Core network engineer vs cyber security engineer

The differences between core network engineers and cyber security engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a core network engineer, becoming a cyber security engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a core network engineer has an average salary of $103,964, which is higher than the $99,492 average annual salary of a cyber security engineer.

The top three skills for a core network engineer include IP, java and troubleshoot. The most important skills for a cyber security engineer are cyber security, python, and linux.

Core network engineer vs cyber security engineer overview

	Core Network Engineer	Cyber Security Engineer
Yearly salary	$103,964	$99,492
Hourly rate	$49.98	$47.83
Growth rate	5%	32%
Number of jobs	34,068	73,419
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Average age	43	42
Years of experience	2	6

What does a core network engineer do?

A Core Network Engineer designs and develops the backbone of an establishment's computer network, facilitating connections from one system to another. They conduct research and assessments to identify project requirements, install and maintain networks, establish guidelines and protocols, develop test structures to identify bugs, troubleshoot errors, and provide technical support as needed. It is also their responsibility to implement security systems and policies, all while maintaining records. A Core Engineer often works together with other engineers to strengthen the workflow and quality of networks.

What does a cyber security engineer do?

A cyber security engineer specializes in designing and establishing security measures to protect a company's network and data from hackers or cyber attacks. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around planning and implementing cyber security systems, responding to any problems or concerns, handling security breaches and emergencies, and troubleshooting to identify any issues or vulnerabilities. Moreover, a cyber security engineer may perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and documentation, creating instructional materials for systems, managing schedules, and coordinating with department managers, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

Core network engineer vs cyber security engineer salary

Core network engineers and cyber security engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Core Network Engineer	Cyber Security Engineer
Average salary	$103,964	$99,492
Salary range	Between $78,000 And $137,000	Between $75,000 And $131,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Flipboard	Dotdash
Best paying industry	Automotive	Technology

Differences between core network engineer and cyber security engineer education

There are a few differences between a core network engineer and a cyber security engineer in terms of educational background:

	Core Network Engineer	Cyber Security Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 74%	Bachelor's Degree, 60%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Computer Science
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Core network engineer vs cyber security engineer demographics

Here are the differences between core network engineers' and cyber security engineers' demographics:

	Core Network Engineer	Cyber Security Engineer
Average age	43	42
Gender ratio	Male, 85.7% Female, 14.3%	Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.9% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%	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 core network engineer and cyber security engineer duties and responsibilities

Core network engineer example responsibilities.

Design and manage printer repair and installation for the corporate Nortel campus.
Manage Cisco NAS, QNAP NAS encrypt storage device configurations, perform IOS upgrades.
Provide technical support with managing data from the Verizon LTE network to pass through WiFi access points.
Manage deployment and testing updates for wireless systems, such as WCS, WiSM, and WLC.
Manage marketing and exec team's ad-hoc inquiries via PERL, PL/SQL, SQL and Unix script processes.
Utilize advanced encryption devices to secure communications between all locations manage by the department.

Cyber security engineer example responsibilities.

Facilitate and manage weekly meetings between CyberCom, DISA and all OSD components.
Manage security patching life cycle and approve change control requests, firewall rules and DLP policies.
Manage, configure, and maintain all servers within the environments, including Cisco network routers, switches, and firewalls.
Lead security authorization efforts to obtain and maintain an authorization to operate (ATO) for customers' core financial system.
Manage efforts to consolidate customer VPN infrastructure.
Lead numerous DLP upgrades and process improvements and successfully implement application security program.

Core network engineer vs cyber security engineer skills

Common core network engineer skills

IP, 10%
Java, 9%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Linux, 5%
Network Design, 5%
Ethernet, 4%

Common cyber security engineer skills

Cyber Security, 17%
Python, 5%
Linux, 4%
Architecture, 4%
NIST, 4%
Incident Response, 4%

Core Network Engineer vs. similar jobs

Core Network Engineer related careers

Core Network Engineer related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Computer and Mathematical Industry
Core Network Engineer
Core Network Engineer vs Cyber Security Engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse computer and mathematical jobs