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Want stability in the long run then cybersecurity is your answer. But, if you want to go with a fast pace field then AI is your best bet. Both are the career that show promising demand in the next ten years, so you don’t really have to pick a side. If you want to master one, other will naturally follows.
Let’s get into more depth and see what would be the best course of action for you.
Ask what careers would be most in demand in next 10 years, and tech gets named first. It’s understandable but it isn’t the full picture. As per US Bureau of Labor Statistics total US employment expects to grow just 3% from 2024 to 2034. Also, healthcare and social assistance drives up to 40% of this growth. newsnationnownewsnationnow
Despite this slow backdrop, a few jobs stand out. For instance, wind turbine service technicians lead the fastest-growing list at 50%, data scientists grow 34%, and information security analysts rank fifth at 29%. newsnationnow
The global view agrees. As per World Economic Forum survey for its Future of Jobs Report 2025 AI and big data, networks and cybersecurity, and technological literacy are expected to be the top three fastest-growing skills. weforumweforum
So the two careers you’re comparing sit at the top of the same list.
Start with the hard numbers. BLS projects that information security analyst jobs will grow 29% from 2024 to 2034, which it rates much faster than average. The same page puts median pay at $124,910 in May 2024. About 182,800 people held these jobs in 2024, and roughly 16,000 openings are expected each year. Department of Labor Logo United States Department of Labor +3
Put 29% next to the 3% growth for the whole economy. That gap is the story.
Why does demand hold up? Breaches are expensive no matter what the economy is doing. IBM’s 2025 report found the average cost of a breach for U.S. companies hit a record $10.22 million, while the global average was $4.44 million. When one incident can cost that much, a security salary starts to look like a bargain. cyberscoop
Here’s the part many articles skip. The 2025 ISC2 workforce study surveyed 16,029 cybersecurity practitioners and decision-makers. It found 95% reported at least one skills gap on their team, and 59% called those gaps critical or significant, up from 44% in 2024. Notably, ISC2 did not publish a global workforce gap estimate this time, because respondents stressed specific skills over team size. digitalskills.mdia.gov.mt +2
In plain terms, the demand is real, but employers want people who can do cloud security, incident response and similar work. Showing up isn’t enough.
AI’s numbers are bigger, and they move faster. PwC’s 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer analysed more than one billion job ads across 27 countries and territories. It found jobs requiring specific AI skills are growing about eight times faster than the total jobs market, 69% versus 9%. It also found the average wage premium for AI skills rose to 62%, up from 57% last year. AI reshapes global labour market into two distinct paths, rewarding human skills: PwC 2026 Global AI Jobs Barometer +2
That premium isn’t spread evenly. It runs as high as 118% in some sectors, like consumer markets, and as low as 16% in government and public sector work. Where you work matters almost as much as what you know. prnewswire
On the research side, BLS lists computer and information research scientists with 20% projected growth from 2024 to 2034 and a median wage of $140,910. These are specialist roles, so expect advanced degrees to matter. stevens
“AI career” also isn’t one job. It covers machine learning engineers, data scientists, AI product managers, and a growing number of ordinary jobs that now list AI skills as a requirement. That flexibility is a plus. It also makes the path blurrier than cybersecurity’s.
Most “versus” articles miss this angle: the two fields feed each other.
In the ISC2 study, 73% of respondents believe AI will create more specialized cybersecurity skills. AI was the most-cited critical skill at 41%, ahead of cloud security at 36%. csoonlinecsoonline
IBM’s numbers point the same way. Security teams using AI and automation extensively saved $1.9 million per breach on average. Meanwhile, breaches involving heavy use of unsanctioned “shadow AI” cost an extra $670,000 on average. northdoornorthdoor
So AI isn’t replacing security jobs. It’s creating a new kind of them. Someone has to secure the models, the data and the tools employees quietly sign up for. That person needs both skill sets.
| Cybersecurity | AI | |
| Demand signal | Much faster than average growth (BLS) | AI-skill job postings outgrowing the market (PwC) |
| Pay signal | Strong, steady median salary | Large wage premium that varies by industry |
| Path in | Often starts in IT, networking or help desk | Varies: data, engineering, product or research |
| Main risk | Employers want specific skills, not generalists | Roles and tools change quickly |
| Best for | People who like investigating and defending | People who like data, building and experimenting |
Neither path is a free ride.
Cybersecurity. BLS notes that information security analysts may need work experience in a related occupation, so many people don’t land here on day one. Teams can also be stretched thin. 33% of ISC2 respondents said their organization lacks the resources to staff its team adequately. Short-staffed teams usually mean heavy workloads. blscsoonline
AI. Entry-level roles are harder to get than the hype suggests. PwC found that AI-exposed entry-level U.S. roles are seven times more likely to require traditionally senior skills. Tools also change fast, so what you learn this year may look different in two. letsdatascience
Here’s my honest take.
Pick cybersecurity if you like solving puzzles, tracing what went wrong, and you want a path with a clear ladder. Pick AI if you enjoy math, data or building things, and you’re comfortable with a field that rewrites itself every year.
Not sure yet? Build a base in IT or data fundamentals first. Then specialize. If you want a single safe spot in either field, look at the overlap, where AI meets security. Demand there should stay strong because both fields push it up.
Reading the numbers is step one. Acting on them is step two.
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If you want the safest answer to which career will be more in demand over the next 10 years, cybersecurity has the clearer, steadier numbers. If you want the bigger upside and can handle change, AI offers more. The smartest move is to learn enough of both that you’re hard to replace in either.
Cybersecurity usually has a clearer entry route through IT, networking or help desk work. AI has more entry points but a blurrier path, and PwC’s data shows entry-level AI-exposed jobs now ask for more experience.
The evidence says no. ISC2’s analysis said AI is viewed as less of a threat to the workforce than expected, with many professionals seeing it as a chance to advance. meritalk
Health care is the big one, since BLS data shows it driving nearly 40% of projected job growth. Skilled trades like wind turbine service technicians also rank near the top for growth.
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