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The differences between cyber security specialists and information technology 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 specialist, becoming an information technology specialist takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a cyber security specialist has an average salary of $93,395, which is higher than the $81,241 average annual salary of an information technology specialist.
The top three skills for a cyber security specialist include cyber security, incident response and NIST. The most important skills for an information technology specialist are customer service, troubleshoot, and computer system.
| Cyber Security Specialist | Information Technology Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $93,395 | $81,241 |
| Hourly rate | $44.90 | $39.06 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 65,235 | 122,519 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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 Technology Specialist, also known as a Computer Professional or IT Specialist, is responsible for the computer support of an establishment or individual. Most of the duties require extensive and proactive knowledge of Information Technology, such as in the aspects of network and systems administration, security and information, hardware and software management, troubleshooting, and more. The tasks of an IT Specialist are diverse. It is not limited to installation or activation, as it also involves monitoring, management, and analyzation.
Cyber security specialists and information technology specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cyber Security Specialist | Information Technology Specialist | |
| Average salary | $93,395 | $81,241 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $125,000 | Between $58,000 And $113,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a cyber security specialist and an information technology specialist in terms of educational background:
| Cyber Security Specialist | Information Technology Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 57% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | North Carolina State University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between cyber security specialists' and information technology specialists' demographics:
| Cyber Security Specialist | Information Technology Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% | Male, 77.8% Female, 22.2% |
| 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, 12.2% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.7% Asian, 11.9% White, 54.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |