It’s not just a buzzword anymore — the cybersecurity talent shortage has become one of the most pressing challenges in the global tech landscape, and 2025 is set to make the gap even wider. Whether it’s a ransomware attack on a hospital in Berlin or a data breach in a London-based fintech firm, the demand for cybersecurity professionals is rising across Europe, the UK, and the US — faster than educational institutions or traditional recruitment can keep up with. According to (ISC)², the global cybersecurity workforce needs to grow by over 3.4 million professionals to meet current demand. In the UK alone, the Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2024 report found that over 50% of businesses lack basic cybersecurity skills in-house, while 37% of UK cyber roles are considered “hard to fill.” This crisis has opened up an unexpected window of opportunity: people with no prior tech background are being welcomed — even fast-tracked — into cybersecurity roles through alternative learning paths like bootcamps, micro-credentials, and work-based training. If you’re considering a career switch or looking to future-proof your job prospects, the time to pivot into cyber is not “some day” — it’s now.
While traditional university degrees still have their place, they are no longer the fastest or most relevant route to entering the cybersecurity job market — especially in regions where economic pressure and evolving tech demands require faster workforce onboarding. In the EU, for example, the ENISA Threat Landscape 2024 report warned of a steep rise in both cyberattacks and a shortage of personnel able to respond to them. The EU Commission has since announced a series of initiatives under the European Cybersecurity Skills Academy, encouraging non-traditional candidates to step in. Simultaneously, the UK’s National Cyber Strategy has allocated over £2.6 billion to strengthen the country’s cyber resilience — a good chunk of which is being funneled into bootcamps, certifications, and skills-focused programmes. On the other side of the Atlantic, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics continues to project a 32% job growth rate for information security analysts between now and 2032 — over six times the average growth rate for all occupations.
What makes this era unique isn’t just the volume of available jobs — it’s how accessible they’ve become. Cybersecurity bootcamps are now shorter, more targeted, and more flexible than ever before. Whether delivered online, hybrid, or through partnerships with tech employers, many are designed to take learners from beginner to job-ready in under six months. Unlike traditional degrees, these programmes prioritise hands-on learning — threat modelling, penetration testing, digital forensics, SOC monitoring — and often come with career support, real client projects, or even job guarantees. Yet, despite their growing popularity in the US, bootcamps in the UK and EU are still under-reported — especially in mainstream career change content. This is where you can gain an edge. If you’re in the UK, for instance, cybersecurity bootcamps endorsed by the Department for Education can be completed in 12 to 16 weeks — with alumni moving into roles that pay an average of £34,000–£41,000 per year in entry-level positions, and £55,000–£70,000+ with 2+ years of experience.
Cybersecurity Job Roles, Salaries, and Hiring Demand in the UK & EU (2025)
Job Title
Typical Salary (UK)
Typical Salary (EU)
Experience Level
Hiring Demand
Notes
£26,000 – £35,000
€30,000 – €38,000
Entry-Level (0–1 yrs)
Very High
Most common starting role. Fortray’s programme begins here.
SOC Analyst (Level 1)
£32,000 – £42,000
€35,000 – €45,000
Entry-Level (0–1 yrs)
Extremely High
UK has 3,400+ open SOC roles. EU shortage is growing fast.
Junior Penetration Tester
£40,000 – £55,000
€45,000 – €60,000
1–2 years
Moderate
Requires offensive tools knowledge — Fortray trains for this.
Cybersecurity Analyst
£45,000 – £60,000
€50,000 – €65,000
1–3 years
High
Strong growth in compliance and risk-based roles.
£50,000 – £65,000
€55,000 – €70,000
1–3 years
High
Azure and AWS skills give candidates an edge — covered in Fortray’s course.
GRC Analyst
£40,000 – £52,000
€45,000 – €55,000
1+ years
High
In-demand due to rising regulatory pressure across UK/EU.