Information security officer vs senior security analyst

The differences between information security officers and senior 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 officer and a senior security analyst. Additionally, an information security officer has an average salary of $135,040, which is higher than the $103,571 average annual salary of a senior security analyst.

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

Information security officer vs senior security analyst overview

	Information Security Officer	Senior Security Analyst
Yearly salary	$135,040	$103,571
Hourly rate	$64.92	$49.79
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	145,907	61,108
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
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 senior security analyst do?

A senior security analyst is a digital professional who creates and implements firewalls and software systems to protect data and prevent attacks on private data. Senior security analysts aim to identify weaknesses in a network's security system and prevent breaches from occurring. Within larger organizations, senior security analysts are required to work with professionals who specialize in networking, information technology (IT), and computer system. They must also design security protocols and systems to better protect their customers and user data.

Information security officer vs senior security analyst salary

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

	Information Security Officer	Senior Security Analyst
Average salary	$135,040	$103,571
Salary range	Between $95,000 And $190,000	Between $79,000 And $135,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Twilio	Coinbase
Best paying industry	Professional	Government

Differences between information security officer and senior security analyst education

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

	Information Security Officer	Senior Security Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 64%	Bachelor's Degree, 65%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Information security officer vs senior security analyst demographics

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

	Information Security Officer	Senior Security Analyst
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1%	Male, 76.5% Female, 23.5%
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 senior security analyst 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.

Senior security analyst example responsibilities.

Supervise and manage information security assets associate with DISA STIGS and HBSS.
Utilize Unix utilities and management packages to analyze and manage traffic flow in the corporate backbone.
Manage GLBA security awareness and training program and annual information security awareness activities.
Introduce dashboards to identify preemptive attacks on corporate perimeter using intrusion detection and web application firewall technologies.
Evaluate DoD security tools; determine compatibility issues with existing network configuration/infrastructure, and present conclusions to management.
Contribute in defining time tables and SIEM project plans.

Information security officer vs senior security analyst skills

Common information security officer skills

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

Common senior security analyst skills

NIST, 7%
Incident Response, 5%
Cloud Security, 4%
Encryption, 4%
Firewall, 4%
Switches, 4%

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Information Security Officer vs Senior Security Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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