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The differences between information security consultants and cyber 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 consultant and a cyber security engineer. Additionally, an information security consultant has an average salary of $103,316, which is higher than the $99,492 average annual salary of a cyber security engineer.
The top three skills for an information security consultant include risk assessments, risk management and SQL. The most important skills for a cyber security engineer are cyber security, python, and linux.
| Information Security Consultant | Cyber Security Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,316 | $99,492 |
| Hourly rate | $49.67 | $47.83 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 113,409 | 73,419 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| 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 cyber security engineer specializes in designing and establishing security measures to protect a company's network and data from hackers or cyber attacks. Their responsibilities primarily revolve around planning and implementing cyber security systems, responding to any problems or concerns, handling security breaches and emergencies, and troubleshooting to identify any issues or vulnerabilities. Moreover, a cyber security engineer may perform clerical tasks such as producing progress reports and documentation, creating instructional materials for systems, managing schedules, and coordinating with department managers, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.
Information security consultants and cyber security engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Security Consultant | Cyber Security Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,316 | $99,492 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $138,000 | Between $75,000 And $131,000 |
| Highest paying City | Carson City, NV | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | eBay | Dotdash |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between an information security consultant and a cyber security engineer in terms of educational background:
| Information Security Consultant | Cyber Security Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |
Here are the differences between information security consultants' and cyber security engineers' demographics:
| Information Security Consultant | Cyber Security Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% | Male, 83.8% Female, 16.2% |
| 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% |