- Courses and training
- Bootcamps and certs
- Schools and degrees
- Job outlook
- Program listings
- Related resources
This guide covers everything about cybersecurity in San Jose. It is an overview of educational opportunities, bootcamps, employment facts, and job openings in San Jose, California.
San Jose is the largest city in Silicon Valley, the world’s preeminent technology and innovation hub. The city is rightly nicknamed the “Capital of Silicon Valley.” So, it’s unsurprising that this metropolis has many cybersecurity and other tech-related opportunities. For related info, be sure to check out our complete cybersecurity in California guide.
According to the 2023 Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wages report, the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara region is the highest-paying metropolitan area for Information Security Analysts. This makes sense considering the top industries in San Jose’s economy (Manufacturing, Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, and Health Care and Social Assistance) constantly need protection from data breaches.
However, the city still needs more cybersecurity experts. The San Jose State University (SJSU) and the San Jose Evergreen Community College have reported cyberattacks in the last few years. According to Forbes, cybersecurity is also a statewide concern, with California leading the country in the highest data breaches between 2017-2021.
Thankfully, San Jose is contributing to a future reliant on strong information security. San Jose’s Cybersecurity Advisory Board was established to advise, assist, and support the city in cybersecurity and offer guidance on overall program development. In addition, there are many information security educational opportunities in the city, especially at the San Jose State University and other neighboring institutions.
The City of San Jose’s (CSJ) proximity to military bases such as the US Coast Guard Air Station and the Navy Reserve Center also makes it a great place for a career in cybersecurity.
Related resources
Cybersecurity courses and training available in San Jose
There are a handful of cybersecurity courses and training in San Jose. Students can take these courses in different delivery formats, such as online or in-person/onsite. If you’re in San Jose, here are some of the cybersecurity courses and training in the area.
Netcom Learning CompTIA Network+
NetCom Learning’s CompTIA Network+ course is available online and onsite at your location or their facility at 2033 Gateway Pl 5th Floor San Jose, CA 95110.
- Duration: This is a 5-day intermediate-level course.
- Aim: This course prepares students for the CompTIA Network+ N10-008 exam. It is meant for Cybersecurity Associates, Network Administrators, and other IT professionals with at least 9 – 12 months of work experience in IT networking.
- Modules: The course outline covers networking fundamentals, network implementations, network operations, network security, and network troubleshooting.
- Course cost: The course costs $2,675. However, organizations or groups who want private team training must request a quote.
- Learn more about the Netcom Learning CompTIA Network+ and registration details.
Certstaffix training for CISSP: CompTIA Security+ Course
The Certstaffix CompTIA Security+ course is an instructor-led live online course. As San Jose is one of Certstaffix’s service locations, an instructor can be sent to your location for team training.
- Duration: The Certstaffix CompTIA Security+ course lasts 5 days.
- Aim: This advanced-level course prepares students for the Exam SYO-601 exam and covers the exam objectives.
- Modules: Students will be taught security technologies, tasks, and tools with practical application of Security+ concepts in the real world. There is also access to a robust toolkit and a pre-assessment exam for thorough preparation.
- Course cost: The live online training costs $2,195/per person. Teams in San Jose who prefer in-person training must request a quote.
- You can see full info on the Certstaffix CompTIA Security+ course with registration guidelines.
NobleProg Cybersecurity Training – Ethical Hacker
NobleProg offers cybersecurity training in two formats – live online training and onsite live training. The online training is carried out using an interactive, remote desktop. The onsite live cyber security training is held at NobleProg’s San Francisco Bay Area training center. The provider’s facility is only a 20-minute drive from San Jose at Downtown Sunnyvale 640 W California Ave Suite 210 Sunnyvale, CA 94086. Another training center is also at 75 Broadway Suite 202, San Francisco, CA 94111.
- Duration: 35 hours (or around 5 days, including breaks).
- Aim: This course aims to establish and enforce minimum requirements for professional information security specialists’ certification in ethical hacking practices. It also intends to promote ethical hacking as a distinctive, self-governing profession.
- Modules: Students will be taught Footprinting and Reconnaissance, Windows and Linux Hacking, Sniffing and MITM, Web Hacking, etc.
- See the full course outline for the NobleProg Ethical Hacker training and registration information.
- Course cost: The course cost starts from $3,341 for online training and $5,591 for onsite training.
Cybersecurity bootcamps and certifications available in San Jose
Besides taking courses, you can also kickstart your career with a few cybersecurity bootcamps and certifications in San Jose. These bootcamps also have different delivery formats based on the student’s preferences. Here are some of them:
San Jose State University Cyber Bootcamp
The San Jose State University cyber bootcamp lasts for 12 or 26 weeks for full-time or part-time, respectively. All bootcamp classes are 100 percent online and instructor-led. However, SJSU is located at 1 Washington St, San Jose, CA 95192.
Students will learn security essentials such as Linux & Python, Command Line Input (CLI), Pen Testing methodology, vulnerability discovery, threat modeling, incident response, and digital forensics.
After completing the program, SJSU and Fullstack Academy will issue a certificate of completion to graduates. The tuition costs $14,995, and students can secure scholarships worth up to $1,000.
San Jose City College – CIS CISCO Networks – CCNA – Certificate of Achievement Level 2
The San Jose City College’s Computer Information Systems (CIS) department offers a certificate course in Cisco Networks – CCNA. This course is designed to provide students with the required skills to become employed as Network Administrators. Classes are held at the institution’s facility at 2100 Moorpark Ave, San Jose, CA 95128.
San Jose State University Advanced Certificate in Cybersecurity: Core Technologies
The SJSU Advanced Certificate in Cybersecurity is a classroom-based 9-unit graduate certificate program that helps students advance their cybersecurity knowledge. Students will be taught computer methods, cryptography computer security, and other modules in information security.
SJSU also offers other classroom-based graduate certificate programs such as the Certificate in Cybersecurity Engineering and Certificate in Fundamentals of Cybersecurity.
Industry-recognized cybersecurity certification training in San Jose:
Taking courses such as Linux and PHP Programming can improve your job employment chances in cybersecurity. You can add industry-recognized certificates to your resume at the following institutions in San Jose:
- SONIC TRAINING: Sonic Training offers professional IT training, consultation, and staffing services in its facilities in more than ten cities in the nation, including San Jose.
- ACADEMYX: At AcademyX, you will find a handful of useful cybersecurity-related courses such as Python Fundamentals and Python Advanced. Classes can either be online live computer training or private training.
For younger students (middle or high schoolers) looking to explore IT, Ascende Learning has special classes on Java programming, which is fundamental for information security. Classes are held at Ascende Learning facility at 4250 Williams Rd, San Jose, CA 95129. Hack Reactor and Coding Dojo are other bootcamp and certification providers in San Jose and Silicon Valley.
Cybersecurity schools and degrees in San Jose
Information security degrees are also a great choice for anyone who wants to advance their cybersecurity career or go into teaching in the future. San Jose State University is the foremost university in Silicon Valley and one of the best in California for information security.
In 2013, SJSU was recognized by the Committee on National Security Systems for meeting the national training standard for Information Systems Security (INFOSEC) professionals. The institution is also home to the Silicon Valley Big Data and Cybersecurity Center, established in 2014.
In 2018, California passed the nation’s first Internet of Things (IoT) cybersecurity law to address information security and privacy. During that time through 2021, the state had the highest data breaches in the country.
Clearly, California is committed to a more secure information security architecture and is even one of three US states best prepared for cybersecurity challenges. This is partly due to San Jose and the entire Silicon Valley’s education, training, and jobs in the information security industry.
Cybersecurity jobs, salaries, and companies in San Jose
San Jose is no doubt a huge hub for cybersecurity jobs in Silicon Valley and the entire country.
IT and Information Security giant Cisco Systems is headquartered in San Jose and is the largest employer in the city. Xilinx, Adobe, Samsung, PayPal, eBay, Broadcom, Zoom, and Acer also have their headquarters in San Jose and employ over 1,000 employees.
Here are some cybersecurity jobs in San Jose and the salaries you should expect, according to the employment websites, Indeed and ZipRecruiter.
- CYBERSECURITY ANALYST
- Average salary of $104,779.
- Skills Required – Azure, Active Directory, Encryption, COBIT, IDS, Computer Networking, ISO 27001, and Firewall.
- PENETRATION & VULNERABILITY TESTER
- Average salary of $146,238.
- Skills Required: .NET, Bash, AWS, Burp Suite, Information Security, APIs, Encryption, C#, and C++.
- SYSTEMS ENGINEER
- Average salary of $129,116.
- Skills Required: Employers expect candidates to have skills in Agile, AWS, DNS, Java, Azure, Active Directory, C++, and C. Leadership, communication, and analysis skills could give you an edge.
- CYBERSECURITY CONSULTANT
- Average salary of $136,435.
- Skills Required: According to Cyberseek, candidates must be proficient in Cloud Security, Preventative Antivirus, NIST Standards, Security Foundation & Threat Intelligence, Information Security, and Enterprise Mission Assurance Support Service.
- CYBERSECURITY MANAGER
- Average salary of $131,221.
- Skills Required: Security Insider Threat Management, Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) Management Cybersecurity Strategy, Cloud Security, and Enterprise Mission Assurance Support Service.
- CYBERSECURITY ARCHITECT
- Average salary of $219,403.
- Skills Required: Container Security, Cloud Security, Public Cloud Security, Security, SABSA, and Microservices, among others.
Salaries may also depend on the candidate’s professional certification and the company. For example, data from Cyberseek shows that of the 6,185 cybersecurity job openings 19,657 people were employed from September 2023 through August 2024.
With one of the best schools in the state – the San Jose State University, near to military bases, and being the largest city in Silicon Valley, San Jose is a great place to start and advance your cybersecurity and information technology career.
Cybersecurity program listings in San Jose
San Jose State University
San Jose, California
Program: Cybersecurity Engineering Certificate
Credits: 12
Cost per credit: $479
Delivery Method: Campus
Learn more: Program details