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The differences between senior security engineers and senior security consultants 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 security engineer and a senior security consultant. Additionally, a senior security engineer has an average salary of $122,480, which is higher than the $120,769 average annual salary of a senior security consultant.
The top three skills for a senior security engineer include cloud security, java and linux. The most important skills for a senior security consultant are cloud security, infrastructure, and governance.
| Senior Security Engineer | Senior Security Consultant | |
| Yearly salary | $122,480 | $120,769 |
| Hourly rate | $58.88 | $58.06 |
| Growth rate | 32% | 32% |
| Number of jobs | 69,850 | 66,226 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Years of experience | 6 | 6 |
A senior security engineer is responsible for maintaining the safety and security of the organization's systems and network database to prevent unauthorized access and avoid data breaches. Senior security engineers inspect the efficiency of networks, perform system configuration, and increase the optimal performance of complex systems. They also implement policies and procedures for compliance with the proper utilization of information directories. They also conduct regular maintenance of networks, create update reports, and resolve glitches and security threats.
A senior security consultant is an information technology (IT) expert specializing in establishing security protocols and systems to protect a company's data and network. Their responsibilities revolve around performing internal research and analysis to identify the strengths and weaknesses of current IT security systems, recommending solutions to problem areas, and suggesting new tools and techniques to improve data security. Furthermore, as a senior security consultant, it is essential to monitor the company's systems and networks and promptly respond to any breaches, conducting corrective and preventive measures to prevent it from ever happening again.
Senior security engineers and senior security consultants have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Senior Security Engineer | Senior Security Consultant | |
| Average salary | $122,480 | $120,769 |
| Salary range | Between $90,000 And $164,000 | Between $91,000 And $159,000 |
| Highest paying City | San Francisco, CA | Sacramento, CA |
| Highest paying state | California | Nevada |
| Best paying company | Roku | Amazon |
| Best paying industry | Manufacturing | Technology |
There are a few differences between a senior security engineer and a senior security consultant in terms of educational background:
| Senior Security Engineer | Senior Security Consultant | |
| Most common degree | Bachelor's Degree, 63% | Bachelor's Degree, 67% |
| Most common major | Computer Science | Business |
| Most common college | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Stanford University |
Here are the differences between senior security engineers' and senior security consultants' demographics:
| Senior Security Engineer | Senior Security Consultant | |
| Average age | 42 | 42 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 91.2% Female, 8.8% | Male, 86.1% Female, 13.9% |
| 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, 6.1% Hispanic or Latino, 9.0% Asian, 9.6% White, 65.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4% |
| LGBT Percentage | 9% | 9% |