BenchmarkedCheck my pay

Security Engineer salary by level

Security Engineering pay in 2026, from entry level to VP, in the highest-paying US markets.

Modeled estimate · Updated October 2026

Median base salary, Senior Security Engineer, top-tier markets

$190,000

From entry level to VP, medians run from $105k to $418k.

Individual contributor track

Median base salary in the San Francisco Bay Area, New York, and Seattle.

TitleMedian base
Associate Security EngineerIC1 Associate / Entry$105k
Security EngineerIC2 Mid-level$145k
Senior Security EngineerIC3 Senior$190k
Staff Security EngineerIC4 Staff / Lead$232k
Principal Security EngineerIC5 Senior Staff / Principal$270k
Distinguished Security EngineerIC6 Distinguished$314k

Management track

TitleMedian base
Associate Manager, Security EngineeringM2 Associate Manager$200k
Manager, Security EngineeringM3 Manager$232k
Senior Manager, Security EngineeringM4 Senior Manager$270k
Director, Security EngineeringM5 Director$319k
Senior Director, Security EngineeringM6 Senior Director$361k
VP, Security EngineeringE1 Vice President$418k

The full range

Every market, the 10th to 90th percentiles, bonus, equity, and new hire grants, adjusted for your industry and company size.

Included with Pro, along with ranges for all 100 roles and the pay coach.

See the full range

See where your pay sits

Pick your level and city, enter your salary, and get your percentile in seconds. Free, and nothing you type is stored.

Check my pay

Other Security roles

Where do these numbers come from?

They are modeled estimates built by compensation practitioners from publicly discussed pay and from how companies typically structure salary ranges by level and location. They are not survey results and not any company's actual ranges. Use them to get oriented before a pay conversation, not as an exact offer number.