Thanks to AI, but not AI
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Everybody likes a sure bet, especially when faced with worsening uncertainty that makes career planning harder and more stressful. According to the latest employment data from Indeed, as well as business forecasts from DBS, this one profession seems to currently come as close to being one as possible.
Indeed reports that hiring in Cybersecurity has jumped by 57% this year, becoming a somewhat delayed response to the rise of AI and AI-driven security threats to any organisation with an online presence.
Ironically, it pays much better than actual AI jobs do, with the average annual base salary of a Cybersecurity Architect reaching S$129,765 compared to just S$55,761 that an AI Architect receives in Singapore.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, since securing data—especially in major industries like finance, telecommunications, logistics, or public administration—is priceless. With billions of dollars at stake, companies are willing to pay top dollar for top talent to keep their operations safe.
And thanks to ever-smarter AI agents, those threats are evolving. Just last week, Anthropic, one of the main foundational model development companies, reported that hackers affiliated with the Chinese government used its Claude Code tool to devise and automate multiple attacks against foreign targets, including companies, financial institutions, and government agencies.
Fastest-growing tech sector in Singapore
Being both a business and a data center hub, Singapore is home to many regional headquarters of major corporations from around the world, which are storing a treasure trove of sensitive, valuable data here.
In its 2040 forecast report for Singapore, DBS identified Cybersecurity as the fastest growing tech sector in the coming five years (and likely beyond too):
“Cybersecurity is set to lead Singapore’s next growth wave, followed by biotechnology, advanced manufacturing, and data centres.”
According to estimates cited by DBS, Singapore’s cybersecurity market was worth US$4.8 billion last year and is projected to more than double to US$12.4 billion by 2030. The only way is up.
Competition is heating up
While there are more opportunities than before, jobseeker interest in them has risen in tandem with Indeed reporting clicks on cybersecurity postings going up by 77% this year and nearly 140% across the 2022-2025 period.
“This rebound points to a shift towards reinvestment. As companies integrate AI into everyday operations, they’re also realising the need for stronger defences. As Artificial Intelligence adoption deepens across sectors, cybersecurity has evolved from a back-end function to a core part of business resilience.”
Shannon Peter Pang, Indeed spokesperson
The roles seeing the highest demand include cybersecurity engineers, specialists, analysts, consultants, and architects.
Besides the usual communication skills (critical in corporate settings), employers are prioritising information security standards (NIST, ISO 27001), and Python proficiency, emphasising the importance of technical expertise and cross-functional collaboration with non-technical staff.
If you command these, you could aim for a five-figure monthly paycheck and stable employment—or at least a career that’s relatively more stable than many other roles in the IT industry nowadays, as companies are focusing on protecting themselves rather than looking for the “next big thing”.
- Read more stories we’ve written on the latest job trends here.
Also Read: Singapore is running out of engineers, and the consequences are dire
Featured Image Credit: man64/ depositphotos
Last modified: November 21, 2025
About the Author: Chris Peters
