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The differences between information assurance engineers 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 an information assurance engineer, becoming a security administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an information assurance engineer has an average salary of $89,291, which is higher than the $79,564 average annual salary of a security administrator.
The top three skills for an information assurance engineer include RMF, DOD and IAM. The most important skills for a security administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and security procedures.
| Information Assurance Engineer | Security Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $89,291 | $79,564 |
| Hourly rate | $42.93 | $38.25 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 104,421 | 99,222 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
Information assurance engineers are responsible for protecting an organization's data. They act as a team of security specialists that use their skill in securely operating and keeping data to protect the organization's most essential asset. Their main role is to guarantee the quality, security, and retrievability of the organization's information. Also, they outline security systems that make certain the integrity, confidentiality, and accessibility of data. Additionally, they secure IT infrastructure, maintain hardware and software updated, establish security standards, and monitor threats like breaches.
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.
Information assurance engineers and security administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Assurance Engineer | Security Administrator | |
| Average salary | $89,291 | $79,564 |
| Salary range | Between $67,000 And $117,000 | Between $54,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | Santa Clara, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Oregon | California |
| Best paying company | Parsons | Gap Inc. |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Government |
There are a few differences between an information assurance engineer and a security administrator in terms of educational background:
| Information Assurance Engineer | Security Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 60% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Information Technology | Business |
| Most common college | - | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between information assurance engineers' and security administrators' demographics:
| Information Assurance Engineer | Security Administrator | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.6% Female, 21.4% | 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% |