Manager, information assurance vs security architect

The differences between managers, information assurance 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 a manager, information assurance and a security architect. Additionally, a security architect has an average salary of $128,636, which is higher than the $117,785 average annual salary of a manager, information assurance.

The top three skills for a manager, information assurance include risk assessments, IAM and DOD. The most important skills for a security architect are cloud security, architecture, and cloud.

Manager, information assurance vs security architect overview

	Manager, Information Assurance	Security Architect
Yearly salary	$117,785	$128,636
Hourly rate	$56.63	$61.84
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	89,174	127,619
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

What does a manager, information assurance do?

Information assurance managers are mainly in charge of supervising, managing, planning, and implementing security programs and systems. They are responsible for developing new initiatives pertinent to information assurance and management in the organization. They report all compliance-related issues including monitoring the security information systems, communicating updates, and investigating security incidents. In addition, it is also part of their tasks to manage information assurance experts to measure risk factors as well as vulnerabilities and to help keep information secure which reflects user needs.

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.

Manager, information assurance vs security architect salary

Managers, information assurance and security architects have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Manager, Information Assurance	Security Architect
Average salary	$117,785	$128,636
Salary range	Between $89,000 And $155,000	Between $92,000 And $179,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	Pennsylvania	Pennsylvania
Best paying company	Sony Pictures	The Knot
Best paying industry	Retail	-

Differences between manager, information assurance and security architect education

There are a few differences between a manager, information assurance and a security architect in terms of educational background:

	Manager, Information Assurance	Security Architect
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 57%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Computer Information Systems	Computer Science
Most common college	Stanford University	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Manager, information assurance vs security architect demographics

Here are the differences between managers, information assurance' and security architects' demographics:

	Manager, Information Assurance	Security Architect
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 77.9% Female, 22.1%	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 manager, information assurance and security architect duties and responsibilities

Manager, information assurance example responsibilities.

Manage and monitors FISMA governance for all command accreditations.
Manage the provisioning of the hardware and software for virtual servers and personal computers.
Review and manage the security and information assurance capabilities of database applications, database structure and architecture.
Configure and maintain Cisco ASA firewall in compliance with DISA STIG guidelines.
Ensure protection and detection capabilities are developed in line with organizational, DoD, and national-level security policies and architecture.
Review and tacking of all ACAS scans.

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.

Manager, information assurance vs security architect skills

Common manager, information assurance skills

Risk Assessments, 8%
IAM, 8%
DOD, 7%
ACAS, 6%
NIST, 6%
RMF, 6%

Common security architect skills

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

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Manager, Information Assurance vs Security Architect

Updated January 8, 2025

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