Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between securities analysts and personnel 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 securities analyst and a personnel security specialist. Additionally, a securities analyst has an average salary of $84,334, which is higher than the $78,967 average annual salary of a personnel security specialist.
The top three skills for a securities analyst include incident response, security policies and NIST. The most important skills for a personnel security specialist are SCI, JPAS, and E-QIP.
| Securities Analyst | Personnel Security Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $84,334 | $78,967 |
| Hourly rate | $40.55 | $37.96 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 33,422 | 52,507 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Securities analysts, also known as financial analysts, are responsible for collecting and interpreting data on securities, economies, corporate strategies, and financial markets. They provide clients with recommendations on investments based on in-depth research. This role has various duties and responsibilities that include putting out a buy, sell or hold recommendation in the financial markets, assessing the value and financial stability of companies, and meeting with company representatives to better understand their business practices. Securities analysts are also responsible for devising financial models.
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.
Securities analysts and personnel security specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Securities Analyst | Personnel Security Specialist | |
| Average salary | $84,334 | $78,967 |
| Salary range | Between $59,000 And $118,000 | Between $49,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Maine | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Meta | Palantir |
| Best paying industry | Finance | Technology |
There are a few differences between a securities analyst and a personnel security specialist in terms of educational background:
| Securities Analyst | Personnel Security Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 66% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Business | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | University of Pennsylvania | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between securities analysts' and personnel security specialists' demographics:
| Securities Analyst | Personnel Security Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 70.5% Female, 29.5% | Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3% |
| 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% |