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The differences between information security consultants and cyber security analysts 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 consultant and a cyber security analyst. Additionally, an information security consultant has an average salary of $103,316, which is higher than the $88,422 average annual salary of a cyber security analyst.
The top three skills for an information security consultant include risk assessments, risk management and SQL. The most important skills for a cyber security analyst are incident response, windows, and SIEM.
| Information Security Consultant | Cyber Security Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $103,316 | $88,422 |
| Hourly rate | $49.67 | $42.51 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 113,409 | 64,387 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Information Security Consultants are information technology (IT) professionals who are responsible for assessing computer and network systems to implement security solutions for the IT needs of an organization. These consultants must prevent unauthorized access to financial and personal information of the organization by assessing its existing infrastructures and systems for weaknesses. They must provide advice and recommendations on the best method to ensure security for their IT system. Information Security Consultants must also perform penetration testing and malware analysis to identify any network weaknesses.
A cybersecurity analyst is responsible for planning and carrying out security measures to protect a company's computer networks and systems. They constantly keep tabs on threats and monitor their organization's networks for any security breaches. Their tasks involve installing computer programs or software and encryption, reporting breaches or weak spots, exploring new IT trends, educating the company's information security team on security. They also do simulate security attacks to find possible network and system vulnerabilities.
Information security consultants and cyber security analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Security Consultant | Cyber Security Analyst | |
| Average salary | $103,316 | $88,422 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $138,000 | Between $66,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | Carson City, NV | Los Angeles, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | Oregon |
| Best paying company | eBay | Neighborly |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Automotive |
There are a few differences between an information security consultant and a cyber security analyst in terms of educational background:
| Information Security Consultant | Cyber Security Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Information Systems |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between information security consultants' and cyber security analysts' demographics:
| Information Security Consultant | Cyber Security Analyst | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% | Male, 78.5% Female, 21.5% |
| 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% |