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The differences between network security analysts and 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 a network security analyst and a security engineer. Additionally, a security engineer has an average salary of $104,524, which is higher than the $81,623 average annual salary of a network security analyst.
The top three skills for a network security analyst include network security, windows and incident response. The most important skills for a security engineer are java, cloud security, and infrastructure.
| Network Security Analyst | Security Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $81,623 | $104,524 |
| Hourly rate | $39.24 | $50.25 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 82,954 | 86,093 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Network security analysts are information technology (IT) professionals who are responsible for designing and implementing security measures to prevent suspicious or hostile activities on the computer and network systems for an organization. These analysts must install firewalls while working with the IT team to protect their systems against malicious attacks. They are required to perform forensic analysis on those malicious activities so that they can determine the source of the threats. Network security analysts must also communicate the state of information security to the stakeholders as well as suggesting ways to improve system security.
Security engineers are responsible for developing and overseeing data and security software to help prevent data breaches, leaks, and taps related to cybercrime. Other duties and responsibilities include developing new systems to help protect computer networks and assets, configuring firewalls, and conducting penetration testing to pinpoint vulnerabilities. Additionally, security engineers are responsible for investigating attacks and help prevent cybersecurity threat. They are also responsible for creating new processes for authorization, encryption algorithms, and authentication, and analyzing current security policies.
Network security analysts and security engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Network Security Analyst | Security Engineer | |
| Average salary | $81,623 | $104,524 |
| Salary range | Between $61,000 And $108,000 | Between $77,000 And $141,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Jose, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Bunge | ICE Mortgage Technology |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a network security analyst and a security engineer in terms of educational background:
| Network Security Analyst | Security Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 63% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between network security analysts' and security engineers' demographics:
| Network Security Analyst | Security Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 84.9% Female, 15.1% | Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6% |
| 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% |