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The differences between information security analysts 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 an information security analyst and a security engineer. Additionally, a security engineer has an average salary of $104,524, which is higher than the $98,144 average annual salary of an information security analyst.
The top three skills for an information security analyst include incident response, risk assessments and windows. The most important skills for a security engineer are java, cloud security, and infrastructure.
| Information Security Analyst | Security Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $98,144 | $104,524 |
| Hourly rate | $47.18 | $50.25 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 112,818 | 86,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
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.
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.
Information security analysts and security engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Security Analyst | Security Engineer | |
| Average salary | $98,144 | $104,524 |
| Salary range | Between $71,000 And $135,000 | Between $77,000 And $141,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | The Walt Disney Company | ICE Mortgage Technology |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between an information security analyst and a security engineer in terms of educational background:
| Information Security Analyst | Security Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Business | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between information security analysts' and security engineers' demographics:
| Information Security Analyst | Security Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 72.9% Female, 27.1% | 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% |