Cryptologist vs security engineer

The differences between cryptologists and 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 a security engineer. Additionally, a security engineer has an average salary of $104,524, 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 a security engineer are java, cloud security, and infrastructure.

Cryptologist vs security engineer overview

	Cryptologist	Security Engineer
Yearly salary	$69,265	$104,524
Hourly rate	$33.30	$50.25
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	1,469	86,093
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Cryptologist vs security engineer salary

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

	Cryptologist	Security Engineer
Average salary	$69,265	$104,524
Salary range	Between $33,000 And $143,000	Between $77,000 And $141,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	ICE Mortgage Technology
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between cryptologist and security engineer education

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

	Cryptologist	Security Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 48%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Stanford University	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cryptologist vs security engineer demographics

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

	Cryptologist	Security Engineer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 69.5% Female, 30.5%	Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6%
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 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.

Security engineer example responsibilities.

Provide SME level support in a manage PKI environment.
Achieve authority-to-operate (ATO) status ahead of schedule.
Hardened/Tune a manage fleet of Cisco ASA and IPS security appliances.
Create custom scripts using ruby and proprietary gems to automate testing and reporting.
Manage CND tools team standup of multiple ArcSight logger and connector appliances according to DISA STIG requirements.
Manage vendor relations for VPN connectivity.

Cryptologist vs security engineer skills

Common cryptologist skills

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

Common security engineer skills

Java, 9%
Cloud Security, 8%
Infrastructure, 8%
Application Security, 4%
Incident Response, 4%
Windows, 4%