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Senior systems security engineer salary
Average senior systems security engineer salary
$112,486
Average Senior Systems Security Engineer Salary
The average salary for a Senior Systems Security Engineer in the United States is $112,486 annually, translating to approximately $54 per hour. This salary can vary based on several factors, including geographic location, years of experience, and the specific industry.
Where Can You Earn More?
Many states offer higher salaries for this role. For instance, states like California and New York often feature the most lucrative opportunities. Additionally, metropolitan areas such as San Francisco and New York City consistently rank as the highest paying cities for Senior Systems Security Engineers.
Job Opportunities
As cybersecurity threats increase, the demand for Senior Systems Security Engineers continues to expand across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, and technology. With the right qualifications and experience, candidates can find numerous job opportunities that not only offer competitive salaries but also the chance to work on exciting projects that shape the future of cybersecurity.
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Where can a Senior Systems Security Engineer earn more?
Average senior systems security engineer salary by state
The average senior systems security engineer salary in California, Washington, and New York are the highest in the U.S. The lowest average senior systems security engineer salary states are Maine, North Dakota, and South Dakota.
- State view
- County view
Highest paying states for senior systems security engineers
| Rank | State | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington | $125,176 | $60.18 |
| 2 | Oregon | $118,204 | $56.83 |
| 3 | Arizona | $109,703 | $52.74 |
| 4 | California | $129,448 | $62.23 |
| 5 | New York | $122,819 | $59.05 |
| 6 | Virginia | $110,596 | $53.17 |
| 7 | Nevada | $112,535 | $54.10 |
| 8 | Utah | $115,812 | $55.68 |
| 9 | North Carolina | $117,171 | $56.33 |
| 10 | Massachusetts | $109,674 | $52.73 |
| 11 | Pennsylvania | $107,063 | $51.47 |
| 12 | Wisconsin | $106,133 | $51.03 |
| 13 | Rhode Island | $103,709 | $49.86 |
| 14 | Illinois | $108,146 | $51.99 |
| 15 | Minnesota | $105,224 | $50.59 |
| 16 | New Mexico | $101,920 | $49.00 |
| 17 | West Virginia | $100,479 | $48.31 |
| 18 | Michigan | $101,179 | $48.64 |
| 19 | Maryland | $102,745 | $49.40 |
| 20 | Delaware | $101,108 | $48.61 |
| 21 | Idaho | $103,213 | $49.62 |
| 22 | Alaska | $100,172 | $48.16 |
| 23 | Texas | $97,084 | $46.67 |
| 24 | Alabama | $95,227 | $45.78 |
| 25 | New Jersey | $102,302 | $49.18 |
| 26 | Vermont | $97,320 | $46.79 |
| 27 | Wyoming | $94,779 | $45.57 |
| 28 | Florida | $97,520 | $46.88 |
| 29 | Colorado | $96,939 | $46.61 |
| 30 | District of Columbia | $96,548 | $46.42 |
| 31 | Ohio | $95,642 | $45.98 |
| 32 | Arkansas | $96,028 | $46.17 |
| 33 | Kentucky | $97,986 | $47.11 |
| 34 | Mississippi | $94,334 | $45.35 |
| 35 | Hawaii | $97,011 | $46.64 |
| 36 | Nebraska | $94,573 | $45.47 |
| 37 | Missouri | $97,182 | $46.72 |
| 38 | Iowa | $94,998 | $45.67 |
| 39 | Indiana | $94,448 | $45.41 |
| 40 | Montana | $94,612 | $45.49 |
| 41 | North Dakota | $91,950 | $44.21 |
| 42 | Connecticut | $93,485 | $44.94 |
| 43 | Louisiana | $95,400 | $45.87 |
| 44 | South Carolina | $94,326 | $45.35 |
| 45 | Kansas | $93,496 | $44.95 |
| 46 | South Dakota | $91,700 | $44.09 |
| 47 | Oklahoma | $93,565 | $44.98 |
| 48 | Maine | $92,859 | $44.64 |
| 49 | New Hampshire | $89,651 | $43.10 |
| 50 | Georgia | $85,140 | $40.93 |
| 51 | Tennessee | $84,131 | $40.45 |
Highest paying cities for senior systems security engineers
The highest-paying cities for senior systems security engineers are San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA, and Arlington, VA.
| Rank | City | Avg. salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $139,475 | $67.06 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $125,982 | $60.57 |
| 3 | Arlington, VA | $111,513 | $53.61 |
| 4 | Phoenix, AZ | $109,900 | $52.84 |
| 5 | Marlborough, MA | $109,804 | $52.79 |
| 6 | Chicago, IL | $108,477 | $52.15 |
| 7 | Philadelphia, PA | $107,539 | $51.70 |
| 8 | Saint Paul, MN | $105,375 | $50.66 |
| 9 | Baltimore, MD | $102,932 | $49.49 |
| 10 | Newark, DE | $101,144 | $48.63 |
| 11 | Largo, FL | $99,256 | $47.72 |
| 12 | Colorado Springs, CO | $97,526 | $46.89 |
| 13 | Plano, TX | $96,990 | $46.63 |
| 14 | Kansas City, MO | $96,754 | $46.52 |
| 15 | Huntsville, AL | $94,854 | $45.60 |
| 16 | Indianapolis, IN | $94,274 | $45.32 |
| 17 | Oklahoma City, OK | $93,841 | $45.12 |
| 18 | Alpharetta, GA | $85,218 | $40.97 |
Senior systems security engineer salary details
A senior systems security engineer's salary ranges from $83,000 a year at the 10th percentile to $151,000 at the 90th percentile.
What is a senior systems security engineer's salary?
| Percentile | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 90th Percentile | $151,000 | $12,583 | $73 |
| 75th Percentile | $131,000 | $10,917 | $63 |
| Average | $112,486 | $9,374 | $54 |
| 25th Percentile | $96,000 | $8,000 | $46 |
| 10th Percentile | $83,000 | $6,917 | $40 |
Highest paying senior systems security engineer jobs
The highest paying types of senior systems security engineers are information security officer, principal systems engineer, and senior security engineer.
| Job title | Annual salary | Monthly salary | Hourly rate | Job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Securities Analyst | $84,334 | $7,028 | $40.55 | 33,422 |
| Securities Consultant | $92,092 | $7,674 | $44.27 | 27,296 |
| Engineer | $92,076 | $7,673 | $44.27 | 618,207 |
| Information Security Analyst | $98,144 | $8,179 | $47.18 | 112,818 |
| SAP Security Consultant | $95,562 | $7,963 | $45.94 | 70,622 |
| Cyber Security Analyst | $88,422 | $7,369 | $42.51 | 64,387 |
Top companies hiring senior systems security engineers now:
Which companies pay senior systems security engineers the most?
Senior systems security engineer salaries at Credit Karma and Apple are the highest-paying according to our most recent salary estimates. In addition, the average senior systems security engineer salary at companies like NVIDIA and VMware are highly competitive.
| Rank | Company | Average salary | Hourly rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Credit Karma | $167,274 | $80.42 |
| 2 | Apple | $147,333 | $70.83 |
| 3 | NVIDIA | $134,883 | $64.85 |
| 4 | VMware | $130,226 | $62.61 |
| 5 | Visionary Integration Professionals | $129,318 | $62.17 |
| 6 | Parsons | $128,643 | $61.85 |
| 7 | Backblaze | $127,272 | $61.19 |
| 8 | Sony Pictures | $127,162 | $61.14 |
| 9 | RH | $124,194 | $59.71 |
| 10 | Amazon | $123,627 | $59.44 |
| 11 | Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory | $123,293 | $59.28 |
| 12 | Salesforce | $122,465 | $58.88 |
| 13 | Ukpeagvik IOoOupiat Corporation | $119,433 | $57.42 |
| 14 | TracFone Wireless | $117,819 | $56.64 |
| 15 | Experian Data Quality | $117,641 | $56.56 |
| 16 | Lucid Motors | $117,207 | $56.35 |
| 17 | Bartell Hotels | $116,154 | $55.84 |
| 18 | Vets Plus | $114,783 | $55.18 |
| 19 | ASSURED INFORMATION SECURITY | $113,730 | $54.68 |
| 20 | B T North America Inc | $113,730 | $54.68 |
Wage gap by gender, race and education
Senior systems security engineer salary trends
The average senior systems security engineer salary has risen by $20,789 over the last ten years. In 2014, the average senior systems security engineer earned $91,697 annually, but today, they earn $112,486 a year. That works out to a 12% change in pay for senior systems security engineers over the last decade.
Compare senior systems security engineer salaries for cities or states with the national average over time.
Average senior systems security engineer salary over time
Compare senior systems security engineer salaries for individual cities or states with the national average.
Senior systems security engineer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $112,000 | $54.08 | +3.3% |
| 2024 | $109,000 | $52.30 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | $106,000 | $51.11 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | $103,000 | $49.64 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | $100,000 | $48.13 | +2.7% |
Recently added senior systems security engineer salaries
| Company | Job | Location | Date added | Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University Hospital | SR. System Security Engineer | Newark, NJ | 06/29/2025 | $92,753 |
| The Mil Corporation | Mid-Senior Level Systems Security Engineer (Security Engineering, Associate) | Lexington Park, MD | 06/28/2025 | $120,000 |
| Sierra Nevada | SR. Systems Security Engineer | Lone Tree, CO | 06/27/2025 | $143,487 |
| SMX Convention Center | Senior Systems Security Engineer (4413) | Dahlgren, VA | 06/27/2025 | $96,000 |
| Northrop Grumman | SR. Principal Systems Security Engineer | Melbourne, FL | 06/26/2025 | $130,500 |
| Silvus Technologies | Senior Offensive Security Engineer-Embedded Systems | Los Angeles, CA | 06/26/2025 | $140,000 |
| Smartronix | Senior Systems Security Engineer (4413) | Dahlgren, VA | 06/25/2025 | $96,000 |
| Transit Safety & Security Solutions, Inc. | Senior Transit System Safety & Security Engineer | Atlanta, GA | 06/23/2025 | $100,000 |
| Chan Zuckerberg | Senior Physical Security Systems Engineer, Infrastructure | Redwood City, CA | 06/22/2025 | $158,000 |
| Parsons Technical Services | Senior System Security Engineer | Boulder, CO | 06/18/2025 | $108,700 |
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