Information specialist vs information security analyst

The differences between information specialists and information security analysts can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become an information specialist, becoming an information security analyst takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, an information security analyst has an average salary of $98,144, which is higher than the $69,502 average annual salary of an information specialist.

The top three skills for an information specialist include patients, data entry and customer service. The most important skills for an information security analyst are incident response, risk assessments, and windows.

Information specialist vs information security analyst overview

	Information Specialist	Information Security Analyst
Yearly salary	$69,502	$98,144
Hourly rate	$33.41	$47.18
Growth rate	10%	32%
Number of jobs	121,168	112,818
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	2	6

What does an information specialist do?

An information specialist is responsible for obtaining data through various strategies such as surveys, research, and analysis. It is essential to coordinate with different teams to learn their data needs and utilize them upon gathering. There may also be instances where an information specialist must work with other groups for tasks, such as building databases and networks. Furthermore, it is essential to ensure data integrity, protect their source's identities, adhere to all the company's policies and regulations, and abide by the state law when gathering information.

What does an information security analyst do?

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 specialist vs information security analyst salary

Information specialists and information security analysts have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Information Specialist	Information Security Analyst
Average salary	$69,502	$98,144
Salary range	Between $40,000 And $118,000	Between $71,000 And $135,000
Highest paying City	Trenton, NJ	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	New Jersey	California
Best paying company	Crowell & Moring	The Walt Disney Company
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between information specialist and information security analyst education

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

	Information Specialist	Information Security Analyst
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 59%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	Stanford University

Information specialist vs information security analyst demographics

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

	Information Specialist	Information Security Analyst
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 33.9% Female, 66.1%	Male, 72.9% Female, 27.1%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.9% Unknown, 5.3% Hispanic or Latino, 15.5% Asian, 10.6% White, 56.3% 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	11%	9%

Differences between information specialist and information security analyst duties and responsibilities

Information specialist example responsibilities.

Manage windows patch upgrades and provide software pushes using Microsoft SCCM.
Manage university and small business research grants and evaluate vendor RFP responses.
Manage USAID OTI grants database to track and monitor implementation of program activities.
Manage network resources, including video conferences, printers, servers, PCs, and switches.
Manage redesign and CMS implementation for VermontAmerican.com.
Follow standard operating procedure docs access via SharePoint intranet.

Information security analyst example responsibilities.

Manage IA personnel in the performance of IAVM tasks.
Lead maritime IP intrusion detection analysis special project providing models to identify Cyber terrorist's capabilities, methods, and strategies.
Manage and configure perimeter Cisco routers and switches.
Implement a manage endpoint encryption solution utilizing TrendMicro MobileArmor to secure university workstations against sensitive data loss.
Perform vulnerability assessment and remediation of systems to ensure compliance to policies, regulations and controls (HIPAA & NIST).
Monitor and analyze SIEM events to identify security issues for remediation.

Information specialist vs information security analyst skills

Common information specialist skills

Patients, 17%
Data Entry, 15%
Customer Service, 9%
FOIA, 8%
Management System, 5%
PowerPoint, 4%

Common information security analyst skills

Incident Response, 7%
Risk Assessments, 5%
Windows, 5%
SIEM, 4%
Data Loss Prevention, 4%
Network Security, 3%

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Information Specialist vs Information Security Analyst

Updated January 8, 2025

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