Senior information security analyst vs security administrator

The differences between senior information security analysts 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 senior information security analyst, becoming a security administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior information security analyst has an average salary of $103,586, which is higher than the $79,564 average annual salary of a security administrator.

The top three skills for a senior information security analyst include incident response, risk assessments and infrastructure. The most important skills for a security administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and security procedures.

Senior information security analyst vs security administrator overview

	Senior Information Security Analyst	Security Administrator
Yearly salary	$103,586	$79,564
Hourly rate	$49.80	$38.25
Growth rate	32%	5%
Number of jobs	113,001	99,222
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Average age	42	43
Years of experience	6	2

What does a senior information security analyst do?

Senior Information Security Analyst plan and execute security measures to safeguard a company's computer system and network. Duties include advising on best practice for technical security, implementing corrective action to any vulnerabilities identified, leading security audits for best practice assurance, and creating information security training for staff. They also help maintain the organization's information security management system across its policies, standards, and guidelines. They must maintain awareness of industry standards, technology trends, and changes in external regulation.

What does a security administrator do?

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.

Senior information security analyst vs security administrator salary

Senior information security analysts and security administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Senior Information Security Analyst	Security Administrator
Average salary	$103,586	$79,564
Salary range	Between $78,000 And $135,000	Between $54,000 And $115,000
Highest paying City	San Francisco, CA	San Francisco, CA
Highest paying state	California	California
Best paying company	Mayo Clinic	Gap Inc.
Best paying industry	Professional	Government

Differences between senior information security analyst and security administrator education

There are a few differences between a senior information security analyst and a security administrator in terms of educational background:

	Senior Information Security Analyst	Security Administrator
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 63%	Bachelor's Degree, 54%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	Stanford University	California State University - Bakersfield

Senior information security analyst vs security administrator demographics

Here are the differences between senior information security analysts' and security administrators' demographics:

	Senior Information Security Analyst	Security Administrator
Average age	42	43
Gender ratio	Male, 78.2% Female, 21.8%	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%

Differences between senior information security analyst and security administrator duties and responsibilities

Senior information security analyst example responsibilities.

Manage the review of log output for security reports from Foundstone, enVision and SU & SUDU Unix log reviews.
Manage the conversion to a hybrid NAS/disk/tape CommVault base backup environment resulting in decreasing backup windows and improving recovery objectives.
Create new SIEM content and rules to help identify important security incidents and events.
Maintain the company's firewall and utilize applicable encryption methods.
Recommend and deploy DNS logging using McAfee SIEM collectors.
Create policies for certification with ISO 27001 and industry standards.

Security administrator example responsibilities.

Manage updates and creation of intranet file.
Create, manage, and maintain corporate LAN.
Manage and monitor various tools and reporting tools relating to security and encryption.
Manage all network objects: computers, users, TCP/IP resources, printers, copier.
Manage staff to implement JCL procedure modifications.
Utilize PowerShell scripts to automate system administrative tasks.

Senior information security analyst vs security administrator skills

Common senior information security analyst skills

Incident Response, 6%
Risk Assessments, 5%
Infrastructure, 4%
ISO, 4%
Governance, 3%
SOC, 3%

Common security administrator skills

Customer Service, 10%
Troubleshoot, 6%
Security Procedures, 6%
Data Entry, 5%
Security Policies, 5%
SCI, 5%

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Senior Information Security Analyst vs Security Administrator

Updated January 8, 2025

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