Cybersec is a thankless job: expanding workload and shrinking pay packet
Cybersecurity professionals faced stagnant wages in 2025 despite growing workloads and rising cyber threats, according to Harvey Nash recruitment data. The pay stagnation, especially acute in the UK, contrasts with salary increases in other tech fields and is contributing to low job satisfaction and high burnout. Experts warn that underappreciating cyber teams creates long-term business risks, even as AI and evolving threats increase demands. The field is now in an employer-driven market, with many professionals staying in roles due to uncertainty rather than opportunity.
- ▪71% of cybersecurity professionals globally saw no salary increase in 2025, compared to 45% of all tech workers receiving raises.
- ▪In the UK, 77% of security staff received no pay rise, the highest rate of stagnation among tech disciplines.
- ▪Cybersecurity teams face growing responsibilities due to AI-driven threats, legacy systems, and distributed work environments.
- ▪Despite being among the most in-demand tech roles, cybersecurity professionals rank in the bottom three for workplace satisfaction.
- ▪Harvey Nash's CIO warns that treating security as a cost center rather than a strategic function risks talent attrition and increased organizational exposure.
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Security 14 Cybersec is a thankless job: expanding workload and shrinking pay packet 14 Global recruitment giant says 71% of human firewalls saw wages stagnate last year as threats and responsibilities grew Connor Jones Mon 27 Apr 2026 // 12:22 UTC Cybersecurity professionals were the most overlooked workers in IT when it came to pay rises in 2025, according to new figures from recruiter Harvey Nash. The trend was especially stark in the UK, where 77 percent of all security staff saw no salary increase, although the pattern was observed globally too with 71 percent of infoseccers experiencing wage stagnation.
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