Data scientist vs cyber security specialist

The differences between data scientists and cyber security specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a data scientist, becoming a cyber security specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a data scientist has an average salary of $106,104, which is higher than the $93,395 average annual salary of a cyber security specialist.

The top three skills for a data scientist include python, data science and visualization. The most important skills for a cyber security specialist are cyber security, incident response, and NIST.

Data scientist vs cyber security specialist overview

	Data Scientist	Cyber Security Specialist
Yearly salary	$106,104	$93,395
Hourly rate	$51.01	$44.90
Growth rate	16%	32%
Number of jobs	106,973	65,235
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Average age	41	42
Years of experience	4	6

What does a data scientist do?

A Data Scientist analyzes information from multiple sources in order to gain maximum insight that can give the company a competitive advantage. They work in different domains, including manufacturing, healthcare, education, and finance.

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.

Data scientist vs cyber security specialist salary

Data scientists and cyber security specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Data Scientist	Cyber Security Specialist
Average salary	$106,104	$93,395
Salary range	Between $75,000 And $148,000	Between $69,000 And $125,000
Highest paying City	Richmond, CA	Bellevue, WA
Highest paying state	California	Washington
Best paying company	The Citadel	BP America Inc
Best paying industry	Start-up	Technology

Differences between data scientist and cyber security specialist education

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

	Data Scientist	Cyber Security Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 51%	Bachelor's Degree, 56%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Columbia University in the City of New York	North Carolina State University

Data scientist vs cyber security specialist demographics

Here are the differences between data scientists' and cyber security specialists' demographics:

	Data Scientist	Cyber Security Specialist
Average age	41	42
Gender ratio	Male, 79.6% Female, 20.4%	Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 4.2% Unknown, 5.4% Hispanic or Latino, 6.9% Asian, 18.8% White, 64.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6%	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 data scientist and cyber security specialist duties and responsibilities

Data scientist example responsibilities.

Update, maintain, and manage regional CRM database and records for customers, vendors, and suppliers.
Configure and manage JobScope ERP system for a make-to-order/make-to-stock design and manufacturing environment.
Lead the analysis in SAS for data integration of mortality data using meta-analysis integration methods.
Implement a proximal stochastic gradient descent with a line search to fit a regularize logistic regression in Scala
Perform cross-validation-test on linear regression model of data using scikit-learn.
Develop python base statistical visualization to provide insights of fuzzy social media data.

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.

Data scientist vs cyber security specialist skills

Common data scientist skills

Python, 13%
Data Science, 10%
Visualization, 5%
Java, 4%
Hadoop, 4%
Tableau, 3%

Common cyber security specialist skills

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

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Data Scientist vs Cyber Security Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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