Computer security specialist vs information assurance engineer

The differences between computer security specialists and information assurance engineers 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 an information assurance engineer. Additionally, a computer security specialist has an average salary of $100,909, which is higher than the $89,291 average annual salary of an information assurance engineer.

The top three skills for a computer security specialist include ACAS, FISMA and DOD. The most important skills for an information assurance engineer are RMF, DOD, and IAM.

Computer security specialist vs information assurance engineer overview

	Computer Security Specialist	Information Assurance Engineer
Yearly salary	$100,909	$89,291
Hourly rate	$48.51	$42.93
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	70,181	104,421
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Computer security specialist vs information assurance engineer salary

Computer security specialists and information assurance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Computer Security Specialist	Information Assurance Engineer
Average salary	$100,909	$89,291
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $141,000	Between $67,000 And $117,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	Santa Clara, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	Oregon
Best paying company	Microsoft	Parsons
Best paying industry	Professional	Professional

Differences between computer security specialist and information assurance engineer education

There are a few differences between a computer security specialist and an information assurance engineer in terms of educational background:

	Computer Security Specialist	Information Assurance Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Computer Science	Information Technology
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	-

Computer security specialist vs information assurance engineer demographics

Here are the differences between computer security specialists' and information assurance engineers' demographics:

	Computer Security Specialist	Information Assurance Engineer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 75.7% Female, 24.3%	Male, 78.6% Female, 21.4%
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 information assurance engineer 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.

Information assurance engineer example responsibilities.

Install, configure, and managing ACAS deployments to assess the current vulnerabilities and security posture for classify networks.
Implement a manage endpoint encryption solution utilizing TrendMicro MobileArmor to secure university workstations against sensitive data loss.
Review system security plans, risk assessments, and compliance with NIST minimal security controls.
Assess network against NIST SP 800-53 rev3 security controls.
Review of PowerBroker root user logs on SOX UNIX systems.
Automate regression scenarios and update existing regression suite (QTP).

Computer security specialist vs information assurance engineer skills

Common computer security specialist skills

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

Common information assurance engineer skills

RMF, 9%
DOD, 9%
IAM, 5%
Windows, 5%
ACAS, 5%
Assurance Support, 4%

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Computer Security Specialist vs Information Assurance Engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

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