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Principal Security Architect Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Principal Security Architect

Chicago, IL · On-site

$156.50 - $230/hr

Principal Security Architect At Bank of America, cybersecurity is foundational to protecting the enterprise and our customers. The Principal Security Architect is a senior technical leader within the ...

$157 - $230/hr

The Principal Security Architect is a senior technical leader within the Cyber Security Technology (CST) organization and a member of the Cyber Security Product Management team. This role partners ...

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The Principal Security Architect is a senior technical leader within the Cyber Security Technology (CST) organization and a member of the Cyber Security Product Management team. This role partners ...

The Senior Principal Security Architect serves as a trusted advisor and authoritative voice on security architecture decisions, guiding DTCC's long-term security posture in a highly regulated ...

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Principal Security Architect information

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$92.5K

$155.9K

$211K

How much do principal security architect jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 24, 2026, the average yearly pay for principal security architect in the United States is $155,946.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $130,000.00 and $180,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a principal security architect?

A Principal Security Architect is a senior-level cybersecurity expert responsible for designing and implementing an organization's security strategy. They assess risks, develop security frameworks, and ensure compliance with industry regulations. This role involves collaborating with IT teams, executives, and stakeholders to protect systems, networks, and data from cyber threats. They also evaluate new security technologies and establish best practices to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.

What does a principal security architect do?

As a Principal Security Architect, your daily responsibilities typically include designing secure system architectures, reviewing and updating security policies, and leading efforts to assess vulnerabilities and threats. You will collaborate closely with IT, development, and executive teams to ensure security requirements are understood and incorporated into all projects. Overseeing incident response planning, guiding junior team members, and staying ahead of emerging security risks are also typical parts of your role. This position involves both strategic planning and hands-on technical work to safeguard organizational assets.

What skills and qualifications are needed to thrive as a principal security architect?

To thrive as a Principal Security Architect, you need extensive knowledge in cybersecurity frameworks, network and application security, risk assessment, and a background in computer science or related fields. Familiarity with security tools such as SIEM, IDS/IPS, cloud security solutions, and certifications like CISSP or CISM is typically required. Strong leadership, excellent communication, and the ability to influence stakeholders are standout soft skills for this role. These skills ensure that security initiatives are effectively designed, communicated, and integrated into complex enterprise environments.

How much does a principal security architect get paid?

A principal security architect typically earns between $120,000 and $180,000 annually, with salaries varying based on experience, location, and industry. They often hold advanced certifications like CISSP or CISM and have extensive expertise in cybersecurity strategies and tools.

How much does a principal security architect make?

A principal security architect typically earns between $130,000 and $180,000 annually, with total compensation often including bonuses and benefits. Salaries vary based on experience, industry, location, and certifications such as CISSP or CISM, and the role involves designing and overseeing security infrastructure and policies.
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Infographic showing various Principal Security Architect job openings in the United States as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 88% Full Time, 10% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 93% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $155,946 per year, or $75 per hour.

Principal Security Architect

Denver, CO • Hybrid


Bank of America
Finance and Insurance • 10K+ employees

8.2

Company rating: 8.2 out of 10

Based on 530 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

51st of 172 rated banks

People enjoy working here

Good employer

Recommended by students


Full-time

PTO

Re-posted 12 days ago


Job description

Job Description:

At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better through the power of every connection. We do this by driving Responsible Growth and delivering for our clients, teammates, communities and shareholders every day.
Being a Great Place to Work is core to how we drive Responsible Growth. This includes our commitment to being an inclusive workplace, attracting and developing exceptional talent, supporting our teammates' physical, emotional, and financial wellness, recognizing and rewarding performance, and how we make an impact in the communities we serve.
Bank of America is committed to an in-office culture with specific requirements for office-based attendance and which allows for an appropriate level of flexibility for our teammates and businesses based on role-specific considerations.
At Bank of America, you can build a successful career with opportunities to learn, grow, and make an impact. Join us!

Job Description:

At Bank of America, cybersecurity is foundational to protecting the enterprise and our customers. The Principal Security Architect is a senior technical leader within the Cyber Security Technology (CST) organization and a member of the Cyber Security Product Management team. This role partners across Global Information Security (GIS) to define, design, and deliver scalable security architectures and capabilities that address evolving threats, regulatory expectations, and business priorities.

CST is a globally distributed organization responsible for cybersecurity architecture, engineering, innovation, product and technology strategy, cyber resiliency, access management, data strategy, and security control support. The Principal Security Architect plays a critical role in shaping enterprise security architecture, influencing technology strategy, and driving execution across multiple engineering initiatives.

This Principal Security Architect will provide architecture leadership and strategy across multiple domains. Prior experience working across these and related domains is preferred:

  • Cloud and hybrid infrastructure.
  • Zero Trust and identity.
  • Application and product security.
  • Data protection and cryptography.
  • Security automation.
  • AI security and emerging technologies.
  • Cyber resilience and control modernization.

Key Responsibilities

  • Define solution intent and architectural vision in partnership with senior business and technology leaders, ensuring alignment with GIS policy and enterprise standards.
  • Collaborate with senior architects and product managers to develop and execute security roadmaps that deliver strategic outcomes.
  • Advise senior executives on security risks, technology gaps, and architectural trade-offs; develop secure solutions through domain expertise, experimentation, and proofs of concept.
  • Lead the evolution of enterprise-level security architecture, ensuring designs are secure, resilient, and adaptable to emerging requirements.
  • Partner with governance and control owners to resolve policy issues and strengthen standards and best practices.
  • Mentor and guide other GIS architects, driving consistency, reuse, and adoption of architectural patterns across the cybersecurity organization.
  • Establish and continuously improve architectural practices, templates, and documentation.
  • Work with product managers and senior technology leaders to prioritize security backlog items that enable business epics and features.
  • Contribute across multiple initiatives simultaneously and adapt quickly between priorities.
  • Influence resourcing, budgeting, and funding decisions through architectural input and business case development; may provide people leadership or direction for special initiatives.

How Success Is Achieved

  • Promotes collaboration and builds consensus across stakeholders and senior leadership.
  • Applies enterprise policy, best practices, and threat analysis to influence secure outcomes.
  • Diagnoses root causes and solve complex problems in dynamic, high-pressure environments.
  • Provides informed input into financial planning and investment decisions.
  • Demonstrates strong ownership, accountability, and commitment to delivery.
  • Maintains a clear enterprise perspective, aligning individual and team efforts to shared goals.
  • Drives consistent, sustainable processes that deliver predictable, high-quality results.
  • Delivers agreed business value within defined tolerances for scope, schedule, and cost.

Required Qualifications

  • 10+ years of experience in security architecture, with some people management experience.
  • Broad expertise across information security technologies, processes, and control frameworks and ability to work across organizational and technology boundaries.
  • Strong ability to research, evaluate, and recommend emerging technologies and strategies.
  • Demonstrated experience aligning security capabilities with regulatory, legal, and industry frameworks (e.g., NIST CSF).
  • Familiarity with common security bodies of knowledge (e.g., NIST, ISACA, SANS, ISC2).
  • Proven ability to operate effectively in a complex, globally distributed organization.
  • Exceptional communication, stakeholder engagement, and executive influencing skills.
  • Experience working in agile and product-based delivery models, with a track record of successful transformation.
  • Experience evaluating vendors and supporting deployment and integration decisions.

Skills:

  • Automation
  • Influence
  • Result Orientation
  • Stakeholder Management
  • Technical Strategy Development
  • Application Development
  • Architecture
  • Business Acumen
  • Risk Management
  • Solution Design
  • Agile Practices
  • Analytical Thinking
  • Collaboration
  • Data Management
  • Solution Delivery Process

Shift:

1st shift (United States of America)

Hours Per Week:

40

Pay Transparency details

US - CO - Denver - 1144 15th St - Denver Gis (CO9926), US - DC - Washington - 1800 K St NW - 1800 K Street NW (DC1842), US - IL - Chicago - 540 W Madison St - Bank Of America Plaza (IL4540)Pay and benefits informationPay range$156,500.00 - $230,000.00 annualized salary, offers to be determined based on experience, education and skill set.Discretionary incentive eligibleThis role is eligible to participate in the annual discretionary plan. Employees are eligible for an annual discretionary award based on their overall individual performance results and behaviors, the performance and contributions of their line of business and/or group; and the overall success of the Company.BenefitsThis role is currently benefits eligible. We provide industry-leading benefits, access to paid time off, resources and support to our employees so they can make a genuine impact and contribute to the sustainable growth of our business and the communities we serve.

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About Bank Of America

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

At Bank of America, we are guided by a common purpose to help make financial lives better through the power of every connection. Responsible Growth is how we run our company and how we deliver for our clients, teammates, communities and shareholders every day. One of the keys to driving Responsible Growth is being a great place to work for our teammates around the world. We're devoted to being a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone. We hire individuals with a broad range of backgrounds and experiences and invest heavily in our teammates and their families by offering competitive benefits to support their physical, emotional, and financial well-being.

Industry

Finance and insurance

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

Charlotte, NC, US

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