Network security consultant vs security engineer

The differences between network security consultants 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 consultant and a security engineer. Additionally, a security engineer has an average salary of $104,524, which is higher than the $92,993 average annual salary of a network security consultant.

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

Network security consultant vs security engineer overview

	Network Security Consultant	Security Engineer
Yearly salary	$92,993	$104,524
Hourly rate	$44.71	$50.25
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	79,888	86,093
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Network security consultant vs security engineer salary

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

	Network Security Consultant	Security Engineer
Average salary	$92,993	$104,524
Salary range	Between $68,000 And $126,000	Between $77,000 And $141,000
Highest paying City	New York, NY	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Palo Alto Networks	ICE Mortgage Technology
Best paying industry	Finance	Technology

Differences between network security consultant and security engineer education

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

	Network Security Consultant	Security Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 67%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Computer Science	Computer Science
Most common college	Massachusetts Institute of Technology	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Network security consultant vs security engineer demographics

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

	Network Security Consultant	Security Engineer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 92.0% Female, 8.0%	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%

Differences between network security consultant and security 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.

Security engineer example responsibilities.

Provide SME level support in a manage PKI environment.
Achieve authority-to-operate (ATO) status ahead of schedule.
Hardened/Tune a manage fleet of Cisco ASA and IPS security appliances.
Create custom scripts using ruby and proprietary gems to automate testing and reporting.
Manage CND tools team standup of multiple ArcSight logger and connector appliances according to DISA STIG requirements.
Manage vendor relations for VPN connectivity.

Network security consultant vs security engineer skills

Common network security consultant skills

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

Common security engineer skills

Java, 9%
Cloud Security, 8%
Infrastructure, 8%
Application Security, 4%
Incident Response, 4%
Windows, 4%

Network Security Consultant vs. similar jobs

Network Security Consultant related careers

Network Security Consultant related jobs

What similar roles do

Zippia Careers
Computer and Mathematical Industry
Network Security Consultant
Network Security Consultant vs Security Engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

Browse computer and mathematical jobs