actual pay ranges widely — from around £25,000–£40,000 at entry level to £190,000-plus median for a CISO — depending on seniority, specialism, clearance and location.

Is there still a cyber security skills gap in the UK?

Yes, but its nature has shifted. The unfilled workforce gap has narrowed to roughly 3,800 (down from 11,100 in 2023), yet a skills gap persists: about 49% of businesses report a basic technical gap and 30% an advanced one. The market now needs specific expertise — AI, cloud and security engineering — more than raw headcount.

Which UK cities have the most cyber security jobs?

London leads on volume and pay. Cheltenham and Gloucestershire form the intelligence and defence core around GCHQ and BAE Systems. Manchester and the North West are the fastest-growing cluster outside the capital, with a GCHQ hub and firms such as NCC Group and BT. Bristol and the South West form a further hub.

Do you need a degree to get a cyber security job in the UK?

Not necessarily. Graduate intake is rising, but many roles weight hands-on capability and recognised certifications (such as CISSP, OSCP or NCSC-aligned schemes) at least as heavily as a degree. Because there is no single licensing regime, employer-specific requirements act as the practical entry criteria, which means apprenticeships and conversion routes remain viable.

Are cyber security jobs remote or office-based in the UK?

Hybrid is the common default. ISC2 found about 56% of cyber professionals globally in flexible or hybrid arrangements. However, some UK employers are scaling back remote options, and cleared or SOC-floor roles are more likely to require on-site presence. Confirm any advertised flexibility before accepting an offer.

Who regulates cyber security careers in the UK?

The NCSC (part of GCHQ) is the lead technical authority, DSIT handles policy and labour-market research, and the UK Cyber Security Council acts as the professional body developing chartered standards. There is no single licensing requirement to practise, so certifications and employer standards play that gatekeeping role in practice.

Summary: The UK Cyber Security Jobs Market in 2026

The UK cyber security market in 2026 is large, growing and increasingly skills-led rather than simply short of people. The total workforce sits near 143,000, the dedicated sector employs about 69,600 across roughly 2,603 firms generating around £14.7 billion, and demand remains "HIGH" with most employers planning to hire. Pay spans roughly £25,000 at entry level to £190,000-plus for a CISO, with clear premiums for AI, cloud and security-engineering skills. The unfilled workforce gap has narrowed to about 3,800, but a persistent skills gap and weak diversity remain the structural challenges. London, Cheltenham and Manchester anchor the hiring map, with the NCSC as the lead authority. All figures are best-available estimates and should be treated as a snapshot, not a forecast.

Ready to act on this data? Browse current openings and set up alerts for the roles, salary bands and locations above at cybersecurityjobs.tech — the UK's dedicated cyber security job board.