How much does a Security Engineer make in the United States?
As of October 01, 2026, the average salary for a Security Engineer in the United States is $71,564 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $34.
However, a Security Engineer's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:
Top Earners (90th percentile): $87,911
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $62,119 to $80,121
Key Factors That Influence Security Engineer Salaries
A Security Engineer's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors.
Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location
and company size
can directly affect your earning potential.
How Experience Level Affects Security Engineer Salaries?
Experience is a primary driver of a Security Engineer's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:
How Do Security Engineer Salaries Vary from State to State?
Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Security Engineers. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
Salaries can also vary between different cities.
Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay.
Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:
San Jose: $90,264
San Francisco: $89,275
Oakland: $87,394
San Jose, CA$90,264
San Francisco, CA$89,275
Oakland, CA$87,394
New York, NY$82,398
Paramus, NJ$81,396
Queens Village, NY$81,392
Passaic, NJ$81,325
Bergenfield, NJ$81,318
Stamford, CT$81,161
Huntington, NY$81,131
Newark, NJ$80,602
Bridgeport, CT$80,451
Vallejo, CA$80,309
New Brunswick, NJ$80,280
Petaluma, CA$80,237
Middlesex, NJ$80,101
Somerset, NJ$80,051
Santa Cruz, CA$79,958
Boston, MA$79,522
Monterey, CA$79,271
Seattle, WA$79,107
Santa Rosa, CA$79,092
Los Angeles, CA$79,071
Juneau, AK$78,885
Washington, DC$78,806
Orange, CA$78,551
Santa Ana, CA$78,362
Long Beach, CA$78,291
Anaheim, CA$78,277
Anchorage, AK$78,241
Santa Maria, CA$78,026
Everett, WA$78,012
Danbury, CT$77,760
Bremerton, WA$77,661
Tacoma, WA$77,404
New Suffolk, NY$77,402
Sacramento, CA$77,382
Santa Barbara, CA$77,303
Trenton, NJ$77,225
San Diego, CA$77,225
Brockton, MA$77,146
Fairbanks, AK$76,971
Lompoc, CA$76,788
Lowell, MA$76,730
Ventura, CA$76,717
Nashua, NH$76,702
Stockton, CA$76,695
Modesto, CA$76,173
Poughkeepsie, NY$76,015
Olympia, WA$75,879
Kennewick, WA$75,879
New Haven, CT$75,851
Lawrence, MA$75,593
Hartford, CT$75,521
Riverside, CA$75,507
New Bedford, MA$75,436
Richland, WA$75,436
Bakersfield, CA$75,335
San Bernardino, CA$75,307
New Britain, CT$75,300
Atlantic City, NJ$75,300
New London, CT$75,271
Norwich, CT$75,249
Portsmouth, NH$75,235
Boulder, CO$75,083
Portland, OR$74,985
Worcester, MA$74,977
Minneapolis, MN$74,756
Philadelphia, PA$74,655
Honolulu, HI$74,419
Saint Paul, MN$74,385
Vineland, NJ$74,369
Providence, RI$74,162
Chicago, IL$73,954
Bellingham, WA$73,868
Springfield, MA$73,811
Baltimore, MD$73,790
Chico, CA$73,611
Pittsfield, MA$73,417
Manchester, NH$73,281
Spokane, WA$72,967
Denver, CO$72,959
Albany, NY$72,623
Troy, NY$72,594
Nassau, NY$72,518
Schenectady, NY$72,444
Wilmington, DE$72,387
Burlington, VT$72,287
Salem, OR$72,258
Portland, ME$72,036
Yakima, WA$71,965
Rochester, MN$71,743
Reno, NV$71,707
Fresno, CA$71,707
Milwaukee, WI$71,643
Detroit, MI$71,571
Ann Arbor, MI$71,559
Allentown, PA$71,550
Colorado Springs, CO$71,428
Syracuse, NY$71,392
Carson City, NV$71,392
Houston, TX$71,292
Eugene, OR$71,256
Gary, IN$71,170
Springfield, OR$71,113
Bismarck, ND$71,099
Galveston, TX$71,049
Medford, OR$70,941
Fort Collins, CO$70,913
Concord, NH$70,877
Austin, TX$70,855
Mesa, AZ$70,705
Reading, PA$70,698
Phoenix, AZ$70,691
Dallas, TX$70,669
Saint Cloud, MN$70,601
Madison, WI$70,505
Utica, NY$70,312
Rochester, NY$70,197
Des Moines, IA$70,190
Raleigh, NC$70,183
Atlanta, GA$70,075
Battle Creek, MI$70,054
Salt Lake City, UT$70,032
Lancaster, PA$69,925
Harrisburg, PA$69,825
Kansas City, MO$69,753
Champaign, IL$69,739
Kansas City, KS$69,739
Fort Worth, TX$69,732
Columbus, OH$69,720
Boca Raton, FL$69,703
Pittsburgh, PA$69,675
Richmond, VA$69,646
Indianapolis, IN$69,632
Cleveland, OH$69,625
Las Vegas, NV$69,539
Cincinnati, OH$69,539
Petersburg, VA$69,431
Huntsville, AL$69,324
Lansing, MI$69,276
Lebanon, PA$69,267
Pueblo, CO$69,260
Appleton, WI$69,238
Buffalo, NY$69,209
Dayton, OH$69,188
Racine, WI$69,174
Charlotte, NC$69,167
Saint Louis, MO$69,145
York, PA$69,102
Elkhart, IN$69,102
Gastonia, NC$69,089
Billings, MT$69,071
Beaumont, TX$69,052
Lorain, OH$69,038
Benton Harbor, MI$69,023
Toledo, OH$69,009
Binghamton, NY$68,973
Rock Hill, SC$68,966
Rockford, IL$68,930
Springfield, IL$68,902
Elyria, OH$68,895
Fargo, ND$68,895
Flagstaff, AZ$68,844
Fort Lauderdale, FL$68,802
Duluth, MN$68,759
Miami, FL$68,759
Cheyenne, WY$68,709
Grand Forks, ND$68,709
Bangor, ME$68,551
Cedar Rapids, IA$68,472
Durham, NC$68,442
Louisville, KY$68,437
Grand Rapids, MI$68,422
Hialeah, FL$68,415
Casper, WY$68,315
Scranton, PA$68,229
New Orleans, LA$68,208
Virginia Beach, VA$68,200
Akron, OH$68,165
Peoria, IL$68,072
Sarasota, FL$68,057
Nashville, TN$68,007
Omaha, NE$68,007
Green Bay, WI$68,007
Baton Rouge, LA$67,971
Charleston, SC$67,957
Jamestown, NY$67,921
Davenport, IA$67,921
Tucson, AZ$67,886
Saint Petersburg, FL$67,843
Tampa, FL$67,828
Evansville, IN$67,785
Port Arthur, TX$67,785
Bradenton, FL$67,757
Santa Fe, NM$67,628
Orlando, FL$67,499
Clearwater, FL$67,478
Canton, OH$67,327
La Crosse, WI$67,327
Albuquerque, NM$67,284
Newport News, VA$67,277
High Point, NC$67,256
Ogden, UT$67,227
Corpus Christi, TX$67,170
Norfolk, VA$67,127
Laramie, WY$67,127
Rock Island, IL$67,084
Saginaw, MI$67,070
Jacksonville, FL$67,063
Salisbury, NC$67,048
Boise, ID$67,034
Moline, IL$66,998
Fort Myers, FL$66,977
Memphis, TN$66,962
Tulsa, OK$66,927
Waterloo, IA$66,884
Spartanburg, SC$66,812
Lincoln, NE$66,776
Fort Wayne, IN$66,762
Provo, UT$66,755
Cedar Falls, IA$66,669
San Antonio, TX$66,640
Greensboro, NC$66,612
South Bend, IN$66,605
Savannah, GA$66,526
Muskegon, MI$66,497
Birmingham, AL$66,490
Winston Salem, NC$66,455
Lake Charles, LA$66,282
Anderson, IN$66,268
Lexington, KY$66,247
Augusta, GA$66,225
Greenville, SC$66,225
Lima, OH$66,168
Wichita, KS$66,161
Tuscaloosa, AL$66,161
Columbia, SC$66,096
Springfield, OH$66,082
Asheville, NC$65,968
Bloomington, IN$65,918
Knoxville, TN$65,660
Shreveport, LA$65,653
Wilmington, NC$65,560
Roanoke, VA$65,560
Topeka, KS$65,431
Frankfort, KY$65,423
Oklahoma City, OK$65,374
Chillicothe, OH$65,345
Longview, TX$65,338
Melbourne, FL$65,331
Sioux Falls, SD$65,216
Mobile, AL$65,209
Terre Haute, IN$65,180
Altoona, PA$65,137
Amarillo, TX$65,087
Killeen, TX$65,066
Fayetteville, AR$65,009
Chattanooga, TN$64,987
Sioux City, IA$64,923
Idaho Falls, ID$64,908
Lynchburg, VA$64,851
Gainesville, FL$64,758
Portsmouth, OH$64,722
Little Rock, AR$64,708
Lafayette, LA$64,679
Youngstown, OH$64,679
Daytona Beach, FL$64,637
Clarksville, TN$64,629
Pensacola, FL$64,622
Temple, TX$64,617
Hopkinsville, KY$64,408
Erie, PA$64,393
Florence, SC$64,365
Charleston, WV$64,250
Great Falls, MT$64,214
Macon, GA$64,114
Tallahassee, FL$64,107
Fayetteville, NC$64,093
Waco, TX$64,078
Helena, MT$64,028
Pine Bluff, AR$64,001
Vincennes, IN$63,914
Lubbock, TX$63,885
Alamogordo, NM$63,842
Twin Falls, ID$63,778
Rapid City, SD$63,756
Jackson, MS$63,627
Huntington, WV$63,622
Greenville, MS$63,620
Parkersburg, WV$63,547
Montgomery, AL$63,534
Wichita Falls, TX$63,463
Springfield, MO$63,463
Biloxi, MS$63,427
Monroe, LA$63,356
Johnstown, PA$63,305
Sumter, SC$63,277
Columbus, GA$63,270
Pascagoula, MS$63,134
Abilene, TX$63,134
Kingsport, TN$62,948
Albany, GA$62,948
Gulfport, MS$62,926
Alexandria, LA$62,690
Fort Smith, AR$62,511
El Paso, TX$62,318
Las Cruces, NM$61,996
Harlingen, TX$61,814
Pocatello, ID$61,803
Florence, AL$61,710
Brownsville, TX$61,695
Mcallen, TX$61,545
Dothan, AL$61,445
Columbus, MS$61,020
Altus, OK$60,686
Lawton, OK$60,550
Pierre, SD$60,293
Security Engineer Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors
For Security Engineer roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential
by as much as 60% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries).
Data shows that the Internet and Insurance
sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 30% above the average.
In contrast, Security Engineer positions in Hospitality & Leisure or Retail & Wholesale typically offer lower base pay,
as these industries often view Security Engineer as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.
The top paying industries for a Security Engineer
Industry Sector
Average Annual Salary
Average Hourly Rate
Pay vs.Avg
Internet
$93,033
$45.0
30%
Insurance
$89,455
$43.0
25%
Biotechnology
$85,877
$41.0
20%
Pharmaceuticals
$85,877
$41.0
20%
Healthcare
$82,298
$40.0
15%
Security Engineer Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay
Understanding how a Security Engineer's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting.
Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role.
Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.
Here are companies hiring for Security Engineer and their salaries, click below for more details.
C$128,509/per year
C R Bard IncBiotechnologythe United States
H$124,697/per year
Henry Schein CanadaBiotechnologythe United States
N$123,899/per year
Nordex IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$120,416/per year
Nipro CorpBiotechnologythe United States
E$115,870/per year
EnovisBiotechnologythe United States
A$114,553/per year
Advanced Research Projects Agency - EnergyBiotechnologythe United States
M$112,110/per year
MiniMed IncBiotechnologythe United States
L$111,500/per year
Labcorp Drug DevelopmentBiotechnologythe United States
L$110,229/per year
Life Technologies CorpBiotechnologythe United States
Z$106,224/per year
Zimmer BiometBiotechnologythe United States
P$103,077/per year
Promontory TherapeuticsBiotechnologythe United States
S$102,181/per year
Steris PLCBiotechnologythe United States
G$97,274/per year
Gavin Conferences Pty LtdBiotechnologythe United States
E$94,764/per year
Endeavor BioMedicinesBiotechnologythe United States
R$94,402/per year
Replay Holdings LLCBiotechnologythe United States
P$94,235/per year
Pleno IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$93,666/per year
Simulaids IncBiotechnologythe United States
N$88,880/per year
NOIRLab/CASBiotechnologythe United States
O$86,468/per year
Onward TechnologyBiotechnologythe United States
L$84,895/per year
LED Medical Diagnostics IncBiotechnologythe United States
E$84,682/per year
Eyeco LtdBiotechnologythe United States
P$84,523/per year
PaerosolBiotechnologythe United States
I$83,525/per year
IONIQ Sciences IncBiotechnologythe United States
S$82,815/per year
Stateside PPEBiotechnologythe United States
D$82,041/per year
Digi BioBiotechnologythe United States
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FAQ about Security Engineer
1. What industry pays the highest salary for Security Engineer?
The Internet industry offers the highest average compensation for Security Engineer roles,
with salaries approximately 30% above the market median.
Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?
Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.
