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The differences between cyber security engineers and 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 cyber security engineer and an engineer. Additionally, a cyber security engineer has an average salary of $99,492, which is higher than the $92,077 average annual salary of an engineer.
The top three skills for a cyber security engineer include cyber security, python and linux. The most important skills for an engineer are python, cloud, and C++.
| Cyber Security Engineer | Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,492 | $92,077 |
| Hourly rate | $47.83 | $44.27 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 2% |
| Number of jobs | 73,419 | 618,207 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 4.33 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A cyber security engineer specializes in designing and establishing security measures to protect a company's network and data from hackers or cyber attacks. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around planning and implementing cyber security systems, responding to any problems or concerns, handling security breaches and emergencies, and troubleshooting to identify any issues or vulnerabilities. Moreover, a cyber security engineer may perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and documentation, creating instructional materials for systems, managing schedules, and coordinating with department managers, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Engineers are highly trained professionals who determine the feasibility of various projects, usually related to the construction industry. They are considered experts in mathematics and science, two disciplines that they need to use in designing and coming up with plans for projects. They should also be well-versed in different construction or industrial materials, and they ensure that appropriate materials are used for the project. They also ensure that the projects meet the requirements of the groups that hired them. They create spaces that would both address the needs of the end-users and the industry standards. They also ensure that the projects they make would stand the test of time.
Cyber security engineers and engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cyber Security Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average salary | $99,492 | $92,077 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $131,000 | Between $65,000 And $130,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Huntsville, AL |
| Highest paying state | California | New Hampshire |
| Best paying company | Dotdash | Fort Bend County |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Automotive |
There are a few differences between a cyber security engineer and an engineer in terms of educational background:
| Cyber Security Engineer | Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 65% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Mechanical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | Michigan Technological University |
Here are the differences between cyber security engineers' and engineers' demographics:
| Cyber Security Engineer | Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 41 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% | Male, 86.3% Female, 13.7% |
| 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, 3.3% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 9.1% Asian, 15.0% White, 67.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 5% |