Data security analyst vs security administrator

The differences between data security analysts and security administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a data security analyst, becoming a security administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a data security analyst has an average salary of $87,446, which is higher than the $79,564 average annual salary of a security administrator.

The top three skills for a data security analyst include data security, incident response and access management. The most important skills for a security administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and security procedures.

Data security analyst vs security administrator overview

	Data Security Analyst	Security Administrator
Yearly salary	$87,446	$79,564
Hourly rate	$42.04	$38.25
Growth rate	32%	5%
Number of jobs	145,078	99,222
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	42	43
Years of experience	6	2

What does a data security analyst do?

A data security analyst's job is to protect computer systems and networks in a company. They are often the solitary individuals standing between a company's networks and potential hackers, and their abilities are highly in demand at this moment. The job role includes installing and uninstalling various security network programs, and these programs safeguard sensitive data by using firewalls with the use of data-encryption technology. In addition, they also help to implement security protocols depending on the need of the company, and they must be updated regularly to remove bugs and add new features.

What does a security administrator do?

A security administrator is in charge of establishing and enforcing security measures over a company's information systems and networks. Their duties typically revolve around installing and maintaining security networks, analyzing existing systems to identify areas needing improvement, conducting regular maintenance checks and upgrades to optimize services and functions, and monitoring overall systems for any suspicious activities or breaches. Furthermore, as a security administrator, it is essential to develop information technology solutions in adherence to the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

Data security analyst vs security administrator salary

Data security analysts and security administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Data Security Analyst	Security Administrator
Average salary	$87,446	$79,564
Salary range	Between $63,000 And $120,000	Between $54,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	Fairfield, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Meta	Gap Inc.
Best paying industry	Start-up	Government

Differences between data security analyst and security administrator education

There are a few differences between a data security analyst and a security administrator in terms of educational background:

	Data Security Analyst	Security Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 56%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	California State University - Bakersfield

Data security analyst vs security administrator demographics

Here are the differences between data security analysts' and security administrators' demographics:

	Data Security Analyst	Security Administrator
Average age	42	43
Gender ratio	Male, 61.0% Female, 39.0%	Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9%
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, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 8.7% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between data security analyst and security administrator duties and responsibilities

Data security analyst example responsibilities.

Provide support for manage IP security services customers in a 24x7 UNIX operations center.
Manage quality control team of senior auditors, budgets, HIPAA compliance reports to CMS, monthly audit tracking/reporting.
Provide architecture and design guidance in network segmentation and isolation of PCI data and equipment in order to achieve PCI compliance.
Manage centralized and decentralize correlation servers for intrusion detection and log monitoring.
Log analysis & managing the accuracy of DLP identification to lowering/avoiding false positives and negatives.
Conduct system testing and implementation of the mainframe encryption.

Security administrator example responsibilities.

Manage updates and creation of intranet file.
Create, manage, and maintain corporate LAN.
Manage and monitor various tools and reporting tools relating to security and encryption.
Manage all network objects: computers, users, TCP/IP resources, printers, copier.
Manage staff to implement JCL procedure modifications.
Utilize PowerShell scripts to automate system administrative tasks.

Data security analyst vs security administrator skills

Common data security analyst skills

Data Security, 10%
Incident Response, 8%
Access Management, 6%
Encryption, 5%
SQL, 5%
Security Procedures, 4%

Common security administrator skills

Customer Service, 10%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Security Procedures, 6%
Data Entry, 5%
Security Policies, 5%
SCI, 5%

Data Security Analyst vs. similar jobs

Data Security Analyst related careers

Data Security Analyst related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Computer and Mathematical Industry
Data Security Analyst
Data Security Analyst vs Security Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse computer and mathematical jobs