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The differences between chief security officers and security engineers 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 a security engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a chief security officer has an average salary of $144,017, which is higher than the $104,524 average annual salary of a security engineer.
The top three skills for a chief security officer include oversight, risk management and security program. The most important skills for a security engineer are java, cloud security, and infrastructure.
| Chief Security Officer | Security Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $144,017 | $104,524 |
| Hourly rate | $69.24 | $50.25 |
| Growth rate | 16% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 107,163 | 86,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| 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.
Security engineers are responsible for developing and overseeing data and security software to help prevent data breaches, leaks, and taps related to cybercrime. Other duties and responsibilities include developing new systems to help protect computer networks and assets, configuring firewalls, and conducting penetration testing to pinpoint vulnerabilities. Additionally, security engineers are responsible for investigating attacks and help prevent cybersecurity threat. They are also responsible for creating new processes for authorization, encryption algorithms, and authentication, and analyzing current security policies.
Chief security officers and security engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Chief Security Officer | Security Engineer | |
| Average salary | $144,017 | $104,524 |
| Salary range | Between $101,000 And $204,000 | Between $77,000 And $141,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | McKinsey & Company Inc | ICE Mortgage Technology |
| Best paying industry | Insurance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a chief security officer and a security engineer in terms of educational background:
| Chief Security Officer | Security Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 55% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between chief security officers' and security engineers' demographics:
| Chief Security Officer | Security Engineer | |
| Average age | 47 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.0% Female, 9.0% | Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6% |
| 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% |