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The differences between security architects 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 security architect and an information security engineer. Additionally, a security architect has an average salary of $128,636, which is higher than the $97,288 average annual salary of an information security engineer.
The top three skills for a security architect include cloud security, architecture and cloud. The most important skills for an information security engineer are infrastructure, incident response, and security tools.
| Security Architect | Information Security Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $128,636 | $97,288 |
| Hourly rate | $61.84 | $46.77 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 127,619 | 120,257 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A security architect specializes in designing and establishing security systems and measures to protect a company and its clients from hackers or cyber-attacks. Their responsibilities revolve around reviewing existing security systems to determine areas needing improvement, implementing upgrades, and devising strategies to identify a company's information technology needs. A security architect may also provide instructional materials to employees on utilizing the security systems, respond to inquiries and concerns, and perform maintenance tests as needed. Furthermore, should there be any incidents of breaches, it is essential to conduct a thorough investigation to prevent it from happening again.
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.
Security architects and information security engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security Architect | Information Security Engineer | |
| Average salary | $128,636 | $97,288 |
| Salary range | Between $92,000 And $179,000 | Between $73,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Pennsylvania | California |
| Best paying company | The Knot | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | - | Technology |
There are a few differences between a security architect and an information security engineer in terms of educational background:
| Security Architect | Information Security Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 62% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between security architects' and information security engineers' demographics:
| Security Architect | Information Security Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 90.5% Female, 9.5% | 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% |