Cryptologist vs information security engineer

The differences between cryptologists 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 cryptologist and an information security engineer. Additionally, an information security engineer has an average salary of $97,288, which is higher than the $69,265 average annual salary of a cryptologist.

The top three skills for a cryptologist include top security clearance, national security and TS/SCI. The most important skills for an information security engineer are infrastructure, incident response, and security tools.

Cryptologist vs information security engineer overview

	Cryptologist	Information Security Engineer
Yearly salary	$69,265	$97,288
Hourly rate	$33.30	$46.77
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	1,469	120,257
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Cryptologist vs information security engineer salary

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

	Cryptologist	Information Security Engineer
Average salary	$69,265	$97,288
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $143,000	Between $73,000 And $129,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	The Citadel
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between cryptologist and information security engineer education

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

	Cryptologist	Information Security Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Stanford University	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cryptologist vs information security engineer demographics

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

	Cryptologist	Information Security Engineer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5%	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 cryptologist and information security engineer duties and responsibilities

Cryptologist example responsibilities.

Perform signal analysis on various types of radio communications while accomplishing classify NSA assist tasks.
Sole admin for a 5 rack UNIX base signal collections system (BGPHES).
Operate UNIX base, automate message handling system, processing over 100K time sensitive messages per day.
Have been responsible for or assist with the preparation and submitting of clearance paperwork to NSA for clearance processing.
Patrol industrial and commercial premises to prevent and detect signs of intrusion and ensuresecurity of doors, windows, and gates.
Provide support to combat operations.

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.

Cryptologist vs information security engineer skills

Common cryptologist skills

Top Security Clearance, 51%
National Security, 27%
TS/SCI, 22%

Common information security engineer skills

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

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Cryptologist vs Information Security Engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

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