ZipRecruiter

Log In

1

Detection Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Fluidstack

Senior Detection Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$230K - $310K/yr

We are building Detection & Response Engineering from the ground up: engineering-led, agent-first, and built to scale across IT, OT, and physical surfaces. As the Senior Detection Engineer for IT ...

Fluidstack

Staff Detection Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$250K - $350K/yr

As the Staff Detection Engineer for IT, you lead detection engineering for Fluidstack's IT surface. You set the standards that every detection engineer who follows inherits, and lay the foundations ...

Roblox

Senior Detection and Response Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$130K - $178K/yr

As a Senior Security Engineer on the Detection and Response (D&R) team at Roblox, you'll protect a community of hundreds of millions of monthly users alongside the underlying platform infrastructure.

xAI

Detection & Response Engineer

Palo Alto, CA · On-site

$200K - $340K/yr

We are seeking a skilled and proactive Detection & Response Engineer to join our security team. In this critical role, you will be responsible for detecting, investigating, and responding to security ...

next page

Showing results 1-20

All JobsDetection Engineer JobsDetection Engineer Jobs in California

Detection Engineer information

See California salary details

$10.8K

$153.2K

$188.5K

How much do detection engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 12, 2026, the average yearly pay for detection engineer in California is $153,151.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $140,029.00 and $168,917.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What does a Detection Engineer do?

A Detection Engineer is responsible for identifying, analyzing, and mitigating security threats by developing detection rules, monitoring security systems, and responding to potential incidents. They work with security tools like SIEMs, EDRs, and IDS/IPS to detect malicious activity and improve threat detection capabilities. Additionally, they collaborate with security teams to enhance defensive strategies and automate detection processes.

What kind of projects or tasks does a Detection Engineer typically work on?

As a Detection Engineer, you can expect to work on designing, implementing, and refining security detection strategies to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities in company systems. Daily responsibilities often include developing detection logic, analyzing security alerts, conducting threat hunting exercises, and collaborating with incident response teams. You may also work closely with other cybersecurity professionals to evaluate the effectiveness of existing security measures and recommend improvements. This dynamic environment offers opportunities to work on complex technical challenges while directly contributing to the organization’s overall security posture.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Detection Engineer position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Detection Engineer, you need strong analytical skills, a solid understanding of cybersecurity principles, and experience with threat detection and response, often supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Proficiency with security information and event management (SIEM) tools, intrusion detection/prevention systems, and certifications like GIAC or CISSP are commonly required. Attention to detail, proactive problem-solving abilities, and effective communication enhance effectiveness in this role. These skills are crucial as Detection Engineers must accurately identify security threats, collaborate with teams, and minimize potential risks to the organization.

What are the most commonly searched types of Detection Engineer jobs in California? The most popular types of Detection Engineer jobs in California are:
What are popular job titles related to Detection Engineer jobs in California? For Detection Engineer jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:
What job categories do people searching Detection Engineer jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Detection Engineer jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Detection Engineer jobs? Cities in California with the most Detection Engineer job openings:
Detection Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Detection Engineer job openings in California as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 99% Full Time, and 1% Part Time. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $153,151 per year, or $73.6 per hour.

Senior Detection Engineer

Fluidstack

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$230K - $310K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 27 days ago

Job description

About Fluidstack
We exist to make humanity more free. For most of human history, you farmed or you starved. Technology gave people more time for the things they wanted to do, instead of things they had to do. Powerful AI will be the biggest lever for human choice we've ever built - but only if models are aligned with what humanity actually wants. There are groups building AI who don't share these goals. Whoever deploys frontier compute infrastructure fastest will decide whether AI expands human freedom or shrinks it.
We're singularly focused on delivering 10 to 100s of GWs of compute faster than anyone else, rethinking every layer of the stack. We acquire power, design and build data centers, and operate them - with teams spanning hardware and software. Speed and scale are our key differentiators. Come be a part of building civilization-scale infrastructure for AI.
We hire people who care deeply about this problem space. If that is you, please apply!
About the Role
Fluidstack operates the compute infrastructure powering frontier AI. The work running on it is among the most consequential being done today, and the adversaries interested in it are among the most sophisticated, persistent, and well-resourced anywhere. We are building Detection & Response Engineering from the ground up: engineering-led, agent-first, and built to scale across IT, OT, and physical surfaces. As the Senior Detection Engineer for IT, you lead detection engineering for Fluidstack's IT surface. You set the standards that every detection engineer who follows inherits, and lay the foundations of detection on some of the most critical infrastructure being built today.
What you'll do
  • Lead detection engineering for Fluidstack's IT surface, including cross-domain detections where IT bridges OT or physical surfaces.
  • Author and tune production detections as code, with peer review, CI/CD, and measured precision and recall.
  • Apply AI and machine learning to build effective detections, including behavioral analytics and anomaly detection at scale.
  • Develop novel detection tooling, including agentic capabilities that use LLMs for triage, investigation, and response.
  • Set the engineering standards, coverage methodology, and quality metrics for the detection engineering discipline.
  • Conduct threat and security research that informs detection logic, surfaces coverage gaps, and drives new detections.
  • Partner with security platform engineers, incident response, and threat intelligence to close the detection-to-response loop.
  • Participate in the on-call rotation for incident response.
About You
  • You have strong detection engineering experience and have built detection programs at scale.
  • You are fluent across coding and querying languages, pick up new ones quickly, and have handled security-relevant data at massive scale and complexity.
  • You have written sophisticated detection logic against diverse telemetry, not synthesized it from vendor templates.
  • You have handled security incidents and investigated anomalies as part of a team.
  • You have set up detection CI/CD, or know how you would build it on day one.
  • You have well-founded opinions on what makes a detection program work in production.
  • You read the agent-first thesis as the most interesting design choice in security operations right now.
  • You have built or contributed to internal tooling, not just consumed commercial products.
  • You see what is needed, scope it yourself, and run with it.
Strong candidates may also have
  • Experience building or operating agentic detection tooling using LLMs.
  • Experience designing and tuning LLM-based triage or investigation systems against measured precision and recall.
  • Experience with Python and SQL applied to detection development and security data analysis.
  • Experience at the boundary between detection engineering and security platform engineering at scale.
  • Background in detection or security engineering at GPU compute, HPC, or other hyperscale infrastructure.
Salary & Benefits
  • Competitive total compensation package (salary + equity)
  • Retirement or pension plan, in line with local norms
  • Health, dental, and vision insurance
  • Generous PTO policy, in line with local norms

The base salary range for this position is $230,000 - $300,000 per year, depending on experience, skills, qualifications, and location. This range represents our good faith estimate of the compensation for this role at the time of posting. Total compensation may also include equity in the form of stock options.
We are committed to pay equity and transparency.
Fluidstack is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability and protected veterans' status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Fluidstack will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records pursuant to applicable law.
You will receive a confirmation email once your application has successfully been accepted. If there is an error with your submission and you did not receive a confirmation email, please email careers@fluidstack.io with your resume/CV, the role you've applied for, and the date you submitted your application-- someone from our recruiting team will be in touch.

Apply