Cyber Security Opportunities in Maine

Maine is one of the least populous states in the nation, with just 1,328,36 residents. It’s also off the beaten track, as the northernmost state in the nation. The state’ economy is still largely driven by such rustic industries as fishing, logging and outdoor tourism, but tech is on the rise, thanks to a push by state government and a number of institutes with cyber security programs. The state is home to seven schools which confer cyber security degrees. Three of these are considered by the NSA to be “National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Security”, in recognition of their academic rigor and quality.

Maine Cyber Security Jobs

Maine is one of the few states with no Fortune 500 companies, and few large corporations call it home. Some of the larger businesses in Maine are Fairchild Semiconductor, IDEXX Laboratories, Unum, TD Bank, L.L.Bean and Cole Haan, and each of these hires cyber security experts from time to time. More common are cyber security jobs with finance and payment companies, such as U.S. Bank, Camden National ,WEX and T.D. Bank. Portland is the most populous city in the state by a good margin, and is where the majority of cyber security jobs are to be found. Job postings can be scarce, however, and the state government has invested in the growth of the industry by developing the Maine Cyber Security Cluster, an academic and research center bringing together government, industry, and academia dedicated to workforce and economic development in the field of cyber security. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not released data on salaries for cyber security jobs in Maine, but a estimates on Glassdoor and Indeed yield a range of $70,000-$80,000.

Cyber Security Degrees in Maine

Associate’s Degrees in cyber security are available from three schools in Maine: Central Maine Community College, Southern Maine Community College, and through the University of Maine at Fort Kent, which is recognized by the NSA as “National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Security” (CAE).

Bachelor’s Degrees in cyber security are offered by the University of Southern Maine, University of Maine at Augusta, and the University of Maine at Fort Kent, all CAEs, as well as Thomas College.

Certificates in cyber security are offered through just two Maine schools: Kaplan University and the University of Maine at Fort Kent, a CAE.

Cyber Security Resources in Maine

Cyber Security Degree Providers in Maine

Below we’ve included some of the most pertinent information for choosing a cyber security degree program. Affordability looked at the average in-state tuition rate (where applicable) and divided the range of tuition rates into five bins. Each bin contains a roughly $8,000 jump in tuition. So one $ contains schools from roughly $1,000 in in-state tuition to $9,000, $$’s contains schools from >$9,000 to $17,000, and so forth. Retention rate is one of the best predictors of undergraduate education quality. While the NSA/CAE designation marks programs deemed excellent by the NSA.