Information security officer vs security architect

The differences between information security officers and security architects 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 officer and a security architect. Additionally, an information security officer has an average salary of $135,040, which is higher than the $128,636 average annual salary of a security architect.

The top three skills for an information security officer include risk management, risk assessments and incident response. The most important skills for a security architect are cloud security, architecture, and cloud.

Information security officer vs security architect overview

	Information Security Officer	Security Architect
Yearly salary	$135,040	$128,636
Hourly rate	$64.92	$61.84
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	145,907	127,619
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

What does an information security officer do?

Information security officers are responsible for planning and implementing policies to safeguard an organization's computer network and data from different types of security breaches. Their duties typically include identifying computer network vulnerabilities, developing and executing a plan to secure and protect the network, and tracking computer network usage to ensure adherence to security policies. In addition, information security officers are also expected to conduct penetration tests to look for flaws and work closely with the IT and management departments to improve security.

What does a security architect do?

A security architect specializes in designing and establishing security systems and measures to protect a company and its clients from hackers or cyber-attacks. Their responsibilities revolve around reviewing existing security systems to determine areas needing improvement, implementing upgrades, and devising strategies to identify a company's information technology needs. A security architect may also provide instructional materials to employees on utilizing the security systems, respond to inquiries and concerns, and perform maintenance tests as needed. Furthermore, should there be any incidents of breaches, it is essential to conduct a thorough investigation to prevent it from happening again.

Information security officer vs security architect salary

Information security officers and security architects have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Information Security Officer	Security Architect
Average salary	$135,040	$128,636
Salary range	Between $95,000 And $190,000	Between $92,000 And $179,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	Twilio	The Knot
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between information security officer and security architect education

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

	Information Security Officer	Security Architect
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Computer Science
Most common college	Stanford University	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Information security officer vs security architect demographics

Here are the differences between information security officers' and security architects' demographics:

	Information Security Officer	Security Architect
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1%	Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5%
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 officer and security architect duties and responsibilities

Information security officer example responsibilities.

Lead vulnerability scanning and penetration testing for PCI-DSS compliance.
Manage client relationships in conjunction with moving production environment to AWS.
Manage all printers, switches, routers, and data archiving.
Manage and ensure all AIS systems are operated in accordance with applicable DoD directives.
Avoid fines and penalties by achieving and maintaining PCI, HIPAA, and SOX compliance.
Engage to design and implement an enterprise-wide information security program to achieve SOX and HIPPA compliance.

Security architect example responsibilities.

Manage 4.1MM growth budget and 20MM operating budget in order to facilitate execution of priorities across the IAM landscape.
Manage annual penetration testing exercise and PCI compliance validation scanning program.
Lead multiple identity management projects integrating provisioning and roll management tools.
Manage GLBA security awareness and training program and annual information security awareness activities.
Implement a manage endpoint encryption solution utilizing TrendMicro MobileArmor to secure university workstations against sensitive data loss.
Develop criteria, assess, and validate security architectures models according to NIST 800-123 , 800-53 and ISO regulations and standards.

Information security officer vs security architect skills

Common information security officer skills

Risk Management, 12%
Risk Assessments, 7%
Incident Response, 7%
Infrastructure, 6%
Governance, 5%
ISO, 5%

Common security architect skills

Cloud Security, 12%
Architecture, 8%
Cloud, 7%
Infrastructure, 6%
Java, 5%
NIST, 4%

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Information Security Officer vs Security Architect

Updated January 8, 2025

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