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A Firewall Engineer plays a pivotal role in safeguarding an organization’s digital assets. As of October 2025, the average salary for this position is $99,357 per year, translating to approximately $48 per hour. Salaries can vary significantly based on factors such as experience, location, and industry. For example, engineers working in sectors like finance or technology tend to earn higher wages due to increased demand for cybersecurity expertise.
Geographic location greatly impacts earning potential. States such as California, New York, and Texas offer some of the highest salaries for Firewall Engineers, reflecting the concentration of tech companies and cybersecurity needs in these areas. Investigating average salaries by state can provide valuable insights for job seekers evaluating potential job offers.
As organizations increasingly prioritize cybersecurity, the demand for skilled Firewall Engineers continues to grow. This trend presents numerous opportunities for professionals to advance their careers in this critical field. For those looking to explore job listings, Zippia offers a comprehensive platform to find relevant openings tailored to various skill levels.
Let Zippia find your next firewall engineer job
Let Zippia find your next firewall engineer job
The highest-paying states for firewall engineers are California, Idaho, and Washington. The lowest average firewall engineer salary states are Florida, North Dakota, and Maine.
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California | $127,313 | $61.21 |
| 2 | Washington | $114,264 | $54.93 |
| 3 | Oregon | $112,420 | $54.05 |
| 4 | Connecticut | $111,358 | $53.54 |
| 5 | Arizona | $101,210 | $48.66 |
| 6 | Idaho | $116,665 | $56.09 |
| 7 | Texas | $97,926 | $47.08 |
| 8 | Nevada | $105,767 | $50.85 |
| 9 | Rhode Island | $111,550 | $53.63 |
| 10 | Illinois | $103,149 | $49.59 |
| 11 | West Virginia | $106,374 | $51.14 |
| 12 | Wyoming | $93,687 | $45.04 |
| 13 | Utah | $92,256 | $44.35 |
| 14 | New Mexico | $93,979 | $45.18 |
| 15 | Colorado | $94,347 | $45.36 |
| 16 | Delaware | $95,316 | $45.83 |
| 17 | New Hampshire | $95,726 | $46.02 |
| 18 | Virginia | $93,311 | $44.86 |
| 19 | New Jersey | $99,121 | $47.65 |
| 20 | New York | $96,468 | $46.38 |
| 21 | Maryland | $93,699 | $45.05 |
| 22 | Pennsylvania | $92,436 | $44.44 |
| 23 | Hawaii | $96,852 | $46.56 |
| 24 | Alaska | $91,398 | $43.94 |
| 25 | North Carolina | $88,698 | $42.64 |
| 26 | South Carolina | $90,956 | $43.73 |
| 27 | Massachusetts | $90,731 | $43.62 |
| 28 | Indiana | $89,980 | $43.26 |
| 29 | Wisconsin | $90,524 | $43.52 |
| 30 | Michigan | $88,792 | $42.69 |
| 31 | Iowa | $87,400 | $42.02 |
| 32 | Vermont | $86,415 | $41.55 |
| 33 | Ohio | $85,103 | $40.91 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $86,438 | $41.56 |
| 35 | Mississippi | $87,247 | $41.95 |
| 36 | Alabama | $81,672 | $39.27 |
| 37 | Louisiana | $87,281 | $41.96 |
| 38 | Missouri | $84,591 | $40.67 |
| 39 | District of Columbia | $80,691 | $38.79 |
| 40 | Kentucky | $84,869 | $40.80 |
| 41 | Georgia | $83,116 | $39.96 |
| 42 | Arkansas | $83,931 | $40.35 |
| 43 | North Dakota | $81,112 | $39.00 |
| 44 | Minnesota | $82,391 | $39.61 |
| 45 | Florida | $81,193 | $39.04 |
| 46 | Kansas | $82,118 | $39.48 |
| 47 | Nebraska | $76,781 | $36.91 |
| 48 | Montana | $82,762 | $39.79 |
| 49 | Tennessee | $79,183 | $38.07 |
| 50 | Maine | $79,677 | $38.31 |
| 51 | Oklahoma | $76,650 | $36.85 |
The highest-paying cities for firewall engineers are Santa Clara, CA, Seattle, WA, and Carson City, NV.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santa Clara, CA | $136,538 | $65.64 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $115,367 | $55.46 |
| 3 | Carson City, NV | $112,258 | $53.97 |
| 4 | Charleston, WV | $105,722 | $50.83 |
| 5 | Phoenix, AZ | $101,328 | $48.72 |
| 6 | Springfield, IL | $101,067 | $48.59 |
| 7 | Woodbridge, NJ | $99,093 | $47.64 |
| 8 | Austin, TX | $98,336 | $47.28 |
| 9 | New York, NY | $96,626 | $46.45 |
| 10 | Concord, NH | $95,377 | $45.85 |
| 11 | Dover, DE | $95,356 | $45.84 |
| 12 | Boulder, CO | $94,514 | $45.44 |
| 13 | Arlington, VA | $93,913 | $45.15 |
| 14 | Baltimore, MD | $93,893 | $45.14 |
| 15 | Philadelphia, PA | $92,895 | $44.66 |
| 16 | Cheyenne, WY | $92,540 | $44.49 |
| 17 | Charleston, SC | $91,226 | $43.86 |
| 18 | Springfield, MA | $90,870 | $43.69 |
| 19 | Raleigh, NC | $89,226 | $42.90 |
| 20 | Cedar Rapids, IA | $87,657 | $42.14 |
A firewall engineer's salary ranges from $76,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $128,000 at the 90th percentile.

| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $128,000 | $10,667 | $62 |
| 75th Percentile | $113,000 | $9,417 | $54 |
| Average | $99,357 | $8,280 | $48 |
| 25th Percentile | $86,000 | $7,167 | $41 |
| 10th Percentile | $76,000 | $6,333 | $37 |
The highest paying types of firewall engineers are principal systems engineer, lead systems engineer, and senior infrastructure engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Network Technician | $68,938 | $5,745 | $33.14 | 79,712 |
| System Technician | $43,410 | $3,617 | $20.87 | 137,121 |
| Administrator | $72,882 | $6,074 | $35.04 | 67,553 |
| Systems Administrator | $77,156 | $6,430 | $37.09 | 134,500 |
| Network Administrator | $71,357 | $5,946 | $34.31 | 106,886 |
| Information Technology Administrator | $73,195 | $6,100 | $35.19 | 159,499 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for firewall engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring firewall engineers now:
Firewall engineer salaries at Palo Alto Networks and AIG are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average firewall engineer salary at companies like Packet and TEKsystems are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Palo Alto Networks | $121,998 | $58.65 |
| 2 | AIG | $112,118 | $53.90 |
| 3 | Packet | $111,579 | $53.64 |
| 4 | TEKsystems | $111,103 | $53.41 |
| 5 | Randstad North America, Inc. | $109,740 | $52.76 |
| 6 | Robert Half | $109,109 | $52.46 |
| 7 | Grandbridge Real Estate Capital | $108,742 | $52.28 |
| 8 | By Light Professional IT Services | $105,576 | $50.76 |
| 9 | Exela Technologies | $105,300 | $50.63 |
| 10 | Norfolk Southern | $104,896 | $50.43 |
| 11 | Business Impact Group | $104,697 | $50.34 |
| 12 | Corning Incorporated | $104,448 | $50.22 |
| 13 | Criterion Systems | $104,405 | $50.19 |
| 14 | BASF | $104,265 | $50.13 |
| 15 | Vets Plus | $103,983 | $49.99 |
| 16 | Science | $103,321 | $49.67 |
| 17 | SkillStorm | $102,716 | $49.38 |
| 18 | Gulfstream Aerospace | $101,616 | $48.85 |
| 19 | Agile Enterprise Solutions | $101,352 | $48.73 |
| 20 | Pinnacle Technical Resources | $99,639 | $47.90 |
The average firewall engineer salary varies across industries:
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Start-up | $109,885 | $52.83 |
| 2 | Manufacturing | $105,818 | $50.87 |
| 3 | Technology | $104,463 | $50.22 |
| 4 | Finance | $86,077 | $41.38 |
| 5 | Health Care | $85,042 | $40.89 |
The average firewall engineer salary has risen by $18,130 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average firewall engineer earned $81,227 annually, but today, they earn $99,357 a year. That works out to a 9% change in pay for firewall engineers over the last decade.
Compare firewall engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Compare firewall engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $99,400 | $47.77 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $96,100 | $46.19 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $93,900 | $45.15 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | $92,800 | $44.63 | +1.7% |
| 2021 | $91,200 | $43.85 | +2.4% |
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capgemini Engineering | Principal Firewall Engineer | Denver, CO | 06/27/2025 | $83,000 |
| CTG (Computer Task Group, Inc. | Senior Firewall Engineer | Richmond, VA | 06/26/2025 | $115,000 |
| at&T | Network Firewall Engineer (NE II) (Government) | Columbia, MD | 06/20/2025 | $89,200 |
| Insight Global | Firewall Engineers | Greenwood Village, CO | 06/18/2025 | $104,350 |
| Caci International | Senior Firewall Engineer | Arnold, MO | 05/27/2025 | $68,400 |
| Exela Technologies Inc. | SR. Firewall Engineer | Troy, MI | 05/21/2025 | $140,000 |
| Teksystems | SR. Firewall Engineer | Charlotte, NC | 05/20/2025 | $111,863 |
| PSEG | Senior Firewall Engineer | Bethpage, NY | 05/14/2025 | $101,600 |
| Caci International | Senior Firewall Engineer | Arnold, MO | 04/28/2025 | $68,400 |
| at&T | Principal Cybersecurity-Proxy Web Filtering, Web Application Firewall, Casb Engineer | Atlanta, GA | 04/19/2025 | $141,300 |
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