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The differences between information systems security officers and senior security engineers 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 systems security officer and a senior security engineer. Additionally, a senior security engineer has an average salary of $122,480, which is higher than the $90,730 average annual salary of an information systems security officer.
The top three skills for an information systems security officer include RMF, DOD and ISSO. The most important skills for a senior security engineer are cloud security, java, and linux.
| Information Systems Security Officer | Senior Security Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $90,730 | $122,480 |
| Hourly rate | $43.62 | $58.88 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 202,299 | 69,850 |
| Job satisfaction | 5 | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
An information systems security officer's role is to perform preventive measures to protect a company's data and systems from hackers or cyber-attacks. Their responsibilities revolve around assessing the existing security measures to identify any vulnerabilities or inconsistencies, recommending and implementing changes to improve security systems, and developing new strategies and programs for data protection. There are also instances when an information systems security officer must manage and maintain information in databases, train new employees, and create new security policies, all while adhering to the company's vision and mission.
A senior security engineer is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the organization's systems and network database to prevent unauthorized access and avoid data breaches. Senior security engineers inspect the efficiency of networks, perform system configuration, and increase the optimal performance of complex systems. They also implement policies and procedures for compliance with the proper utilization of information directories. They also conduct regular maintenance of networks, create update reports, and resolve glitches and security threats.
Information systems security officers and senior security engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Information Systems Security Officer | Senior Security Engineer | |
| Average salary | $90,730 | $122,480 |
| Salary range | Between $68,000 And $120,000 | Between $90,000 And $164,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palmdale, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Parsons | Roku |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Manufacturing |
There are a few differences between an information systems security officer and a senior security engineer in terms of educational background:
| Information Systems Security Officer | Senior Security Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Computer Information Systems | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Stanford University | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between information systems security officers' and senior security engineers' demographics:
| Information Systems Security Officer | Senior Security Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 78.3% Female, 21.7% | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% |
| 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% |