How To Become A Senior Information Assurance Engineer: What It Is and Career Path

What is a senior information assurance engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted expert

Professor David Sanford

The average senior information assurance engineer salary is $89,626. The most common degree is a bachelor's degree degree with an computer information systems major. It usually takes 4-6 years of experience to become a senior information assurance engineer. Senior information assurance engineers with a Certified Information Systems Security Professional - Architecture (CISSP) certification earn more money. Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 32% and produce 35,500 job opportunities across the U.S.

What general advice would you give to a senior information assurance engineer?

Professor David Sanford

Associate Professor an Department Chair (MIS, CS, CYB MGT, IS CYB), Northwood University

Workers like that they are challenged to solve problems and lead technological innovations.
They appreciate the diversity of projects
They enjoy the need for continuous improvement and education
Many see the global impact of their work.
They also desire and appreciate the need for versatile skills
A competitive salary is also an item that employees like

Workers dislike that the work can be stressful
Dealing with tight deadlines and/ or cybersecurity concerns.
This is a positive and a negative: The need to constantly stay up to date with technology can be a bit overwhelming for some.
There may be times of isolation, and
The unexpected system failures can be frustrating as they often require extra hours or the need to be on-call.
The multiple responsibilities and managing repetitive tasks are also issues workers point out in this field.

In short, the workplace offers exciting opportunities but comes with its fair share of pressures and challenges. Different people have different experiences based on their roles and personal preferences.

ScoreSenior Information Assurance EngineerUS Average

Salary

7.0

Avg. Salary $89,626

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

6.5

Growth rate 32%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.8

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.43%

Asian 9.64%

Black or African American 9.15%

Hispanic or Latino 8.99%

Unknown 6.09%

White 65.70%

Gender

female 14.13%

male 85.87%

Age - 42

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42

Stress level

6.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.4

Complexity level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work life balance

6.9

Work life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a senior information assurance engineer

Explore senior information assurance engineer education requirements

Most common senior information assurance engineer degrees

Bachelor's

66.2 %

Master's

17.4 %

Associate

11.7 %

Start to develop specific senior information assurance engineer skills

Skills	Percentages
RMF	10.94%
NIST	6.61%
DOD	6.26%
ACAS	5.35%
IAM	4.82%

Complete relevant senior information assurance engineer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New senior information assurance engineers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a senior information assurance engineer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real senior information assurance engineer resumes.

Gain additional senior information assurance engineer certifications

Senior information assurance engineer certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for the position. Certifications can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a specific senior information assurance engineer certification, having one may help you stand out relative to other applicants.

The most common certifications for senior information assurance engineers include Certified Information Systems Security Professional - Architecture (CISSP) and Security 5 Certification.

More About Certifications

Research senior information assurance engineer duties and responsibilities

Review and manage the security and information assurance capabilities of database applications, database structure and architecture.
Provide engineering support for all MHS regions regarding up-to-date DISA STIG.
Support DoD clients with application and software architecture assessments, risk analysis, and vulnerability assessments.
Perform system administration and duties of HBSS operator.

Get senior information assurance engineer experience

Generally, it takes 4-6 years to become a senior information assurance engineer. The most common roles before becoming a senior information assurance engineer include network engineer, information assurance engineer team lead and systems administrator.

Prepare your senior information assurance engineer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your senior information assurance engineer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a senior information assurance engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

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