By Abby Lombardi on February 28, 2012 in Computer/Math/IT, Occupations.

Privacy concerns have been growing – from online and social media usage information to consumer data – and we were interested in how many companies are creating and hiring for jobs that deal with protecting privacy. During the past 90 days, we found just over 400 job ads that were posted online for Privacy Officers and Consultants. Overall, the volume of job ads over the past 90 days increased 56% compared to the same 90-day period last year and about 115% versus two years ago. It seems that hiring demand for specialized job functions that identify risks, monitor the flow of information, and comply with developing regulations has increased significantly, now at its highest levels.

Hiring Demand for Privacy Analysts – 4 Year Hiring Trend

We weren’t too surprised that the majority of job listings were seen for technology positions, since Privacy Analysts are responsible for controlling the flow of information – often online. Approximately one-quarter of the jobs advertised online were for Computer Security Specialists, the most of any occupational field, at a 50% year-over-year increase. Other fields with a high-demand for experience with privacy control were medical and health services managers, financial examiners, and legal positions, all of which also experienced year-over-year increases in the volume of online job ads. It makes sense that these occupations include this job responsibility since they handle customer information, that is often of personal nature, and need to ensure compliance with any regulations around that information.

The most commonly advertised job titles that included this responsibility in their job description are:

• Security Privacy Consultant (or Analyst)
• Privacy Officer
• Customer Privacy Manager
• Compliance Privacy Manager
• Health Systems Privacy Compliance Specialist
• Senior Manager Global Privacy Capabilities Operations
• Counsel Privacy
• Compliance Privacy Director (or Officer)
• FOIA (Freedom of Information Act) Privacy Act Specialist
• Health Information Manager Privacy Officer

Metropolitan areas with the highest volume of job listings for Privacy Specialists were New York (New York), Seattle (Washington), Washington (DC), Chicago (Illinois), and San Francisco (California). Employers in Seattle experienced one of the highest year-over-year increases in demand, up 250% from last year. Washington, DC was one of the few locations across the United States to see a decline in hiring, down about 48% in the past 90 days compared to the same time period last year.

Companies sourcing candidates with privacy control experience are likely to find openings difficult-to-recruit. According to the Hiring Scale™, companies in Chicago are currently experiencing more difficult conditions when recruiting candidates with this skill set. Hiring demand in Chicago continues to grow (up about 170% in the past year), while the local talent pool of qualified professionals is not growing at the same pace. Employers in this area are likely to compete heavily to attract qualified talent and experience a longer time-to-fill than other areas across the United States. The average duration of a Privacy Analyst or Specialist job ad in Chicago is one week longer than the national average.

Hiring Scale for Privacy Specialists in Chicago, IL vs. Nationally

In comparison, the Hiring Scale also shows that the best markets for recruiting these skills are Miami (Florida), Los Angeles (California), and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). These areas are likely to fill job openings faster than the rest of the United States, since hiring demand is low compared to the available talent supply.

Best US Markets for Recruiting Privacy Specialists

Is your company sourcing for Privacy Analysts, Consultants, or Specialists? Sign up for a free trial of WANTED Analytics™ to see what hiring demand is like in your city, who you are competing with for talent, and where the best markets for sourcing this talent are in your region.