Cyber security specialist vs senior security analyst

The differences between cyber security specialists and senior security analysts 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 a senior security analyst. Additionally, a senior security analyst has an average salary of $103,571, which is higher than the $93,395 average annual salary of a cyber security specialist.

The top three skills for a cyber security specialist include cyber security, incident response and NIST. The most important skills for a senior security analyst are NIST, incident response, and cloud security.

Cyber security specialist vs senior security analyst overview

	Cyber Security Specialist	Senior Security Analyst
Yearly salary	$93,395	$103,571
Hourly rate	$44.90	$49.79
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	65,235	61,108
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

What does a cyber security specialist do?

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.

What does a senior security analyst do?

A senior security analyst is a digital professional who creates and implements firewalls and software systems to protect data and prevent attacks on private data. Senior security analysts aim to identify weaknesses in a network's security system and prevent breaches from occurring. Within larger organizations, senior security analysts are required to work with professionals who specialize in networking, information technology (IT), and computer system. They must also design security protocols and systems to better protect their customers and user data.

Cyber security specialist vs senior security analyst salary

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

	Cyber Security Specialist	Senior Security Analyst
Average salary	$93,395	$103,571
Salary range	Between $69,000 And $125,000	Between $79,000 And $135,000
Highest paying City	Bellevue, WA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Washington	California
Best paying company	BP America Inc	Coinbase
Best paying industry	Technology	Government

Differences between cyber security specialist and senior security analyst education

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

	Cyber Security Specialist	Senior Security Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Computer Science	Business
Most common college	North Carolina State University	Stanford University

Cyber security specialist vs senior security analyst demographics

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

	Cyber Security Specialist	Senior Security Analyst
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8%	Male, 76.5% Female, 23.5%
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, 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%

Differences between cyber security specialist and senior security analyst duties and responsibilities

Cyber security specialist example responsibilities.

Manage and monitor enterprise antivirus and software firewall programs.
Implement a manage endpoint encryption solution utilizing TrendMicro MobileArmor to secure university workstations against sensitive data loss.
Scan network infrastructure for insecurities and vulnerabilities using programs such as ACAS and HBSS.
Work on implementing DISA STIGS.
Assist in using Nessus to scan local machines.
Upload audit files to ACAS in preparation for STIG scans.

Senior security analyst example responsibilities.

Supervise and manage information security assets associate with DISA STIGS and HBSS.
Utilize Unix utilities and management packages to analyze and manage traffic flow in the corporate backbone.
Manage GLBA security awareness and training program and annual information security awareness activities.
Introduce dashboards to identify preemptive attacks on corporate perimeter using intrusion detection and web application firewall technologies.
Evaluate DoD security tools; determine compatibility issues with existing network configuration/infrastructure, and present conclusions to management.
Contribute in defining time tables and SIEM project plans.

Cyber security specialist vs senior security analyst skills

Common cyber security specialist skills

Cyber Security, 17%
Incident Response, 6%
NIST, 5%
Security Operations, 4%
Forensics, 4%
DOD, 3%

Common senior security analyst skills

NIST, 7%
Incident Response, 5%
Cloud Security, 4%
Encryption, 4%
Firewall, 4%
Switches, 4%

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Cyber Security Specialist vs Senior Security Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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