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The differences between security engineers and information assurance 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 engineer and an information assurance engineer. Additionally, a security engineer has an average salary of $104,524, which is higher than the $89,291 average annual salary of an information assurance engineer.
The top three skills for a security engineer include java, cloud security and infrastructure. The most important skills for an information assurance engineer are RMF, DOD, and IAM.
| Security Engineer | Information Assurance Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $104,524 | $89,291 |
| Hourly rate | $50.25 | $42.93 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 86,093 | 104,421 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Security engineers are responsible for developing and overseeing data and security software to help prevent data breaches, leaks, and taps related to cybercrime. Other duties and responsibilities include developing new systems to help protect computer networks and assets, configuring firewalls, and conducting penetration testing to pinpoint vulnerabilities. Additionally, security engineers are responsible for investigating attacks and help prevent cybersecurity threat. They are also responsible for creating new processes for authorization, encryption algorithms, and authentication, and analyzing current security policies.
Information assurance engineers are responsible for protecting an organization's data. They act as a team of security specialists that use their skill in securely operating and keeping data to protect the organization's most essential asset. Their main role is to guarantee the quality, security, and retrievability of the organization's information. Also, they outline security systems that make certain the integrity, confidentiality, and accessibility of data. Additionally, they secure IT infrastructure, maintain hardware and software updated, establish security standards, and monitor threats like breaches.
Security engineers and information assurance engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security Engineer | Information Assurance Engineer | |
| Average salary | $104,524 | $89,291 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $141,000 | Between $67,000 And $117,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Santa Clara, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Oregon |
| Best paying company | ICE Mortgage Technology | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a security engineer and an information assurance engineer in terms of educational background:
| Security Engineer | Information Assurance Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 60% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Information Technology |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | - |
Here are the differences between security engineers' and information assurance engineers' demographics:
| Security Engineer | Information Assurance Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6% | Male, 78.6% Female, 21.4% |
| 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% |