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Information engineer vs information security engineer

The differences between information engineers and information security engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an information engineer, becoming an information security engineer takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an information engineer has an average salary of $105,003, which is higher than the $97,288 average annual salary of an information security engineer.

The top three skills for an information engineer include customer service, linux and troubleshoot. The most important skills for an information security engineer are infrastructure, incident response, and security tools.

Information engineer vs information security engineer overview

Information EngineerInformation Security Engineer
Yearly salary$105,003$97,288
Hourly rate$50.48$46.77
Growth rate5%32%
Number of jobs151,357120,257
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Average age4342
Years of experience26

What does an information engineer do?

An information engineer is responsible for monitoring the efficiency of computer systems and network infrastructure, performing configuration to boost the optimal performance of the technology systems. Information engineers assist end-users in resolving network issues, identifying the source of inconsistencies, and create resolution reports for reference to avoid reoccurrence. They also design new network systems according to business needs and client specifications, running multiple diagnostic tests to ensure effectiveness before the release of final deliverables. An information engineer should have excellent technical skills, as well as a strong command of programming languages and system codes.

What does an information security engineer do?

An information security engineer specializes in designing and developing systems to protect company and customer data from hackers or any cyber attacks. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with different departments to identify their needs, assess existing programs to identify any areas needing improvement, monitor network and system for any problems, and implement preventive measures for protection. Should there be any breaches, it is essential to resolve them right away and conduct an investigation to prevent it from happening again. Furthermore, it is necessary to assist employees in utilizing security systems to ensure smooth workflow.

Information engineer vs information security engineer salary

Information engineers and information security engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

Information EngineerInformation Security Engineer
Average salary$105,003$97,288
Salary rangeBetween $78,000 And $139,000Between $73,000 And $129,000
Highest paying CityRichmond, CASan Francisco, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaCalifornia
Best paying companyMayo ClinicThe Citadel
Best paying industryTechnologyTechnology

Differences between information engineer and information security engineer education

There are a few differences between an information engineer and an information security engineer in terms of educational background:

Information EngineerInformation Security Engineer
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 67%
Most common majorComputer ScienceComputer Science
Most common collegeCalifornia State University - Long BeachMassachusetts Institute of Technology

Information engineer vs information security engineer demographics

Here are the differences between information engineers' and information security engineers' demographics:

Information EngineerInformation Security Engineer
Average age4342
Gender ratioMale, 85.8% Female, 14.2%Male, 88.3% Female, 11.7%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 7.8% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.6% White, 61.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%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 Percentage9%9%

Differences between information engineer and information security engineer duties and responsibilities

Information engineer example responsibilities.

  • Manage users VPN access with RSA tokens.
  • Use of Powershell to automate server builds and daily tasks.
  • Use of PowerShell to automate daily tasks, and create reports ..
  • Mentore and lead QA team on best practices of STLC.
  • Manage monthly audits with cloud providers over deterrent, preventive, detective and corrective controls.
  • Create and manage VMware VM templates and OS images base on configuration and security hardening standards.
  • Show more

Information security engineer example responsibilities.

  • Lead the certification and accreditation efforts by implementing NIST 800-53 security controls in order to obtain FISMA compliance.
  • Implement a manage endpoint encryption solution utilizing TrendMicro MobileArmor to secure university workstations against sensitive data loss.
  • Ensure that security policies are properly implement using NIST guidelines and perform auditing of logs.
  • Conduct Java algorithm design reviews and resolve any design issues.
  • Automate manual queries and integration using WhiteHat API's with PERL and Java.
  • Update ACAS plugins weekly or when updates become available on the DISA provide website.
  • Show more

Information engineer vs information security engineer skills

Common information engineer skills
  • Customer Service, 7%
  • Linux, 6%
  • Troubleshoot, 5%
  • Java, 5%
  • SAN, 4%
  • Azure, 4%
Common information security engineer skills
  • Infrastructure, 7%
  • Incident Response, 6%
  • Security Tools, 5%
  • Network Security, 4%
  • SIEM, 4%
  • NIST, 4%

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