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The differences between senior information security engineers 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 engineer, becoming a security administrator takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a senior information security engineer has an average salary of $118,795, which is higher than the $79,564 average annual salary of a security administrator.
The top three skills for a senior information security engineer include incident response, risk management and windows. The most important skills for a security administrator are customer service, troubleshoot, and security procedures.
| Senior Information Security Engineer | Security Administrator | |
| Yearly salary | $118,795 | $79,564 |
| Hourly rate | $57.11 | $38.25 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 5% |
| Number of jobs | 119,962 | 99,222 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 2 |
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 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 engineers and security administrators have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Information Security Engineer | Security Administrator | |
| Average salary | $118,795 | $79,564 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $155,000 | Between $54,000 And $115,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | San Francisco, CA |
| Highest paying state | Washington | California |
| Best paying company | Apple | Gap Inc. |
| Best paying industry | Hospitality | Government |
There are a few differences between a senior information security engineer and a security administrator in terms of educational background:
| Senior Information Security Engineer | Security Administrator | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 61% | Bachelor's Degree, 54% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Stanford University | California State University - Bakersfield |
Here are the differences between senior information security engineers' and security administrators' demographics:
| Senior Information Security Engineer | Security Administrator | |
| Average age | 42 | 43 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 87.4% Female, 12.6% | 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% |