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The differences between information security consultants and information 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 an information security analyst. Additionally, an information security consultant has an average salary of $103,316, which is higher than the $98,144 average annual salary of an information security analyst.
The top three skills for an information security consultant include risk assessments, risk management and SQL. The most important skills for an information security analyst are incident response, risk assessments, and windows.
| Information Security Consultant | Information Security Analyst | |
| Yearly salary | $103,316 | $98,144 |
| Hourly rate | $49.67 | $47.18 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 113,409 | 112,818 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| 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.
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.
Information security consultants and information security analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Security Consultant | Information Security Analyst | |
| Average salary | $103,316 | $98,144 |
| Salary range | Between $76,000 And $138,000 | Between $71,000 And $135,000 |
| Highest paying City | Carson City, NV | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | eBay | The Walt Disney Company |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Professional |
There are a few differences between an information security consultant and an information security analyst in terms of educational background:
| Information Security Consultant | Information Security Analyst | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 65% | Bachelor's Degree, 62% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between information security consultants' and information security analysts' demographics:
| Information Security Consultant | Information Security Analyst | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 71.0% Female, 29.0% | Male, 72.9% Female, 27.1% |
| 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% |