Information Security Analysts: Job Description
Plan, implement, upgrade, or monitor security measures for the protection of computer networks and information. Assess system vulnerabilities for security risks and propose and implement risk mitigation strategies. May ensure appropriate security controls are in place that will safeguard digital files and vital electronic infrastructure. May respond to computer security breaches and viruses.
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What Tasks Do Information Security Analysts Take On?
Typical responsibilities of information security analysts span:
- Develop plans to safeguard computer files against accidental or unauthorized modification, destruction, or disclosure and to meet emergency data processing needs.
- Monitor current reports of computer viruses to determine when to update virus protection systems.
- Encrypt data transmissions and erect firewalls to conceal confidential information as it is being transmitted and to keep out tainted digital transfers.
- Perform risk assessments and execute tests of data processing system to ensure functioning of data processing activities and security measures.
- Modify computer security files to incorporate new software, correct errors, or change individual access status.
- Review violations of computer security procedures and discuss procedures with violators to ensure violations are not repeated.
- Document computer security and emergency measures policies, procedures, and tests.
- Confer with users to discuss issues such as computer data access needs, security violations, and programming changes.
Key Skills and Knowledge
Successful information security analysts rely on a mix of skills and domain knowledge.
Top Skills
These are the skills most central to this role, rated on an importance scale of 0 to 5:
Top Knowledge Areas
Types of Information Security Analysts Jobs
People in this occupation may also be known by titles such as:
- AI Security Specialist (Artificial Intelligence Security Specialist)
- All-Source Analyst
- Application Security Analyst
- Applications Security Analyst
- Automatic Data Processing Systems Security Specialist (ADP Systems Security)
- Blue Team Member
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
- Cloud Security Architect
Employment and Demand
There are about 519,710 information security analysts working in the United States today. Demand is forecast to grow by +12.3% over the projection horizon.
Salary for Information Security Analysts
| Statistic | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual median | $111,930 |
| Hourly median | $53.81 |
| 10th percentile | $66,639 |
| 25th percentile | $89,284 |
| 75th percentile | $134,576 |
| 90th percentile | $157,221 |
Compensation varies based on experience, location, and industry.
Pay by State
| State | Annual median salary |
|---|---|
| Washington | $142,920 |
| California | $140,660 |
| Maryland | $140,480 |
| New Jersey | $135,390 |
| Delaware | $134,050 |
| New Mexico | $133,780 |
| Virginia | $132,460 |
| New York | $131,100 |
| Colorado | $130,570 |
| Connecticut | $130,500 |
| New Hampshire | $129,690 |
| Minnesota | $128,830 |
| District of Columbia | $127,760 |
| Massachusetts | $127,610 |
| Hawaii | $125,790 |
| Arizona | $125,320 |
| Texas | $124,970 |
| Georgia | $124,270 |
| Idaho | $121,970 |
| Wyoming | $121,290 |
| North Carolina | $121,070 |
| Oregon | $119,000 |
| Illinois | $114,300 |
| Iowa | $112,950 |
| North Dakota | $112,330 |
| Alabama | $111,110 |
| Pennsylvania | $110,230 |
| Rhode Island | $109,410 |
| West Virginia | $107,820 |
| Ohio | $107,570 |
| Nevada | $106,530 |
| Florida | $105,990 |
| Michigan | $104,540 |
| South Dakota | $103,310 |
| Missouri | $102,440 |
| Alaska | $102,170 |
| Tennessee | $100,990 |
| Kansas | $99,420 |
| Wisconsin | $99,210 |
| Kentucky | $98,210 |
| Utah | $97,180 |
| Nebraska | $95,470 |
| Maine | $93,710 |
| Arkansas | $93,560 |
| Louisiana | $88,200 |
| Montana | $87,100 |
| Vermont | $86,810 |
| Oklahoma | $86,500 |
| Mississippi | $84,640 |
| Indiana | $78,290 |
| Puerto Rico | $59,520 |
Top-Paying U.S. Regions
Compensation for information security analysts differ across the country. Top regions by median wage:
| Region | Median annual wage | Share of U.S. jobs | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Far Western US | $137,453 | 14.7% | 0.99 |
| Middle Atlantic | $131,285 | 16.4% | 1.50 |
| New England | $124,962 | 5.0% | 1.20 |
| Southwest | $123,515 | 12.2% | 1.00 |
| Rocky Mountains | $122,869 | 4.7% | 1.47 |
| Southeast | $114,952 | 32.0% | 2.02 |
| Plains States | $109,914 | 5.3% | 0.77 |
| Great Lakes | $103,590 | 9.5% | 0.68 |
Top Metro Areas
| Metro area | State | Median annual wage | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA | CA | $175,520 | 2,500 |
| San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA | CA | $168,160 | 4,010 |
| Boulder, CO | CO | $156,410 | 430 |
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | WA | $152,660 | 4,490 |
| Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA | CA | $148,640 | 210 |
| New Haven, CT | CT | $145,520 | 130 |
| Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV | DC | $138,410 | 15,870 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | NY | $138,360 | 10,160 |
Which Industries Hire Information Security Analysts
The largest employers of information security analysts work in these industries:
| Industry | Employment | Median annual wage |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 75,590 | $127,260 |
| Finance and Insurance | 26,820 | $126,970 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 19,900 | $127,840 |
| Information | 16,750 | $136,390 |
| Manufacturing | 8,730 | $124,580 |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 8,360 | $112,340 |
| Educational Services | 4,760 | $92,380 |
| Wholesale Trade | 4,590 | $117,540 |
Information Security Analysts work in the following industries:
Software Information Security Analysts Use
- Web platform development software: AJAX (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Amazon DynamoDB (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud EC2 (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Redshift (hot technology)
- Cloud-based management software: Amazon Web Services AWS CloudFormation (hot technology)
- Data base user interface and query software: Amazon Web Services AWS software (hot technology)
- Expert system software: Ansible software (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Cassandra (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hadoop (hot technology)
- Data base management system software: Apache Hive (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Apache Kafka (hot technology)
- Development environment software: Apache Maven (hot technology)
Work Environment
Daily working conditions for information security analysts tends to involve the following characteristics:
- Indoors, Environmentally Controlled
- Telephone Conversations
- Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams
- Contact With Others
Getting Started in This Career
Entry-level information security analysts positions require a bachelor’s degree as the typical entry-level education. This occupation sits in Considerable Preparation Needed (Job Zone 4), indicating the level of preparation typically expected.
Related Careers
Similar Occupations
- Security Managers (Supplemental)
- Computer and Information Systems Managers (Supplemental)
- Security Management Specialists (Supplemental)
- Computer Systems Analysts (Primary-Short)
- Computer Network Support Specialists (Primary-Long)
- Computer User Support Specialists (Supplemental)
- Computer Network Architects (Primary-Long)
- Telecommunications Engineering Specialists (Supplemental)
Top Programs to Study For This Career
Students preparing for information security analysts commonly pursue programs in:
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
7 programs across 4 majors
Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services
1 programs across 1 majors
Health Professions and Related Programs
1 programs across 1 majors
About the Data
This profile draws on the following authoritative sources:
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for employment and wage data by state and industry.
- BLS Employment Projections for total employment and growth forecasts.
- O*NET (Occupational Information Network) for skills, knowledge, tasks, work activities, work context, technology, and education-zone data.
SOC code: 15-1212.00 (Information Security Analysts).
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