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The differences between network security specialists and cyber security specialists 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 specialist and a cyber security specialist. Additionally, a cyber security specialist has an average salary of $93,395, which is higher than the $82,206 average annual salary of a network security specialist.
The top three skills for a network security specialist include network security, incident response and IDS. The most important skills for a cyber security specialist are cyber security, incident response, and NIST.
| Network Security Specialist | Cyber Security Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $82,206 | $93,395 |
| Hourly rate | $39.52 | $44.90 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 82,646 | 65,235 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A Network Security Specialist is a person who oversees computer networks to find security threats or unauthorized users. Their responsibilities include: identifying compromised machines, creating briefs of security measures taken, identifying possible security risks, determining the proper procedure to address the risks, assessing software that security aid, and researching security devices to get proper information on installation, audit-related information, and disaster recovery plans.
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 security specialists and cyber security specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Network Security Specialist | Cyber Security Specialist | |
| Average salary | $82,206 | $93,395 |
| Salary range | Between $60,000 And $112,000 | Between $69,000 And $125,000 |
| Highest paying City | Sunnyvale, CA | Bellevue, WA |
| Highest paying state | California | Washington |
| Best paying company | JPMorgan Chase & Co. | BP America Inc |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a network security specialist and a cyber security specialist in terms of educational background:
| Network Security Specialist | Cyber Security Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | North Carolina State University |
Here are the differences between network security specialists' and cyber security specialists' demographics:
| Network Security Specialist | Cyber Security Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 83.6% Female, 16.4% | Male, 83.2% Female, 16.8% |
| 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% |