Information security engineer vs information security manager

The differences between information security engineers and information security managers 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 engineer and an information security manager. Additionally, an information security manager has an average salary of $126,447, which is higher than the $97,288 average annual salary of an information security engineer.

The top three skills for an information security engineer include infrastructure, incident response and security tools. The most important skills for an information security manager are risk management, NIST, and infrastructure.

Information security engineer vs information security manager overview

	Information Security Engineer	Information Security Manager
Yearly salary	$97,288	$126,447
Hourly rate	$46.77	$60.79
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	120,257	115,414
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

What does an information security engineer do?

An information security engineer specializes in designing and developing systems to protect company and customer data from hackers or any cyber attacks. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with different departments to identify their needs, assess existing programs to identify any areas needing improvement, monitor network and system for any problems, and implement preventive measures for protection. Should there be any breaches, it is essential to resolve them right away and conduct an investigation to prevent it from happening again. Furthermore, it is necessary to assist employees in utilizing security systems to ensure smooth workflow.

What does an information security manager do?

An information security manager is primarily in charge of overseeing the security systems established to protect a company's data from hackers or cyber-attacks. Their responsibilities revolve around monitoring networks for any security breaches, designing and developing new security systems, and improving existing ones when necessary. They may also perform research and analysis to determine company needs, provide instructional materials, and produce progress reports. Furthermore, as an information security manager, it is essential to provide technical support to employees, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

Information security engineer vs information security manager salary

Information security engineers and information security managers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Information Security Engineer	Information Security Manager
Average salary	$97,288	$126,447
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $129,000	Between $91,000 And $175,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	The Citadel	eBay
Best paying industry	Technology	Media

Differences between information security engineer and information security manager education

There are a few differences between an information security engineer and an information security manager in terms of educational background:

	Information Security Engineer	Information Security Manager
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Computer Science	Business
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Stanford University

Information security engineer vs information security manager demographics

Here are the differences between information security engineers' and information security managers' demographics:

	Information Security Engineer	Information Security Manager
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 88.3% Female, 11.7%	Male, 85.8% Female, 14.2%
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%

Differences between information security engineer and information security manager duties and responsibilities

Information security engineer example responsibilities.

Lead the certification and accreditation efforts by implementing NIST 800-53 security controls in order to obtain FISMA compliance.
Implement a manage endpoint encryption solution utilizing TrendMicro MobileArmor to secure university workstations against sensitive data loss.
Ensure that security policies are properly implement using NIST guidelines and perform auditing of logs.
Conduct Java algorithm design reviews and resolve any design issues.
Automate manual queries and integration using WhiteHat API's with PERL and Java.
Update ACAS plugins weekly or when updates become available on the DISA provide website.

Information security manager example responsibilities.

Develop goals and strategies to achieve company goals while improving upon current ITIL processes and procedures.
Provide direct leadership with managing corporate HIPAA Privacy/Security compliance initiatives.
Manage the administration of various encryption, authentication and public/private key management technologies and certificate/digital authority.
Manage the conversion to a hybrid NAS/disk/tape CommVault base backup environment resulting in decreasing backup windows and improving recovery objectives.
Conduct risk assessments and collaborate with leadership to provide recommendations regarding critical infrastructure and network security operations enhancements.
Coordinate penetration testing, address vulnerabilities, and analyze NIST 800-82 and ISO 27001 standards/gap analysis for SCADA and business networks.

Information security engineer vs information security manager skills

Common information security engineer skills

Infrastructure, 7%
Incident Response, 6%
Security Tools, 5%
Network Security, 4%
SIEM, 4%
NIST, 4%

Common information security manager skills

Risk Management, 7%
NIST, 7%
Infrastructure, 5%
Governance, 5%
Incident Response, 5%
Risk Assessments, 5%

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Information Security Engineer vs Information Security Manager

Updated January 8, 2025

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