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The differences between personnel security specialists and information 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 personnel security specialist and an information security engineer. Additionally, an information security engineer has an average salary of $97,288, which is higher than the $78,967 average annual salary of a personnel security specialist.
The top three skills for a personnel security specialist include SCI, JPAS and E-QIP. The most important skills for an information security engineer are infrastructure, incident response, and security tools.
| Personnel Security Specialist | Information Security Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $78,967 | $97,288 |
| Hourly rate | $37.96 | $46.77 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 52,507 | 120,257 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A personnel security specialist is responsible for conducting background checks and collecting requirements for security clearance. Personnel security specialists write background check reports, coordinate with other institutions for further investigations, and determining the eligibility of candidates for clearance. They must have excellent communication and researching skills to identify and gather data suitable for employment purposes. A personnel security specialist verifies and processes information according to security procedures and protocols, providing accurate information and managing data disputes.
An information security engineer specializes in designing and developing systems to protect company and customer data from hackers or any cyber attacks. Their responsibilities revolve around coordinating with different departments to identify their needs, assess existing programs to identify any areas needing improvement, monitor network and system for any problems, and implement preventive measures for protection. Should there be any breaches, it is essential to resolve them right away and conduct an investigation to prevent it from happening again. Furthermore, it is necessary to assist employees in utilizing security systems to ensure smooth workflow.
Personnel security specialists and information security engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Personnel Security Specialist | Information Security Engineer | |
| Average salary | $78,967 | $97,288 |
| Salary range | Between $49,000 And $124,000 | Between $73,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | Palo Alto, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Connecticut | California |
| Best paying company | Palantir | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Technology |
There are a few differences between a personnel security specialist and an information security engineer in terms of educational background:
| Personnel Security Specialist | Information Security Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Criminal Justice | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Bakersfield | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between personnel security specialists' and information security engineers' demographics:
| Personnel Security Specialist | Information Security Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3% | Male, 88.3% Female, 11.7% |
| 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% |