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The differences between information security consultants and information assurance 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 an information assurance engineer. Additionally, an information security consultant has an average salary of $103,316, which is higher than the $89,291 average annual salary of an information assurance engineer.
The top three skills for an information security consultant include risk assessments, risk management and SQL. The most important skills for an information assurance engineer are RMF, DOD, and IAM.
| Information Security Consultant | Information Assurance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,316 | $89,291 |
| Hourly rate | $49.67 | $42.93 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 113,409 | 104,421 |
| 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.
Information assurance engineers are responsible for protecting an organization's data. They act as a team of security specialists that use their skill in securely operating and keeping data to protect the organization's most essential asset. Their main role is to guarantee the quality, security, and retrievability of the organization's information. Also, they outline security systems that make certain the integrity, confidentiality, and accessibility of data. Additionally, they secure IT infrastructure, maintain hardware and software updated, establish security standards, and monitor threats like breaches.
Information security consultants and information assurance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Security Consultant | Information Assurance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,316 | $89,291 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $138,000 | Between $67,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | Carson City, NV | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | Oregon |
| Best paying company | eBay | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between an information security consultant and an information assurance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Information Security Consultant | Information Assurance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Information Technology |
| Most common college | Stanford University | - |
Here are the differences between information security consultants' and information assurance engineers' demographics:
| Information Security Consultant | Information Assurance Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% | Male, 78.6% Female, 21.4% |
| 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% |