US cybersecurity job postings fall 26% as AI security engineer demand soars

CyberSN's report shows 235,786 US cybersecurity job postings from January to September 2026, down 26.4% from 320,210 a year earlier. Demand for AI Security Engineer roles jumped 268.3% and Cyber Data Scientist 203.5%, while AI mentions in postings peaked at 20% in September 2026.

• 235,786 postings in Jan–Sep 2026 vs 320,210 a year earlier
• AI Security Engineer demand up 268.3%, Cyber Data Scientist up 203.5%
• AI mentions in postings peaked at 20% in September 2026
• Penetration tester postings fell 45.9%, CISO postings 38.9%