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The differences between security engineers and software engineers 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 software engineer takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a security engineer has an average salary of $104,524, which is higher than the $100,260 average annual salary of a software engineer.
The top three skills for a security engineer include java, cloud security and infrastructure. The most important skills for a software engineer are java, python, and software development.
| Security Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $104,524 | $100,260 |
| Hourly rate | $50.25 | $48.20 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 21% |
| Number of jobs | 86,093 | 339,938 |
| Job satisfaction | - | 3.5 |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 4 |
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 software engineer is a computer science professional who is responsible for the development of information systems, designing and building computer systems software and applications software. They often prefer to call themselves as a software developer or computer programmer. They have substantial knowledge of programming languages, software development, and computer operating systems, and other technologies. They use these to turn a plan into a final output. They can create a design, test, and develop software based on the needs of their clients.
Security engineers and software engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average salary | $104,524 | $100,260 |
| Salary range | Between $77,000 And $141,000 | Between $73,000 And $136,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Bruno, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | ICE Mortgage Technology | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Technology | Start-up |
There are a few differences between a security engineer and a software engineer in terms of educational background:
| Security Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 73% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Computer Science |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Harvard University |
Here are the differences between security engineers' and software engineers' demographics:
| Security Engineer | Software Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 39 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 86.4% Female, 13.6% | Male, 78.0% Female, 22.0% |
| 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, 4.4% Unknown, 4.8% Hispanic or Latino, 8.1% Asian, 34.0% White, 48.5% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 8% |