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The differences between senior information security engineers and personnel security specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 4-6 years to become both a senior information security engineer and a personnel security specialist. Additionally, a senior information security engineer has an average salary of $118,795, which is higher than the $78,967 average annual salary of a personnel security specialist.
The top three skills for a senior information security engineer include incident response, risk management and windows. The most important skills for a personnel security specialist are SCI, JPAS, and E-QIP.
| Senior Information Security Engineer | Personnel Security Specialist | |
| Yearly salary | $118,795 | $78,967 |
| Hourly rate | $57.11 | $37.96 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 119,962 | 52,507 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
Senior information security engineers are information technology (IT) professionals who are responsible for managing the IT security of an organization. These engineers are required to participate in the planning, design, and installation of security systems that support the security policies of the organization. They must provide security expertise to the organization by conducting training for corporate security education and awareness programs. Senior information security engineers must also review reports on event anomalies while investigating security violations.
A personnel security specialist is responsible for conducting background checks and collecting requirements for security clearance. Personnel security specialists write background check reports, coordinate with other institutions for further investigations, and determining the eligibility of candidates for clearance. They must have excellent communication and researching skills to identify and gather data suitable for employment purposes. A personnel security specialist verifies and processes information according to security procedures and protocols, providing accurate information and managing data disputes.
Senior information security engineers and personnel security specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Information Security Engineer | Personnel Security Specialist | |
| Average salary | $118,795 | $78,967 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $155,000 | Between $49,000 And $124,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Palo Alto, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | Connecticut |
| Best paying company | Apple | Palantir |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior information security engineer and a personnel security specialist in terms of educational background:
| Senior Information Security Engineer | Personnel Security Specialist | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 56% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Criminal Justice |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between senior information security engineers' and personnel security specialists' demographics:
| Senior Information Security Engineer | Personnel Security Specialist | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% | Male, 39.7% Female, 60.3% |
| 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% |