US cybersecurity job postings fell to a four-year low in the first nine months of 2026, even as demand for AI-focused security roles surged. Data from CyberSN’s jobs report, compiled from JobSpikr with duplicates removed and mapped to CyberSN’s 45-role taxonomy, show a total of 235,786 postings between January and September 2026. This represents a 26.4% drop compared with 320,210 postings in the same period of 2025. The headline takeaway is a cooling in overall postings alongside a pronounced acceleration in specific AI-related roles.
Among the roles, demand for AI Security Engineers jumped dramatically, up 268.3% year over year, while Cyber Data Scientist roles grew 203.5%. The article notes that these two AI and data-focused positions stand out within the otherwise softer overall market, highlighting a shift in skills demand rather than a simple change in the number of vacancies.
The report is based on CyberSN’s analysis of job postings, categorised by skills rather than by the hiring companies’ job titles, and presented as an indicator of market dynamics rather than a snapshot of individual employers. The source links to a SecurityWeek article for additional detail.