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The differences between security system engineers and information 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 system engineer and an information security officer. Additionally, an information security officer has an average salary of $135,040, which is higher than the $103,018 average annual salary of a security system engineer.
The top three skills for a security system engineer include architecture, NIST and DOD. The most important skills for an information security officer are risk management, risk assessments, and incident response.
| Security System Engineer | Information Security Officer | |
| Yearly salary | $103,018 | $135,040 |
| Hourly rate | $49.53 | $64.92 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 97,083 | 145,907 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| 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.
Information security officers are responsible for planning and implementing policies to safeguard an organization's computer network and data from different types of security breaches. Their duties typically include identifying computer network vulnerabilities, developing and executing a plan to secure and protect the network, and tracking computer network usage to ensure adherence to security policies. In addition, information security officers are also expected to conduct penetration tests to look for flaws and work closely with the IT and management departments to improve security.
Security system engineers and information security officers have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Security System Engineer | Information Security Officer | |
| Average salary | $103,018 | $135,040 |
| Salary range | Between $75,000 And $141,000 | Between $95,000 And $190,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | California |
| Best paying company | Credit Karma | Twilio |
| Best paying industry | Professional | Professional |
There are a few differences between a security system engineer and an information security officer in terms of educational background:
| Security System Engineer | Information Security Officer | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 64% |
| Most common major | Electrical Engineering | Business |
| Most common college | California State University - Long Beach | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between security system engineers' and information security officers' demographics:
| Security System Engineer | Information Security Officer | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.6% Female, 12.4% | Male, 85.9% Female, 14.1% |
| 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% |