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The differences between cyber security specialists and senior security 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 specialist and a senior security engineer. Additionally, a senior security engineer has an average salary of $122,480, 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 engineer are cloud security, java, and linux.
| Cyber Security Specialist | Senior Security Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $93,395 | $122,480 |
| Hourly rate | $44.90 | $58.88 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 65,235 | 69,850 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| 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.
A senior security engineer is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the organization's systems and network database to prevent unauthorized access and avoid data breaches. Senior security engineers inspect the efficiency of networks, perform system configuration, and increase the optimal performance of complex systems. They also implement policies and procedures for compliance with the proper utilization of information directories. They also conduct regular maintenance of networks, create update reports, and resolve glitches and security threats.
Cyber security specialists and senior security engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Cyber Security Specialist | Senior Security Engineer | |
| Average salary | $93,395 | $122,480 |
| Salary range | Between $69,000 And $125,000 | Between $90,000 And $164,000 |
| Highest paying City | Bellevue, WA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | BP America Inc | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between a cyber security specialist and a senior security engineer in terms of educational background:
| Cyber Security Specialist | Senior Security Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | North Carolina State University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between cyber security specialists' and senior security engineers' demographics:
| Cyber Security Specialist | Senior Security Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| 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% |