Cyber staff are being passed over for pay rises

Even as attacks rise globally, cyber professionals are missing out on more pay rises than any other technology role.

According to Harvey Nash’s Tech Talent & Salary Report, which surveyed more than 3,600 tech professionals globally (almost 1,400 in the UK), only 23% of UK cyber pros said they received a pay rise last year – slightly below the global average of 29%.

By contrast, 60% of workers in infrastructure/support roles, 60% in DevOps and 55% in AI & ML reported a rise.

Although UK professionals were the most pessimistic about expectations for more pay in 2026, many remained hopeful. Almost three-quarters (71%) of AI & ML professionals, and more than half in infrastructure/support (55%) and software engineering (53%), expected to receive a raise this year compared to 45% in cybersecurity.

[Read more: Exclusive: Are you underpaid (or overpaid)? UK IT salaries benchmarked for 2026]

These factors may explain why nearly half (48%) of UK cyber pros are looking to move jobs in the next 12 months.

Harvey Nash CIO Ankur Anand said the data “should be a wake-up call.”

“We’re asking cybersecurity teams to stand on the front line of business risk, yet too often we’re not matching that responsibility with the reward, progression and operating environment that keeps people in the profession.

“When pay lags the market, workload keeps rising and the role is seen as a blocker rather than an enabler, it’s no surprise that attrition starts to look like the path of least resistance.”

Why are other technologists packing up?

Cyber staff aren’t alone in acknowledging the importance of pay. Fifty-six percent of UK technologists said compensation was the top reason they would consider leaving their role, followed by career progression (38%) and company culture (30%).

[Now read: Follow the money: How tech pay differs across the UK, Germany and the US]

And when these workers do make the decision to leave, there are many factors they think about when looking at where to go next. Money remains on top (76%), but remote working is almost as key (69%). More than half of UK respondents (52%) said they simply wouldn’t accept a role that didn’t offer hybrid working, and 39% would even take a lower salary to work from home more often.

Artificial intelligence

Fears about artificial intelligence also play into concerns about jobs – although not amongst the cyber cohort.

Pay is a more likely reason for cyber staff to be considering a job move than fears around AI: almost two-thirds (61%) say they don’t feel threatened by the technology, the second highest behind leadership-level roles (64%).

On the other hand, staff in QA/testing, data/BI/analytics and product management positions believe their jobs are most at risk from AI.

Despite the well-documented importance of training staff in how to use AI, only a third of UK respondents told Harvey Nash their firms were investing in dedicated AI upskilling. That is versus 20% who said they were expected to self-learn, and 26% still waiting on formal training.

At the same time, three-quarters (76%) said they have access to AI tools and platforms, but only a little over a third (36%) were being given time to experiment and learn with these systems – implying significant AI FOMO, but not much thought given to usability.

It is up to IT leaders to work with their staff to not only assuage these concerns, but to help them see the career opportunities from artificial intelligence.