Entry Level Cybersecurity Jobs: How to Get One
Entry level cybersecurity jobs are the roles that take people with little or no security experience: most often SOC analyst (Tier 1), IT help desk or support moving into security, junior GRC analyst and vulnerability management. You get one by combining three things: a basic IT foundation, one recognised entry certification, and practical work you can describe in an interview.
Pay context: the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median of $129,180 a year for information security analysts (May 2025), with the lowest-paid tenth under $75,090. Check any role against the Cybersecurity Salary Explorer.
Updated 3 November 2026
Which jobs count as entry level?
Security job titles are not standard, so read the duties, not the title. These are the routes most beginners take, from most to least common as a first security job.
| Role | What you do | Good first step if you |
|---|---|---|
| SOC analyst, Tier 1 | Watch alerts, decide what is real, escalate with notes. | Like detective work and can handle shifts. Full guide. |
| Help desk / IT support | Fix accounts, devices and access; often the first line for phishing reports. | Have no IT work yet and want a way in. BLS projects support specialist employment to decline 3 percent from 2025 to 2035, so treat it as a stepping stone. |
| Junior GRC / compliance analyst | Collect evidence, track risks, support audits against frameworks. | Prefer writing, process and policy to consoles. |
| Vulnerability management analyst | Run scans, triage findings, chase fixes with system owners. | Know systems administration. |
| Security administrator | Run firewalls, endpoint tools and access controls. | Are a sysadmin or network admin already. |
Penetration testing, incident response lead roles and security engineering are usually second or third jobs. Employers want evidence you can work a system before they let you break or defend it.
What hiring managers screen for
- A technical base: networking basics (IP, DNS, ports), an operating system you can explain (Windows and Linux logs), and an identity concept or two (MFA, least privilege).
- One recognised entry certification named in the job ad. See the certifications guide or the roadmap.
- Proof you did something: a described investigation, risk assessment or lab, with what you found and what you would do next.
- Communication: a clear written escalation note matters more than most beginners expect, because junior staff mostly hand work to others.
- Reliability signals: a tidy CV, honest scope of claims, and the ability to say "I don't know, here is how I would find out".
Degree, certifications or bootcamp?
The BLS lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for information security analysts, and many employers accept experience or certifications in its place. A short comparison:
| Route | Helps most with | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Degree (cybersecurity or computing) | Graduate programmes, government, consulting, internships. | Time and cost; check it includes hands-on work. |
| Entry certification | Passing CV screens that name an exam. | An exam alone proves recall, not skill. |
| Bootcamp or course | Structure and deadlines. | Ask for how graduate hiring is measured and the total price. |
| Hands-on labs and projects | Interview answers you can show. | Only counts if you can explain what you did. |
Cyber security internships
Search company career pages and your university careers service for security intern, SOC intern and co-op roles. Large employers often open applications in the autumn or winter for the following summer, and many internships require current student status. If you are not a student, look at apprenticeships, charity or open-source security volunteering, and help desk roles at employers with a security team. Treat an internship as an interview for a graduate role: ask who owns hiring and what the conversion process is.
A 90-day plan using free practice
- Days 1 to 30, base. Learn networking and one OS to the point you can explain a failed login in the logs. Work through the free courses in the learning library.
- Days 31 to 60, practice. Do the SOC practice labs: SOC Log Triage Trainer, SOC Case Triage Lab and the SOC arcade game. After each, write three lines: what the alert was, how you decided, what you escalated.
- Days 61 to 90, proof and applications. Pick your entry certification and book it. Turn your lab notes into CV bullets and check them with Resume Review. Rehearse with interview prep. Apply to ten to twenty roles a week across SOC, help desk and GRC.
PlayCISO is not a certification body. The labs give you practice and notes you can talk about, not a credential.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best entry level cybersecurity jobs?
The roles that most often take people with little or no security experience are SOC analyst (Tier 1), IT help desk or support moving toward security, junior GRC or compliance analyst, vulnerability management analyst, and security administrator. Penetration testing and incident response are usually second jobs, not first jobs. Which one fits depends on whether you prefer investigating alerts, working with policy and evidence, or fixing systems.
Can I get a cybersecurity job with no experience?
It is possible but rarely direct. Most people show some proof first: IT or support work, an internship, a recognised entry certification, and practical work they can describe, such as investigated alerts or a written risk assessment. Employers hiring for "entry level" often still ask for one to two years of related experience, so apply to adjacent IT roles in parallel.
Do I need a degree for cybersecurity?
Not always, but it helps. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for information security analysts. Many employers accept equivalent experience or certifications in place of a degree, particularly for SOC and help desk roles. A degree matters more for government, consulting and large-employer graduate programmes.
Are cybersecurity certifications worth it for beginners?
One recognised entry certification is worth having because job ads commonly name it and it helps you pass screening. More than one before you have any hands-on work is usually a poor use of money. Pick the exam by target role with the certification roadmap, and see the certifications guide for costs.
How do I find cyber security internships?
Search for "security intern", "SOC intern" and "information security co-op" on company career pages and your university careers service, and apply in the autumn and winter for the following summer, because large employers fill internships early. Many internships are open to current students only. If you are not a student, look for apprenticeships, volunteer security work for a charity, or a help desk role at a company with a security team.
Is cybersecurity hard to get into?
The entry route is competitive because many people apply for the same few junior roles and employers want proof of skill. It is easier if you can show practical work. BLS projects employment of information security analysts to grow 21 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than most occupations, but growth in a field does not guarantee a role for a person with no evidence of ability.
Are cybersecurity bootcamps worth it?
It depends on what is included. Check whether the programme gives you graded, hands-on work you can show, whether it has a verifiable record of graduates getting hired (ask for the data and how it is measured), and the total price. A bootcamp does not replace a certification employers name, and cheaper hands-on practice is available for free.
What should I put on a cybersecurity CV with no experience?
Lead with a short profile naming the role you are targeting, then proof: certifications with dates, hands-on labs or projects described by what you did and found, relevant IT work, and tools you have used. Keep claims checkable. Resume Review on PlayCISO gives feedback on a draft before you apply.