Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
The differences between security engineers and security administrators can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a security engineer, becoming a security administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a security engineer has an average salary of $104,524, which is higher than the $79,564 average annual salary of a security administrator.
The top three skills for a security engineer include java, cloud security and infrastructure. The most important skills for a security administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and security procedures.
| Security Engineer | Security Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $104,524 | $79,564 |
| Hourly rate | $50.25 | $38.25 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 86,093 | 99,222 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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.
A security administrator is in charge of establishing and enforcing security measures over a company's information systems and networks. Their duties typically revolve around installing and maintaining security networks, analyzing existing systems to identify areas needing improvement, conducting regular maintenance checks and upgrades to optimize services and functions, and monitoring overall systems for any suspicious activities or breaches. Furthermore, as a security administrator, it is essential to develop information technology solutions in adherence to the company's policies and regulations, including its vision and mission.
Security engineers and security administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security Engineer | Security Administrator | |
| Average salary | $104,524 | $79,564 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $141,000 | Between $54,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ICE Mortgage Technology | Gap Inc. |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Government |
There are a few differences between a security engineer and a security administrator in terms of educational background:
| Security Engineer | Security Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between security engineers' and security administrators' demographics:
| Security Engineer | Security Administrator | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6% | Male, 58.1% Female, 41.9% |
| 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, 5.1% Hispanic or Latino, 12.9% Asian, 8.7% White, 63.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.3% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |