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The differences between data security analysts and systems support analysts 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 systems support analyst takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a data security analyst has an average salary of $87,446, which is higher than the $82,219 average annual salary of a systems support analyst.
The top three skills for a data security analyst include data security, incident response and access management. The most important skills for a systems support analyst are troubleshoot, customer service, and database.
| Data Security Analyst | Systems Support Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $87,446 | $82,219 |
| Hourly rate | $42.04 | $39.53 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 10% |
| Number of jobs | 145,078 | 161,168 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
A systems support analyst is responsible for supporting the operations of the technology department of an organization, resolving network issues, and maintaining the safety and security of the system database. Systems support analysts must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, identifying system process improvements, upgrading system infrastructure, and assisting end-users with navigation. They also create resolution reports for reference, including recommendations to prevent future inconsistencies and glitches. A systems support analyst conducts regular maintenance checks on the technology servers and immediately performs troubleshooting as needed for optimization.
Data security analysts and systems support analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Data Security Analyst | Systems Support Analyst | |
| Average salary | $87,446 | $82,219 |
| Salary range | Between $63,000 And $120,000 | Between $58,000 And $114,000 |
| Highest paying City | Fairfield, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | Meta | Virtu Financial |
| Best paying industry | Start-up | Finance |
There are a few differences between a data security analyst and a systems support analyst in terms of educational background:
| Data Security Analyst | Systems Support Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between data security analysts' and systems support analysts' demographics:
| Data Security Analyst | Systems Support Analyst | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 61.0% Female, 39.0% | Male, 70.4% Female, 29.6% |
| 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, 11.5% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.3% Asian, 12.5% White, 54.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 11% |