Security engineer salary ranges in SF Bay Area

What open security postings in SF Bay Area say they pay: the top and the low end of the range each one states, in yearly dollars.

$248,000median top
Bars: how many postings top out in each $25k step. From 1,046 open postings that state pay, read October 14, 2026.

By level

How far the posted top moves from one level to the next, for security in SF Bay Area.

The middle half of posted tops by level, in SF Bay Area
  1. Junior10 postings
    $233,000$149k–$302k
  2. Senior274 postings
    $241,000$215k–$280k
  3. Staff and principal210 postings
    $278,000$249k–$308k
  4. Manager and above138 postings
    $294,000$230k–$359k

Best-paying companies in SF Bay Area

Ranked by the median top of their open security postings in SF Bay Area, among companies with at least three that state pay.

The companies whose security postings in SF Bay Area state the highest median top
  1. Anthropic42 with pay
    $405,000$334k–$405k
  2. Decagon4 with pay
    $400,000$383k–$400k
  3. OpenAI21 with pay
    $385,000$335k–$445k
  4. Qualcomm3 with pay
    $365,000$339k–$365k
  5. Adobe3 with pay
    $361,000$311k–$441k
  6. Figma3 with pay
    $348,000$322k–$362k
  7. $343,000$315k–$371k
  8. Sierra4 with pay
    $338,000$276k–$390k
  9. ServiceNow7 with pay
    $334,000$321k–$361k
  10. Harvey8 with pay
    $330,000$282k–$351k

Security engineer pay by place

The same work in every place with enough postings, highest median first; SF Bay Area is marked.

The middle half of posted tops for security, by place
  1. SF Bay Area1,046 postings
    $248,000$196k–$300k
  2. Seattle418 postings
    $227,000$194k–$258k
  3. Remote1,295 postings
    $202,000$165k–$252k
  4. Austin130 postings
    $202,000$168k–$234k
  5. New York709 postings
    $200,000$119k–$255k
  6. Boston208 postings
    $187,000$98k–$216k
  7. Philadelphia27 postings
    $175,000$94k–$249k
  8. Dallas130 postings
    $169,000$115k–$213k
  9. Raleigh–Durham24 postings
    $169,000$84k–$201k
  10. Washington DC615 postings
    $167,000$133k–$220k
  11. All of the US10,857 postings
    $165,000$83k–$220k
  12. Denver105 postings
    $163,000$104k–$220k
  13. San Diego111 postings
    $151,000$52k–$199k
  14. Chicago182 postings
    $150,000$65k–$195k
  15. Atlanta67 postings
    $150,000$103k–$205k
  16. Los Angeles208 postings
    $142,000$71k–$199k
  17. Salt Lake City27 postings
    $94,000$54k–$135k
  18. Miami37 postings
    $92,000$42k–$192k

Using these numbers

  • Before you apply, check where the posting's own range sits against the middle half here. A range far below it is worth a question before you spend an afternoon on the application.
  • When they ask what you expect, a figure inside the middle half for your level is one the market has already posted. Name the top of the posting's range if your experience matches what it asks for.
  • Remember what a top is: the most a company says it may pay for the role. Offers land anywhere in the range, and equity and bonus are not in it.

Questions

How much do security engineer jobs pay in SF Bay Area?

Open security postings in SF Bay Area that state pay post a median top of $248,000 a year; the middle half runs from $196,000 to $300,000, and the median low end of the ranges is $166,000. That is from 1,046 postings as of October 14, 2026.

How does the pay change with level?

For security postings in SF Bay Area, the median posted top is $233,000 for junior, $241,000 for senior, $278,000 for staff and principal, $294,000 for manager and above.

Which companies post the most for security in SF Bay Area?

Among companies with at least three postings that state pay, Anthropic ($405,000), Decagon ($400,000), OpenAI ($385,000) post the highest median tops.

Where do these numbers come from?

From the pay ranges employers state in their own open job postings, which DonutApply reads from company job boards and public job feeds every day. They are what a company says it may pay for the role, not salaries anyone reported.

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