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The differences between information security analysts and analysts 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 security analyst, becoming an analyst takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, an information security analyst has an average salary of $98,144, which is higher than the $73,007 average annual salary of an analyst.
The top three skills for an information security analyst include incident response, risk assessments and windows. The most important skills for an analyst are customer service, troubleshoot, and data analysis.
| Information Security Analyst | Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $98,144 | $73,007 |
| Hourly rate | $47.18 | $35.10 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 11% |
| Number of jobs | 112,818 | 253,138 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
An information security analyst is an individual who is responsible for carrying out security measures to protect the computer network and systems of an organization. Information security analysts erect firewalls and encrypt data transmissions to protect the organization's data from being inappropriately accessed or used. They must be aware of reports on computer viruses and should share this information with the management or customer. Information security analysts are also required to conduct training for all the organization's employees regarding computer security and information safeguarding.
Analysts are employees or individual contributors with a vast experience in a particular field that help the organization address challenges. They help the organization improve processes, policies, and other operations protocol by studying the current processes in place and determining the effectiveness of those processes. They also research industry trends and data to make sound inferences and recommendations on what the company should do to improve their numbers. Analysts recommend business solutions and often help the organization roll out these solutions. They ensure that the proposed action plans are effective and produce the desired results.
Information security analysts and analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Security Analyst | Analyst | |
| Average salary | $98,144 | $73,007 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $135,000 | Between $53,000 And $99,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Jersey City, NJ |
| Highest paying state | California | New Jersey |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between an information security analyst and an analyst in terms of educational background:
| Information Security Analyst | Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Business | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Northwestern University |
Here are the differences between information security analysts' and analysts' demographics:
| Information Security Analyst | Analyst | |
| Average age | 42 | 44 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.9% Female, 27.1% | Male, 52.4% Female, 47.6% |
| 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, 7.4% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 8.5% Asian, 14.3% White, 65.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 12% |