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The differences between chief security officers and information security officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 6-8 years to become a chief security officer, becoming an information security officer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chief security officer has an average salary of $144,017, which is higher than the $135,040 average annual salary of an information security officer.
The top three skills for a chief security officer include oversight, risk management and security program. The most important skills for an information security officer are risk management, risk assessments, and incident response.
| Chief Security Officer | Information Security Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $144,017 | $135,040 |
| Hourly rate | $69.24 | $64.92 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 107,163 | 145,907 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Average age | 47 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 8 | 6 |
Chief security officers are a part of a company's executives assigned to secure all company assets, personnel, and premises. The importance of this position increases with the continuous innovation of technology. These officers need to have advanced computer skills and critical thinking skills and be meticulous about details. Having chief security officers in a company can help add value to the company and gain a competitive advantage over competitors. They also manage a network of managers, staff, and security directors and coordinate with law enforcement or other security agencies.
Information security officers are responsible for planning and implementing policies to safeguard an organization's computer network and data from different types of security breaches. Their duties typically include identifying computer network vulnerabilities, developing and executing a plan to secure and protect the network, and tracking computer network usage to ensure adherence to security policies. In addition, information security officers are also expected to conduct penetration tests to look for flaws and work closely with the IT and management departments to improve security.
Chief security officers and information security officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Security Officer | Information Security Officer | |
| Average salary | $144,017 | $135,040 |
| Salary range | Between $101,000 And $204,000 | Between $95,000 And $190,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | Twilio |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Professional |
There are a few differences between a chief security officer and an information security officer in terms of educational background:
| Chief Security Officer | Information Security Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between chief security officers' and information security officers' demographics:
| Chief Security Officer | Information Security Officer | |
| Average age | 47 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 6.8% Unknown, 5.2% Hispanic or Latino, 10.2% Asian, 12.6% White, 64.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | Black or African American, 9.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.6% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 11% | 9% |