Cyber security analyst vs specialist

The differences between cyber security analysts and specialists 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 specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a cyber security analyst has an average salary of $88,422, which is higher than the $58,013 average annual salary of a specialist.

The top three skills for a cyber security analyst include incident response, windows and SIEM. The most important skills for a specialist are patients, customer service, and work ethic.

Cyber security analyst vs specialist overview

	Cyber Security Analyst	Specialist
Yearly salary	$88,422	$58,013
Hourly rate	$42.51	$27.89
Growth rate	32%	10%
Number of jobs	64,387	358,433
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Average age	42	42
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 specialist do?

Specialists are employees who are responsible for specific tasks or activities in the department they are assigned to. The actions or tasks they work on are related to their educational background or work experiences. They are usually highly skilled in specializations related to the work they are assigned to. Specialists are also highly trained on the competencies that are required of their specialty. As such, they are focused on the skills and competencies that are needed to enhance their experience in their specific field further.

Cyber security analyst vs specialist salary

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

	Cyber Security Analyst	Specialist
Average salary	$88,422	$58,013
Salary range	Between $66,000 And $117,000	Between $32,000 And $104,000
Highest paying City	Los Angeles, CA	Jersey City, NJ
Highest paying state	Oregon	New Jersey
Best paying company	Neighborly	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Automotive	-

Differences between cyber security analyst and specialist education

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

	Cyber Security Analyst	Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 61%	Bachelor's Degree, 49%
Most common major	Computer Information Systems	Business
Most common college	California State University - Bakersfield	Stanford University

Cyber security analyst vs specialist demographics

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

	Cyber Security Analyst	Specialist
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5%	Male, 47.5% Female, 52.5%
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, 11.4% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 16.4% Asian, 10.5% White, 55.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage	9%	11%

Differences between cyber security analyst and specialist 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.

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Specialist example responsibilities.

Create, manage, and assist users with SharePoint sites.
Manage an on-site IRB and company good clinical practice (GCP) inspection.
Manage SharePoint sites by creating, editing, and customizing company sites, libraries and security.
Manage the building of accounts, assigning of static IP's, and scheduling of business class installations.
Convert servers from UNIX to Linux, all hardware diagnostics and repair including printers/plotters/desktops etc.
Follow safety procedures such as maintenance of all equipment (Telxon scanners, terminals and ladders).

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Cyber security analyst vs specialist skills

Common cyber security analyst skills

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

Common specialist skills

Patients, 15%
Customer Service, 11%
Work Ethic, 5%
Patient Care, 4%
Exceptional Client, 4%
Troubleshoot, 4%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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