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The differences between network engineers and cyber security specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 1-2 years to become a network engineer, becoming a cyber security specialist takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a cyber security specialist has an average salary of $93,395, which is higher than the $83,557 average annual salary of a network engineer.
The top three skills for a network engineer include switches, troubleshoot and network infrastructure. The most important skills for a cyber security specialist are cyber security, incident response, and NIST.
| Network Engineer | Cyber Security Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $83,557 | $93,395 |
| Hourly rate | $40.17 | $44.90 |
| Growth rate | 5% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 72,346 | 65,235 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 2 | 6 |
A network engineer is responsible for managing a network system, monitoring its performance, and upgrading its features to optimize performance and boost efficiency. Network engineers also create new systems, designing them based on clients' specifications and business needs. They also check network defects, perform troubleshooting, improve data security systems, and install security updates. A network engineer must have excellent knowledge of the technology industry, as well as a broad understanding of system codes, programming languages, and network configurations.
Cybersecurity Specialists are information technology (IT) professionals who safeguard and protect the company's networks. They ensure that the network infrastructure is secure at all times. They do routine checks to see whether the infrastructure is vulnerable to attacks. Cybersecurity Specialists monitor and respond to security concerns. They launch programs or software to mitigate any attacks that the company's infrastructure may receive. They also look for ways to minimize the network infrastructure's vulnerability to risks, threats, and attacks.
Network engineers and cyber security specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Network Engineer | Cyber Security Specialist | |
| Average salary | $83,557 | $93,395 |
| Salary range | Between $62,000 And $111,000 | Between $69,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Menlo Park, CA | Bellevue, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | The Citadel | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a network engineer and a cyber security specialist in terms of educational background:
| Network Engineer | Cyber Security Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | North Carolina State University |
Here are the differences between network engineers' and cyber security specialists' demographics:
| Network Engineer | Cyber Security Specialist | |
| Average age | 43 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% | 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% |