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The differences between security system engineers 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 system engineer and an information security engineer. Additionally, a security system engineer has an average salary of $103,018, which is higher than the $97,288 average annual salary of an information security engineer.
The top three skills for a security system engineer include architecture, NIST and DOD. The most important skills for an information security engineer are infrastructure, incident response, and security tools.
| Security System Engineer | Information Security Engineer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,018 | $97,288 |
| Hourly rate | $49.53 | $46.77 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 97,083 | 120,257 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
The primary job of a security system engineer is to design computer systems that can prevent disruptions, such as cyberattacks and natural disasters. You will engineer, implement, and monitor security measures to protect computer networks, systems, and information. In addition, you will identify and define the requirements for system security and design computer security architecture. Other duties that you will perform include preparing and documenting standard operating protocols and procedures, configuring and troubleshooting security infrastructure, and developing security tools to help minimize computer security vulnerabilities.
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 system engineers and information security engineers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security System Engineer | Information Security Engineer | |
| Average salary | $103,018 | $97,288 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $141,000 | Between $73,000 And $129,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Credit Karma | The Citadel |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Technology |
There are a few differences between a security system engineer and an information security engineer in terms of educational background:
| Security System Engineer | Information Security Engineer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Computer Science |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
Here are the differences between security system engineers' and information security engineers' demographics:
| Security System Engineer | Information Security Engineer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4% | 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% |