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The differences between cyber security specialists and information systems security officers 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 specialist and an information systems security officer. Additionally, a cyber security specialist has an average salary of $93,395, which is higher than the $90,730 average annual salary of an information systems security officer.
The top three skills for a cyber security specialist include cyber security, incident response and NIST. The most important skills for an information systems security officer are RMF, DOD, and ISSO.
| Cyber Security Specialist | Information Systems Security Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $93,395 | $90,730 |
| Hourly rate | $44.90 | $43.62 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 65,235 | 202,299 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Cybersecurity Specialists are information technology (IT) professionals who safeguard and protect the company's networks. They ensure that the network infrastructure is secure at all times. They do routine checks to see whether the infrastructure is vulnerable to attacks. Cybersecurity Specialists monitor and respond to security concerns. They launch programs or software to mitigate any attacks that the company's infrastructure may receive. They also look for ways to minimize the network infrastructure's vulnerability to risks, threats, and attacks.
An information systems security officer's role is to perform preventive measures to protect a company's data and systems from hackers or cyber-attacks. Their responsibilities revolve around assessing the existing security measures to identify any vulnerabilities or inconsistencies, recommending and implementing changes to improve security systems, and developing new strategies and programs for data protection. There are also instances when an information systems security officer must manage and maintain information in databases, train new employees, and create new security policies, all while adhering to the company's vision and mission.
Cyber security specialists and information systems security officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cyber Security Specialist | Information Systems Security Officer | |
| Average salary | $93,395 | $90,730 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $125,000 | Between $68,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | Palmdale, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a cyber security specialist and an information systems security officer in terms of educational background:
| Cyber Security Specialist | Information Systems Security Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Information Systems |
| Most common college | North Carolina State University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between cyber security specialists' and information systems security officers' demographics:
| Cyber Security Specialist | Information Systems Security Officer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% | Male, 78.3% Female, 21.7% |
| 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, 9.2% Unknown, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.6% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |