Cryptologist vs information security officer

The differences between cryptologists and information security officers 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 officer. Additionally, an information security officer has an average salary of $135,040, 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 officer are risk management, risk assessments, and incident response.

Cryptologist vs information security officer overview

	Cryptologist	Information Security Officer
Yearly salary	$69,265	$135,040
Hourly rate	$33.30	$64.92
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	1,469	145,907
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Cryptologist vs information security officer salary

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

	Cryptologist	Information Security Officer
Average salary	$69,265	$135,040
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $143,000	Between $95,000 And $190,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Twilio
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between cryptologist and information security officer education

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

	Cryptologist	Information Security Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Computer Science	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Cryptologist vs information security officer demographics

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

	Cryptologist	Information Security Officer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5%	Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1%
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 officer 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 officer example responsibilities.

Lead vulnerability scanning and penetration testing for PCI-DSS compliance.
Manage client relationships in conjunction with moving production environment to AWS.
Manage all printers, switches, routers, and data archiving.
Manage and ensure all AIS systems are operated in accordance with applicable DoD directives.
Avoid fines and penalties by achieving and maintaining PCI, HIPAA, and SOX compliance.
Engage to design and implement an enterprise-wide information security program to achieve SOX and HIPPA compliance.

Cryptologist vs information security officer skills

Common cryptologist skills

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

Common information security officer skills

Risk Management, 12%
Risk Assessments, 7%
Incident Response, 7%
Infrastructure, 6%
Governance, 5%
ISO, 5%

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Cryptologist vs Information Security Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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