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The differences between directors, corporate security and 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 director, corporate security and a security engineer. Additionally, a security engineer has an average salary of $104,524, which is higher than the $58,292 average annual salary of a director, corporate security.
The top three skills for a director, corporate security include risk management, oversight and security operations. The most important skills for a security engineer are java, cloud security, and infrastructure.
| Director, Corporate Security | Security Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $58,292 | $104,524 |
| Hourly rate | $28.02 | $50.25 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 66,575 | 86,093 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A director of corporate security oversees and directs the security operations of an organization, aiming to protect assets and individuals. They primarily develop strategic plans, set goals and security protocols, establish timelines and budgets, participate in the recruitment and hiring procedures, and coordinate the security details for an efficient workflow. They also conduct research and risk assessments, delegate responsibilities among teams, and supervise overall operations, resolving issues and concerns if any arise. There are also times when they investigate breaches or security lapses, developing strategies to ensure it does not happen again.
Security engineers are responsible for developing and overseeing data and security software to help prevent data breaches, leaks, and taps related to cybercrime. Other duties and responsibilities include developing new systems to help protect computer networks and assets, configuring firewalls, and conducting penetration testing to pinpoint vulnerabilities. Additionally, security engineers are responsible for investigating attacks and help prevent cybersecurity threat. They are also responsible for creating new processes for authorization, encryption algorithms, and authentication, and analyzing current security policies.
Directors, corporate security and security engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Director, Corporate Security | Security Engineer | |
| Average salary | $58,292 | $104,524 |
| Salary range | Between $26,000 And $129,000 | Between $77,000 And $141,000 |
| Highest paying City | - | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | - | California |
| Best paying company | - | ICE Mortgage Technology |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a director, corporate security and a security engineer in terms of educational background:
| Director, Corporate Security | Security Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between directors, corporate security' and security engineers' demographics:
| Director, Corporate Security | Security Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.7% Female, 12.3% | Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6% |
| 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, 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% |