Information security engineer vs security administrator

The differences between information security engineers and security administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become an information security engineer, becoming a security administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, an information security engineer has an average salary of $97,288, which is higher than the $79,564 average annual salary of a security administrator.

The top three skills for an information security engineer include infrastructure, incident response and security tools. The most important skills for a security administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and security procedures.

Information security engineer vs security administrator overview

	Information Security Engineer	Security Administrator
Yearly salary	$97,288	$79,564
Hourly rate	$46.77	$38.25
Growth rate	32%	5%
Number of jobs	120,257	99,222
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	42	43
Years of experience	6	2

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 a security administrator do?

A security administrator is in charge of establishing and enforcing security measures over a company's information systems and networks. Their duties typically revolve around installing and maintaining security networks, analyzing existing systems to identify areas needing improvement, conducting regular maintenance checks and upgrades to optimize services and functions, and monitoring overall systems for any suspicious activities or breaches. Furthermore, as a security administrator, it is essential to develop information technology solutions in adherence to the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.

Information security engineer vs security administrator salary

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

	Information Security Engineer	Security Administrator
Average salary	$97,288	$79,564
Salary range	Between $73,000 And $129,000	Between $54,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	The Citadel	Gap Inc.
Best paying industry	Technology	Government

Differences between information security engineer and security administrator education

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

	Information Security Engineer	Security Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Computer Science	Business
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	California State University - Bakersfield

Information security engineer vs security administrator demographics

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

	Information Security Engineer	Security Administrator
Average age	42	43
Gender ratio	Male, 88.3% Female, 11.7%	Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9%
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, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 8.7% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between information security engineer and security administrator 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.

Security administrator example responsibilities.

Manage updates and creation of intranet file.
Create, manage, and maintain corporate LAN.
Manage and monitor various tools and reporting tools relating to security and encryption.
Manage all network objects: computers, users, TCP/IP resources, printers, copier.
Manage staff to implement JCL procedure modifications.
Utilize PowerShell scripts to automate system administrative tasks.

Information security engineer vs security administrator skills

Common information security engineer skills

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

Common security administrator skills

Customer Service, 10%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Security Procedures, 6%
Data Entry, 5%
Security Policies, 5%
SCI, 5%

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Information Security Engineer vs Security Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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