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← Career choiceGrows with AI

Software & cybersecurity

Every AI system needs to be built, connected and kept safe.

As more work runs on software and AI, the attack surface grows too. Security, cloud and software engineering remain among the fastest-growing roles, while the most junior coding tasks are the most exposed to automation. Aim for depth: security, systems and real projects.

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What the evidence says

The numbers behind this career

Top 5
Software developers and security management specialists are both in the top five fastest-growing roles to 2030.
World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025, Jan 2025
21%
Projected growth for US information security analysts, 2025–35.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2025–35, Aug 2026
No. 2
“Networks and cybersecurity” is the second fastest-growing skill employers name.
World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs Report 2025, Jan 2025

You and AI

What AI takes on, and what stays yours

AI creates demand for these skills.

AI increasingly handles

  • Writing standard code and tests
  • Scanning logs for known threats
  • Generating documentation

Stays human, and grows in value

  • System design and trade-offs
  • Investigating new kinds of attack
  • Owning responsibility when things break

The career ladder

From your first course to a senior role

Typical steps. Titles vary by country and employer, and some roles need a local licence or registration.

  1. 1StudySoftware engineering, cybersecurity, IT, computer engineering
  2. 2First roleJunior developer, SOC analyst, cloud support engineer
  3. 33–5 yearsSoftware engineer, security engineer, DevOps engineer
  4. 4SeniorSecurity architect, engineering manager, CISO

Skills to build

ProgrammingNetworkingCloud platformsSecure codingIncident response

Where it’s in demand

  • Software Engineer is on Australia’s Core Skills Occupation List. Source
  • IT is a shortage field for Germany’s EU Blue Card. Source

Lists change often and are not a promise of a visa. How to use them →

Read next

Guides for this career

9 min readWhat should you study in the age of AI?

AI will change almost every job, but not in the same way. Here is what the evidence says about which subjects grow with AI, which stay human, and which are changing fastest.

Read the article →

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