No Experience Required: 10 Entry-Level Cybersecurity Jobs

Since the cybersecurity industry is facing global skill scarcity, it is an employee’s market. Even though job postings claim to require specialized skill sets and multiple years of experience, many employers are willing to hire underqualified candidates. On-the-job training has become a necessity in many industries. Here are some of those in-demand entry-level cybersecurity jobs. 

Entry-Level Cybersecurity Analyst 

A junior cybersecurity analyst secures their employer’s digital infrastructure from cyberthreats by monitoring for breaches, developing security strategies and analyzing abnormal network activity. Effectively, they are the first line of defense against cybercriminals. 

The general requirements:

• Education: A bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science or a related field is preferred, but this requirement may be waived if the candidate has equivalent experience, knowledge, expertise or certifications.

• Experience: Many job postings require zero to two years of experience in the field.

• Certification: The CIAC Security Essentials entry-level certification covers a wide range of skills and knowledge. It helps those with a background in information technology transition to cybersecurity. 

• Earnings: New hires can earn between $60,000 and $80,000 annually. A performance bonus of up to 10% of their base salary is standard.

Junior Security Operations Center Analyst

Security operations center (SOC) analysts monitor and analyze cybersecurity alerts. They may conduct investigations, assess risk, remediate incidents or develop security procedures. Junior team members typically work under direct supervision handling low to moderately critical tasks.

The general requirements:

• Education: A bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science or a related field is preferred. However, a formal education is optional in many cases.  

• Experience: Most employers state they want candidates with one to three years of experience but are typically willing to work with people who have less. 

• Earnings: The base salary for a Junior SOC analyst is roughly $85,000 on average, ranging from $57,000 to $101,000. Additional pay goes up to $13,000 annually. 

Entry-Level Cybersecurity Engineer

A junior cybersecurity engineer designs, creates, tests and implements systems to safeguard networks and data from cyberthreats. While this position places an emphasis on security solution development, it also prioritizes monitoring, reporting, maintenance and upgrades.

The general requirements:

• Education: Companies prefer an associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Management Information Systems, Computer Science or a related field. 

• Experience: Generally, one to three years of experience in the field is required. However, companies may be willing to train hires on the job or accept equivalent skills.

• Earnings: Entry-level cybersecurity jobs like this one pay around $79,000 on average annually. With experience, professionals can earn up to $130,000. 

Junior Penetration Tester 

Out of all the entry-level cybersecurity jobs, becoming a junior penetration tester is among the most manageable—businesses may supplement underqualified hires with automation tools like artificial intelligence. These professionals perform tests on applications, websites, cloud infrastructures and devices, simulating cyberattacks to uncover security weaknesses. 

The general requirements:

• Education: A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology or a related field is preferred, but not always mandatory.

• Experience: Although one to three years of experience in the position is often required, this requirement may be waived if the candidate has equivalent expertise.

• Earnings: The base salary for a junior insider threat analyst is over $50,000 on average, ranging from roughly $42,500 to $59,000, depending on skill and experience level. 

Entry-Level Insider Threat Analyst

A junior insider threat analyst works under the direct supervision of a senior team lead to detect, prevent and respond to malicious, negligent or accidental insider threats. They use various manual and automated tools to identify and analyze anomalous activity.

The general requirements:

• Education: While degrees in Cybersecurity, Computer Science and Information Technology can be beneficial, they are usually optional for these kinds of entry-level cybersecurity jobs.

• Experience: Many job postings ask for 0-3 years of experience in the field.

• Certification: Companies may accept a Certified Insider Threat Analyst or Certified Ethical Hacker certification in place of formal training or education. 

• Earnings: New hires earn between $61,200 and $107,000 annually on average.

Junior Cyberthreat Hunter

Cyberthreat hunters gather threat intelligence and respond to unusual activity to mitigate cyberattacks. Their job may involve investigating incidents. They routinely research known and emerging cyberthreats to better understand the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape.  

The general requirements:

• Education: A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity or a related field is preferred, but often not required. 

• Experience: While some experience in red teaming or ethical hacking is ideal, many firms are hiring candidates with no background in security or information technology.

• Earnings: Junior cyberthreat hunters can earn up to $118,163 on average.

Entry-Level Digital Forensics Analyst

Entry-level cybersecurity jobs in digital forensics involve identifying, seizing, analyzing, and preserving digital evidence from ongoing criminal investigations. After a breach, cyberattack or crime, junior professionals work under direct supervision to acquire electronically stored information and document processes for reference during litigation.

The general requirements:

• Education: A bachelor’s degree in Digital Forensics, Computer Science, Criminal Justice or a related field is preferred but may be waived in place of experience.

• Experience: Employers prefer some experience in the field but will accept specialized expertise in communications, forensic examinations or criminal investigations.

• Certification: A GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst certification proves a candidate has the core skills necessary to analyze computer system data and conduct investigations.

• Earnings: A junior digital forensics analyst can earn a base salary of $66,560 on average. 

Junior Cryptanalyst

A cryptanalyst decrypts information despite lacking encryption keys. Their goal is to process intelligence data and analyze ciphertext to identify weaknesses in cryptographic algorithms, develop decryption tools and ensure secure data transmissions. 

The general requirements:

• Education: A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or Cybersecurity is ideal.

• Experience: While businesses often seek highly skilled candidates, the 3.4 million worker shortage in cybersecurity has forced them to lower their standards.

• Earnings: A junior cryptanalyst can earn roughly $80,000 annually. 

Junior Reverse Engineer

A junior-level reverse engineer—also known as a malware analyst—must understand system behaviors and vulnerabilities to develop proof-of-concept exploits. This way, they demonstrate how, where and why hackers could impact an organization. They must document their processes to send detailed reports to clients or supervisors.

The general requirements:

• Education: Job postings often list a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field as necessary. However, expertise is often accepted in its place.

• Experience: Companies often want candidates with experience working with relevant programming languages, network protocols and malware analysis tools. 

• Earnings: New hires can earn anywhere from $72,000 to $167,000, with additional pay raising their salary by up to $5,000. 

Entry-Level Cybersecurity Auditor

A cybersecurity auditor provides an independent review of security and access controls to ensure compliance and safeguard systems. A junior-level employee may test the effectiveness of defenses and provide detailed reports under supervision.

The general requirements:

• Education: An associate’s or bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related field is ideal.

• Experience: Approximately 18% of cybersecurity auditor positions require zero to one year of experience. Another 48% require two to four years. 

• Earnings: A cybersecurity auditor earns a base salary of around $133,000 on average. 

Why You Should Apply Even if You are Underqualified 

For many of these jobs, employers would prefer prospective hires with specialized skill sets, multiple years of experience and several certifications—especially for the salaries they’re paying. However, skill scarcity is a massive problem in the cybersecurity and information technologies fields. Candidates should apply even if they’re underqualified because they have a higher chance of being accepted than normal. 

Since the competition for entry-level cybersecurity jobs—especially in-person positions—is fierce, individuals should consider getting certifications, broadening their knowledge base and working internships. Employers will always pick the person with more expertise, so applicants should give themselves every advantage. This way, they have a much better chance at getting hired in their position of choice at their preferred pay.