Physical security engineer vs information security officer

The differences between physical security engineers and information security officers can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a physical security engineer and an information security officer. Additionally, an information security officer has an average salary of $135,040, which is higher than the $84,784 average annual salary of a physical security engineer.

The top three skills for a physical security engineer include CCTV, security design and video surveillance systems. The most important skills for an information security officer are risk management, risk assessments, and incident response.

Physical security engineer vs information security officer overview

	Physical Security Engineer	Information Security Officer
Yearly salary	$84,784	$135,040
Hourly rate	$40.76	$64.92
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	118,927	145,907
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Physical security engineer vs information security officer salary

Physical security engineers and information security officers have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Physical Security Engineer	Information Security Officer
Average salary	$84,784	$135,040
Salary range	Between $60,000 And $118,000	Between $95,000 And $190,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	Twilio
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between physical security engineer and information security officer education

There are a few differences between a physical security engineer and an information security officer in terms of educational background:

	Physical Security Engineer	Information Security Officer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 64%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Business
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Stanford University

Physical security engineer vs information security officer demographics

Here are the differences between physical security engineers' and information security officers' demographics:

	Physical Security Engineer	Information Security Officer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4%	Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1%
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 physical security engineer and information security officer duties and responsibilities

Physical security engineer example responsibilities.

Coordinate and manage the installations of security systems with the USAO, GSA, and security installer.
Implement a manage endpoint encryption solution utilizing TrendMicro MobileArmor to secure university workstations against sensitive data loss.
Implement PKI procedures for entire division.
Create ETL processes for importing access data into SQL databases via SSIS and SQL store procedures.
Create access risk metrics and reports using SQL server reporting that goes up to a management committee.
Participate in project meetings and conference calls with facilities groups, USAO personnel, GSA, general contractors and subcontractors.

Information security officer example responsibilities.

Lead vulnerability scanning and penetration testing for PCI-DSS compliance.
Manage client relationships in conjunction with moving production environment to AWS.
Manage all printers, switches, routers, and data archiving.
Manage and ensure all AIS systems are operated in accordance with applicable DoD directives.
Avoid fines and penalties by achieving and maintaining PCI, HIPAA, and SOX compliance.
Engage to design and implement an enterprise-wide information security program to achieve SOX and HIPPA compliance.

Physical security engineer vs information security officer skills

Common physical security engineer skills

CCTV, 36%
Security Design, 25%
Video Surveillance Systems, 23%
Scheme, 5%
Control Systems, 5%
Card Readers, 4%

Common information security officer skills

Risk Management, 12%
Risk Assessments, 7%
Incident Response, 7%
Infrastructure, 6%
Governance, 5%
ISO, 5%

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Physical Security Engineer vs Information Security Officer

Updated January 8, 2025

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