Network security consultant vs network engineer

The differences between network security consultants and network engineers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a network security consultant, becoming a network engineer takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a network security consultant has an average salary of $92,993, which is higher than the $83,557 average annual salary of a network engineer.

The top three skills for a network security consultant include network infrastructure, switches and routers. The most important skills for a network engineer are switches, troubleshoot, and network infrastructure.

Network security consultant vs network engineer overview

	Network Security Consultant	Network Engineer
Yearly salary	$92,993	$83,557
Hourly rate	$44.71	$40.17
Growth rate	32%	5%
Number of jobs	79,888	72,346
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Average age	42	43
Years of experience	6	2

Network security consultant vs network engineer salary

Network security consultants and network engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Network Security Consultant	Network Engineer
Average salary	$92,993	$83,557
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $126,000	Between $62,000 And $111,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	Menlo Park, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Palo Alto Networks	The Citadel
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between network security consultant and network engineer education

There are a few differences between a network security consultant and a network engineer in terms of educational background:

	Network Security Consultant	Network Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 62%
Most common major	Computer Science	Electrical Engineering
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	California State University - Long Beach

Network security consultant vs network engineer demographics

Here are the differences between network security consultants' and network engineers' demographics:

	Network Security Consultant	Network Engineer
Average age	42	43
Gender ratio	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%	Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4%
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, 7.9% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 11.6% Asian, 13.7% White, 61.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3%
LGBT Percentage	9%	9%

Differences between network security consultant and network engineer duties and responsibilities

Network security consultant example responsibilities.

Manage multiple network suppliers in a global environment in determining a proper choice for the SIEM.
Design and manage information systems security policy, implementation, and management for a globally distribute MPLS infrastructure.
Work on documenting and finding UNIX security holes within Harris' network.
Act as liaison between network team and Protiviti for their ongoing PCI compliance certification process
Act as an escalation point for alerts generate by a SIEM and other relate tools.
Complete system maintenance and upgrades during establish off-hour maintenance windows, and in the event emergency repairs or network upgrades.

Network engineer example responsibilities.

Manage UCCE deployments which include CUCM, IPIVR, CVP , 3rd party reporting and CUIC.
Manage UNIX's projects to meet project dateline while solving daily network crisis.
Perform the tasks of designing, implementing, supporting, and managing networking and telecommunication infrastructure.
Manage all domain registrations, SSL certificate management.
Create locally manage and centrally manage gateways on checkpoint firewall.
Manage and administrate security policy and procedures for all VPN network connectivity and accounts.

Network security consultant vs network engineer skills

Common network security consultant skills

Network Infrastructure, 9%
Switches, 9%
Routers, 7%
Windows, 6%
NMAP, 5%
Linux, 4%

Common network engineer skills

Switches, 7%
Troubleshoot, 5%
Network Infrastructure, 4%
BGP, 4%
OSPF, 4%
Lan Wan, 4%

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Network Security Consultant vs Network Engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

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