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The differences between cyber security analysts and network security engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a cyber security analyst, becoming a network security engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a cyber security analyst has an average salary of $88,422, which is higher than the $88,322 average annual salary of a network security engineer.
The top three skills for a cyber security analyst include incident response, windows and SIEM. The most important skills for a network security engineer are network security, windows, and cisco asa.
| Cyber Security Analyst | Network Security Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $88,422 | $88,322 |
| Hourly rate | $42.51 | $42.46 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 64,387 | 91,892 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
A cybersecurity analyst is responsible for planning and carrying out security measures to protect a company's computer networks and systems. They constantly keep tabs on threats and monitor their organization's networks for any security breaches. Their tasks involve installing computer programs or software and encryption, reporting breaches or weak spots, exploring new IT trends, educating the company's information security team on security. They also do simulate security attacks to find possible network and system vulnerabilities.
A network security engineer is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of all the organization's network systems, conducting regular configuration and maintenance to avoid unauthorized access and suspicious activities that may pose risks for the company's integrity. Network security engineers manage security threats and strategize resolutions to mitigate the reoccurrence of security issues. They also develop security enhancement recommendations, update network infrastructure, and monitor system activities. A network security engineer should have excellent communication and technical skills, as well as a strong command of programming languages and system codes.
Cyber security analysts and network security engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cyber Security Analyst | Network Security Engineer | |
| Average salary | $88,422 | $88,322 |
| Salary range | Between $66,000 And $117,000 | Between $64,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Los Angeles, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Neighborly | The Knot |
| Best paying industry | Automotive | Retail |
There are a few differences between a cyber security analyst and a network security engineer in terms of educational background:
| Cyber Security Analyst | Network Security Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 66% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between cyber security analysts' and network security engineers' demographics:
| Cyber Security Analyst | Network Security Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5% | Male, 90.7% Female, 9.3% |
| 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, 8.0% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.7% Asian, 13.9% White, 61.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |