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The differences between security engineers and information systems 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 security engineer and an information systems security officer. Additionally, a security engineer has an average salary of $104,524, which is higher than the $90,730 average annual salary of an information systems security officer.
The top three skills for a security engineer include java, cloud security and infrastructure. The most important skills for an information systems security officer are RMF, DOD, and ISSO.
| Security Engineer | Information Systems Security Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $104,524 | $90,730 |
| Hourly rate | $50.25 | $43.62 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 86,093 | 202,299 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| 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.
An information systems security officer's role is to perform preventive measures to protect a company's data and systems from hackers or cyber-attacks. Their responsibilities revolve around assessing the existing security measures to identify any vulnerabilities or inconsistencies, recommending and implementing changes to improve security systems, and developing new strategies and programs for data protection. There are also instances when an information systems security officer must manage and maintain information in databases, train new employees, and create new security policies, all while adhering to the company's vision and mission.
Security engineers and information systems security officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security Engineer | Information Systems Security Officer | |
| Average salary | $104,524 | $90,730 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $141,000 | Between $68,000 And $120,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palmdale, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ICE Mortgage Technology | Parsons |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Professional |
There are a few differences between a security engineer and an information systems security officer in terms of educational background:
| Security Engineer | Information Systems Security Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 61% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Information Systems |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between security engineers' and information systems security officers' demographics:
| Security Engineer | Information Systems Security Officer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6% | Male, 78.3% Female, 21.7% |
| 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% |