Computer security specialist vs cyber security analyst

The differences between computer security specialists and cyber security analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a computer security specialist and a cyber security analyst. Additionally, a computer security specialist has an average salary of $100,909, which is higher than the $88,422 average annual salary of a cyber security analyst.

The top three skills for a computer security specialist include ACAS, FISMA and DOD. The most important skills for a cyber security analyst are incident response, windows, and SIEM.

Computer security specialist vs cyber security analyst overview

	Computer Security Specialist	Cyber Security Analyst
Yearly salary	$100,909	$88,422
Hourly rate	$48.51	$42.51
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	70,181	64,387
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Computer security specialist vs cyber security analyst salary

Computer security specialists and cyber security analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Computer Security Specialist	Cyber Security Analyst
Average salary	$100,909	$88,422
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $141,000	Between $66,000 And $117,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Los Angeles, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	Oregon
Best paying company	Microsoft	Neighborly
Best paying industry	Professional	Automotive

Differences between computer security specialist and cyber security analyst education

There are a few differences between a computer security specialist and a cyber security analyst in terms of educational background:

	Computer Security Specialist	Cyber Security Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 61%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Information Systems
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	California State University - Bakersfield

Computer security specialist vs cyber security analyst demographics

Here are the differences between computer security specialists' and cyber security analysts' demographics:

	Computer Security Specialist	Cyber Security Analyst
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 75.7% Female, 24.3%	Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5%
Race ratio	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%	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	9%	9%

Differences between computer security specialist and cyber security analyst duties and responsibilities

Computer security specialist example responsibilities.

Review and manage the security and information assurance capabilities of database applications, database structure and architecture.
Perform monthly IA evaluation of systems per DISA STIG guidance using approve DoD & DISA tools.
Conduct audits, analyze system security incidents, and recommend remediation efforts to meet DoD standards.
Evaluate, implement, and maintain encryption standards.
Perform data encryption testing for a proprietary encryption key that encrypt data at rest on platforms.
Perform Nessus vulnerability scans of critical enterprise servers and devices; report results to management.

Cyber security analyst example responsibilities.

Ensure all requirements are met to successfully achieve an ATO before release.
Leverage this same site-to-site VPN technology to automate and secure transactions between FMC and its business partners.
Lead technical implementation through multiple projects to reduce the cardholder data environment and ultimately reduce the scope of PCI relate environments.
Log analysis & managing the accuracy of DLP identification to lowering/avoiding false positives and negatives.
Review and manage the security and information assurance capabilities of database applications, database structure and architecture.
Implement a manage endpoint encryption solution utilizing TrendMicro MobileArmor to secure university workstations against sensitive data loss.

Computer security specialist vs cyber security analyst skills

Common computer security specialist skills

ACAS, 13%
FISMA, 11%
DOD, 10%
Security Policies, 10%
Linux, 7%
Incident Response, 7%

Common cyber security analyst skills

Incident Response, 8%
Windows, 6%
SIEM, 5%
DOD, 5%
Linux, 4%
Security Events, 4%

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Computer Security Specialist vs Cyber Security Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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