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The differences between cyber security engineers and network 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 engineer, becoming a network engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a cyber security engineer has an average salary of $99,492, which is higher than the $83,557 average annual salary of a network engineer.
The top three skills for a cyber security engineer include cyber security, python and linux. The most important skills for a network engineer are switches, troubleshoot, and network infrastructure.
| Cyber Security Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $99,492 | $83,557 |
| Hourly rate | $47.83 | $40.17 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 73,419 | 72,346 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
A network engineer is responsible for managing a network system, monitoring its performance, and upgrading its features to optimize performance and boost efficiency. Network engineers also create new systems, designing them based on clients' specifications and business needs. They also check network defects, perform troubleshooting, improve data security systems, and install security updates. A network engineer must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a broad understanding of system codes, programming languages, and network configurations.
Cyber security engineers and network engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cyber Security Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Average salary | $99,492 | $83,557 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $131,000 | Between $62,000 And $111,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Menlo Park, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Dotdash | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a cyber security engineer and a network engineer in terms of educational background:
| Cyber Security Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Electrical Engineering |
| Most common college | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill | California State University - Long Beach |
Here are the differences between cyber security engineers' and network engineers' demographics:
| Cyber Security Engineer | Network Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% |
| 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, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |