Cyber security analyst vs security administrator

The differences between cyber security analysts and security administrators 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 security administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a cyber security analyst has an average salary of $88,422, which is higher than the $79,564 average annual salary of a security administrator.

The top three skills for a cyber security analyst include incident response, windows and SIEM. The most important skills for a security administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and security procedures.

Cyber security analyst vs security administrator overview

	Cyber Security Analyst	Security Administrator
Yearly salary	$88,422	$79,564
Hourly rate	$42.51	$38.25
Growth rate	32%	5%
Number of jobs	64,387	99,222
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	42	43
Years of experience	6	2

What does a cyber security analyst do?

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.

What does a security administrator do?

A security administrator is in charge of establishing and enforcing security measures over a company's information systems and networks. Their duties typically revolve around installing and maintaining security networks, analyzing existing systems to identify areas needing improvement, conducting regular maintenance checks and upgrades to optimize services and functions, and monitoring overall systems for any suspicious activities or breaches. Furthermore, as a security administrator, it is essential to develop information technology solutions in adherence to the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

Cyber security analyst vs security administrator salary

Cyber security analysts and security administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Cyber Security Analyst	Security Administrator
Average salary	$88,422	$79,564
Salary range	Between $66,000 And $117,000	Between $54,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Oregon	California
Best paying company	Neighborly	Gap Inc.
Best paying industry	Automotive	Government

Differences between cyber security analyst and security administrator education

There are a few differences between a cyber security analyst and a security administrator in terms of educational background:

	Cyber Security Analyst	Security Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Computer Information Systems	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	California State University - Bakersfield

Cyber security analyst vs security administrator demographics

Here are the differences between cyber security analysts' and security administrators' demographics:

	Cyber Security Analyst	Security Administrator
Average age	42	43
Gender ratio	Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5%	Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9%
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, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 8.7% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between cyber security analyst and security administrator duties and responsibilities

Cyber security analyst example responsibilities.

Ensure all requirements are met to successfully achieve an ATO before release.
Leverage this same site-to-site VPN technology to automate and secure transactions between FMC and its business partners.
Lead technical implementation through multiple projects to reduce the cardholder data environment and ultimately reduce the scope of PCI relate environments.
Log analysis & managing the accuracy of DLP identification to lowering/avoiding false positives and negatives.
Review and manage the security and information assurance capabilities of database applications, database structure and architecture.
Implement a manage endpoint encryption solution utilizing TrendMicro MobileArmor to secure university workstations against sensitive data loss.

Security administrator example responsibilities.

Manage updates and creation of intranet file.
Create, manage, and maintain corporate LAN.
Manage and monitor various tools and reporting tools relating to security and encryption.
Manage all network objects: computers, users, TCP/IP resources, printers, copier.
Manage staff to implement JCL procedure modifications.
Utilize PowerShell scripts to automate system administrative tasks.

Cyber security analyst vs security administrator skills

Common cyber security analyst skills

Incident Response, 8%
Windows, 6%
SIEM, 5%
DOD, 5%
Linux, 4%
Security Events, 4%

Common security administrator skills

Customer Service, 10%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Security Procedures, 6%
Data Entry, 5%
Security Policies, 5%
SCI, 5%

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Cyber Security Analyst vs Security Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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