Physical security engineer vs security engineer

The differences between physical security engineers 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 physical security engineer and a security engineer. Additionally, a security engineer has an average salary of $104,524, 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 a security engineer are java, cloud security, and infrastructure.

Physical security engineer vs security engineer overview

	Physical Security Engineer	Security Engineer
Yearly salary	$84,784	$104,524
Hourly rate	$40.76	$50.25
Growth rate	32%	32%
Number of jobs	118,927	86,093
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age	42	42
Years of experience	6	6

Physical security engineer vs security engineer salary

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

	Physical Security Engineer	Security Engineer
Average salary	$84,784	$104,524
Salary range	Between $60,000 And $118,000	Between $77,000 And $141,000
Highest paying City	-	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	ICE Mortgage Technology
Best paying industry	-	Technology

Differences between physical security engineer and security engineer education

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

	Physical Security Engineer	Security Engineer
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 66%	Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common major	Electrical Engineering	Computer Science
Most common college	California State University - Long Beach	Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Physical security engineer vs security engineer demographics

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

	Physical Security Engineer	Security Engineer
Average age	42	42
Gender ratio	Male, 90.6% Female, 9.4%	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 physical security engineer and security engineer 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.

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.

Physical security engineer vs security engineer skills

Common physical security engineer skills

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

Common security engineer skills

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

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Physical Security Engineer
Physical Security Engineer vs Security Engineer

Updated January 8, 2025

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