Explore jobs
Find specific jobs
Explore careers
Explore professions
Best companies
Explore companies
Security engineer salary
Average security engineer salary
$104,524
Understanding the Security Engineer Salary
As of October 2025, the average salary for a Security Engineer stands at $104,524 per year. This figure is shaped by various factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry of employment. In states like California and New York, salaries can exceed this average, reflecting higher living costs and demand for skilled professionals.
Salary by Experience Level
Entry-level positions typically start around $75,000, while experienced engineers can command salaries of over $130,000. Specializations within security engineering, such as network security or application security, may also influence salary potential.
Job Opportunities
With the growing emphasis on cybersecurity, job opportunities in this field are robust. Industries such as finance, healthcare, and technology actively seek qualified security engineers to safeguard sensitive data and maintain compliance with regulations.
Conclusion
To enhance your earning potential, consider pursuing advanced certifications and staying updated with industry trends. This proactive approach can open doors to higher salaries and more prestigious positions in the cybersecurity landscape.
Let Zippia find your next security engineer job
Let Zippia find your next security engineer job
Where can a Security Engineer earn more?
Security engineer salary estimates from across the web
Average security engineer salary by state
The average security engineer salary in California, Washington, and Nevada are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average security engineer salary states are Alabama, South Carolina, and Missouri.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for security engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $114,711 | $55.15 |
| 2 | California | $129,113 | $62.07 |
| 3 | Arizona | $103,511 | $49.76 |
| 4 | Delaware | $102,268 | $49.17 |
| 5 | Nevada | $109,997 | $52.88 |
| 6 | Oregon | $103,489 | $49.75 |
| 7 | New York | $105,949 | $50.94 |
| 8 | Texas | $95,888 | $46.10 |
| 9 | District of Columbia | $99,800 | $47.98 |
| 10 | Maryland | $97,919 | $47.08 |
| 11 | Virginia | $95,824 | $46.07 |
| 12 | Pennsylvania | $94,837 | $45.59 |
| 13 | Connecticut | $97,764 | $47.00 |
| 14 | New Hampshire | $96,212 | $46.26 |
| 15 | North Carolina | $93,682 | $45.04 |
| 16 | Idaho | $96,095 | $46.20 |
| 17 | Vermont | $93,480 | $44.94 |
| 18 | New Jersey | $98,066 | $47.15 |
| 19 | Georgia | $93,321 | $44.87 |
| 20 | Wyoming | $91,839 | $44.15 |
| 21 | Utah | $94,082 | $45.23 |
| 22 | Mississippi | $89,882 | $43.21 |
| 23 | Rhode Island | $91,747 | $44.11 |
| 24 | Massachusetts | $97,362 | $46.81 |
| 25 | Alaska | $91,199 | $43.85 |
| 26 | Illinois | $91,130 | $43.81 |
| 27 | West Virginia | $89,707 | $43.13 |
| 28 | Maine | $92,995 | $44.71 |
| 29 | Ohio | $89,236 | $42.90 |
| 30 | Hawaii | $90,623 | $43.57 |
| 31 | Michigan | $88,136 | $42.37 |
| 32 | Indiana | $87,383 | $42.01 |
| 33 | New Mexico | $90,305 | $43.42 |
| 34 | South Dakota | $89,289 | $42.93 |
| 35 | North Dakota | $89,295 | $42.93 |
| 36 | Alabama | $83,845 | $40.31 |
| 37 | Colorado | $87,014 | $41.83 |
| 38 | Minnesota | $85,818 | $41.26 |
| 39 | Kansas | $87,342 | $41.99 |
| 40 | Tennessee | $85,333 | $41.03 |
| 41 | Wisconsin | $84,314 | $40.54 |
| 42 | Kentucky | $84,889 | $40.81 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $86,132 | $41.41 |
| 44 | Montana | $85,640 | $41.17 |
| 45 | Iowa | $83,959 | $40.36 |
| 46 | Nebraska | $83,004 | $39.91 |
| 47 | Arkansas | $82,728 | $39.77 |
| 48 | Florida | $86,678 | $41.67 |
| 49 | Missouri | $83,007 | $39.91 |
| 50 | Oklahoma | $82,755 | $39.79 |
| 51 | South Carolina | $83,530 | $40.16 |
Highest paying cities for security engineers
The highest-paying cities for security engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and New York, NY.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $136,815 | $65.78 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $115,380 | $55.47 |
| 3 | New York, NY | $106,157 | $51.04 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $103,822 | $49.91 |
| 5 | Portland, OR | $102,634 | $49.34 |
| 6 | Washington, DC | $99,895 | $48.03 |
| 7 | Jersey City, NJ | $98,113 | $47.17 |
| 8 | Annapolis, MD | $98,014 | $47.12 |
| 9 | Hartford, CT | $97,528 | $46.89 |
| 10 | Boston, MA | $97,326 | $46.79 |
| 11 | Austin, TX | $96,759 | $46.52 |
| 12 | Arlington, VA | $96,142 | $46.22 |
| 13 | Philadelphia, PA | $95,184 | $45.76 |
| 14 | Raleigh, NC | $94,627 | $45.49 |
| 15 | Portland, ME | $93,548 | $44.98 |
| 16 | Salt Lake City, UT | $93,367 | $44.89 |
| 17 | Atlanta, GA | $93,279 | $44.85 |
| 18 | Chicago, IL | $91,301 | $43.89 |
| 19 | Columbus, OH | $89,099 | $42.84 |
| 20 | Tampa, FL | $87,707 | $42.17 |
Security Engineers are the most in-demand in these five cities:
Security engineer salary details
A security engineer's salary ranges from $77,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $141,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a security engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $141,000 | $11,750 | $68 |
| 75th Percentile | $122,000 | $10,167 | $59 |
| Average | $104,524 | $8,710 | $50 |
| 25th Percentile | $89,000 | $7,417 | $43 |
| 10th Percentile | $77,000 | $6,417 | $37 |
Highest paying security engineer jobs
The highest paying types of security engineers are information security officer, information security manager, and senior security engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Information Security Analyst | $98,144 | $8,179 | $47.18 | 112,818 |
| Information Systems Security Officer | $90,730 | $7,561 | $43.62 | 202,299 |
| Securities Analyst | $84,334 | $7,028 | $40.55 | 33,422 |
| Information Assurance Engineer | $89,291 | $7,441 | $42.93 | 104,421 |
| Cyber Security Analyst | $88,422 | $7,369 | $42.51 | 64,387 |
| Securities Consultant | $92,092 | $7,674 | $44.27 | 27,296 |
How would you rate the starting salaries for security engineers, as well as the prospects for salary advancement?
Michael Rudisill
Department Head and Professor of Engineering Technology, Northern Michigan University
Top companies hiring security engineers now:
Which companies pay security engineers the most?
Security engineer salaries at ICE Mortgage Technology and Brex are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average security engineer salary at companies like Credit Karma and Coinbase are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ICE Mortgage Technology | $177,574 | $85.37 |
| 2 | Brex | $176,111 | $84.67 |
| 3 | Credit Karma | $174,457 | $83.87 |
| 4 | Coinbase | $173,178 | $83.26 |
| 5 | Airbnb | $172,824 | $83.09 |
| 6 | ByteDance | $170,801 | $82.12 |
| 7 | Lyft | $167,175 | $80.37 |
| 8 | Flexport | $166,123 | $79.87 |
| 9 | Meta | $162,573 | $78.16 |
| 10 | Waymo | $161,437 | $77.61 |
| 11 | Palantir | $160,057 | $76.95 |
| 12 | DoorDash | $159,823 | $76.84 |
| 13 | Addepar | $159,760 | $76.81 |
| 14 | The Walt Disney Company | $158,722 | $76.31 |
| 15 | Apple | $157,059 | $75.51 |
| 16 | Cruise Automation | $156,883 | $75.42 |
| 17 | Safeway | $156,674 | $75.32 |
| 18 | Grubhub | $156,341 | $75.16 |
| 19 | Match Group | $153,231 | $73.67 |
| 20 | Airtable | $152,465 | $73.30 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Security Engineer salary by industry
The average security engineer salary varies across industries:
- The average security engineer salary in the technology industry is $126,572, the highest of any industry.
- The average security engineer salary in the finance industry is $109,861.
- Security engineers in the finance industry earn an average salary of $96,492, the lowest of any industry.
Highest paying industries for security engineers
| Rank | Industry | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Technology | $126,572 | $60.85 |
| 2 | Health Care | $109,861 | $52.82 |
| 3 | Construction | $107,151 | $51.51 |
| 4 | Professional | $106,145 | $51.03 |
| 5 | Finance | $96,492 | $46.39 |
High paying security engineer jobs
Security engineer salary trends
The average security engineer salary has risen by $19,318 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average security engineer earned $85,206 annually, but today, they earn $104,524 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for security engineers over the last decade.
Compare security engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average security engineer salary over time
Compare security engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Security engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $105,000 | $50.25 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $101,000 | $48.60 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $98,800 | $47.50 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $95,900 | $46.12 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $93,000 | $44.72 | +2.7% |
Recently added security engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F5 Networks | Security Engineer III | San Jose, CA | 06/30/2025 | $140,909 |
| Jeppesen | Software Security Engineer (Associate or Mid-Level) | Seattle, WA | 06/30/2025 | $119,850 |
| Jeppesen | Product Security Engineer | Hazelwood, MO | 06/30/2025 | $91,800 |
| Emerson | Devops Security Engineer | Eden Prairie, MN | 06/29/2025 | $83,750 |
| Perspecta | Cloud Security Engineer | Linthicum, MD | 06/29/2025 | $104,000 |
| Medimpact Healthcare Systems | Security Engineer | Tempe, AZ | 06/29/2025 | $95,717 |
| Global | Data Security Engineer | Beachwood, OH | 06/29/2025 | $82,000 |
| Riva Group | Security Engineer | Reston, VA | 06/29/2025 | $120,000 |
| Get It-Professional Services | Principal Security Engineer-Remote | Chicago, IL | 06/29/2025 | $160,000 |
| Coreweave | Infrastructure Security-Security Engineer | Bellevue, WA | 06/29/2025 | $160,000 |
Security engineer salary FAQs
Search for security engineer jobs