Computer security specialist vs information security engineer

The differences between computer security specialists and information security 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 security engineer. Additionally, a computer security specialist has an average salary of $100,909, which is higher than the $97,288 average annual salary of an information security engineer.

The top three skills for a computer security specialist include ACAS, FISMA and DOD. The most important skills for an information security engineer are infrastructure, incident response, and security tools.

Computer security specialist vs information security engineer overview

	Computer Security Specialist	Information Security Engineer
Yearly salary	$100,909	$97,288
Hourly rate	$48.51	$46.77
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	70,181	120,257
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Computer security specialist vs information security engineer salary

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

	Computer Security Specialist	Information Security Engineer
Average salary	$100,909	$97,288
Salary range	Between $72,000 And $141,000	Between $73,000 And $129,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	Microsoft	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Professional	Technology

Differences between computer security specialist and information security engineer education

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

	Computer Security Specialist	Information Security Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Computer security specialist vs information security engineer demographics

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

	Computer Security Specialist	Information Security Engineer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 75.7% Female, 24.3%	Male, 88.3% Female, 11.7%
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 security 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 security engineer example responsibilities.

Lead the certification and accreditation efforts by implementing NIST 800-53 security controls in order to obtain FISMA compliance.
Implement a manage endpoint encryption solution utilizing TrendMicro MobileArmor to secure university workstations against sensitive data loss.
Ensure that security policies are properly implement using NIST guidelines and perform auditing of logs.
Conduct Java algorithm design reviews and resolve any design issues.
Automate manual queries and integration using WhiteHat API's with PERL and Java.
Update ACAS plugins weekly or when updates become available on the DISA provide website.

Computer security specialist vs information security engineer skills

Common computer security specialist skills

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

Common information security engineer skills

Infrastructure, 7%
Incident Response, 6%
Security Tools, 5%
Network Security, 4%
SIEM, 4%
NIST, 4%

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Computer Security Specialist vs Information Security Engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

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