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Security Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Security Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$266K - $395K/yr

As a Security Engineer at Lambda, you'll touch many areas across the security program such as building detections, hardening infrastructure, reviewing designs, automating toil, and responding to ...

At Gamma, we believe security engineering must evolve to meet this moment. That means closing patch gaps faster, scanning our own code with the same frontier models an attacker would use, designing ...

Security Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$180 - $310/hr

At Gamma, we believe security engineering must evolve to meet this moment. That means closing patch gaps faster, scanning our own code with the same frontier models an attacker would use, designing ...

Security Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$160 - $210/hr

As a Security Engineer on Skydio's Security team, you'll build the automation and internal tooling that keep our multi-tenant cloud and corporate environments secure and audit-ready. You'll write ...

Security Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$170 - $210/hr

engineering San Francisco, CA | Hybrid full-time We are seeking a highly skilled Security Engineer to join our Series A team as we scale from early product traction to broader customer adoption. You ...

Security Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$160 - $210/hr

As a Security Engineer on Skydio's Security team, you'll build the automation and internal tooling that keep our multi-tenant cloud and corporate environments secure and audit-ready. You'll write ...

Security Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$200K - $330K/yr

About the Team The Security Engineering team at Decagon protects the platform that powers the most advanced conversational AI agents for enterprise customers across voice, chat, email and SMS. We ...

Meta's Cross-Meta Security organization is seeking a distinguished Security Engineer to operate at the highest level of technical leadership across the

Security Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120 - $160/hr

We're hiring a hands‑on (Senior) Product Security Engineer to design, build, and harden the secure architecture at the core of the product, working as a technical partner to our Core engineering ...

Position Summary As a Security Engineer at HeyGen, you will own the security posture of one of the fastest-growing AI companies in the world. You will partner directly with engineering teams to ship ...

Security Engineer

Cupertino, CA · On-site

$181.10 - $318.40/hr

Join our Apple Pay Security Engineering team and help us deliver the safest and best user experience. We work on Payments, Transit, Access, and Identity across hardware, software, and servers. If you ...

Position Summary As a Security Engineer at HeyGen, you will own the security posture of one of the fastest-growing AI companies in the world. You will partner directly with engineering teams to ship ...

Security Engineer

Oakland, CA · On-site

$159 - $201/hr

Reporting to the Manager, Security Engineering, you will be a member of the technical security operations team at the company. Security is one of the main strategic pillars at Everlaw, and we are ...

Security Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$260K - $300K/yr

About the Role Security Engineers at Cognition own one of the most interesting security surfaces in the industry. Devin executes arbitrary code on behalf of users across millions of sandboxed ...

Security Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$120 - $150/hr

THE ROLE We are seeking an experienced and proactive Security Engineer to help us build, maintain, and continuously improve the security posture of our rapidly growing ML infrastructure platform. As ...

As a Security Engineer you will identify and drive impactful projects to improve the security of Figma's product, platform, and IT systems. We are hiring for multiple teams within Security ...

Showing results 21-40

Security Engineer information

See California salary details

$60.7K

$150.8K

$202.8K

How much do security engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for security engineer in California is $150,773.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $141,100.00 and $156,400.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

How does a security engineer typically collaborate with other IT teams within an organization?

Security Engineers work closely with various IT teams such as network administrators, software developers, and system administrators to ensure security protocols are integrated at every level. This collaboration often involves conducting security assessments, reviewing code for vulnerabilities, and assisting with incident response. Regular meetings and cross-functional projects are common, as Security Engineers provide guidance on best practices and help teams understand potential threats. Effective communication and teamwork are key, as security is a shared responsibility across the organization.

What is a security engineer?

A service provider is responsible for delivering professional quality services on behalf of a business or organization. The types of services vary depending on the businesses they work with. Many companies partner with experts in the local community to perform functions on their behalf rather than developing the expertise in-house. A service provider performs the services based on a written legal agreement and charges fees for their work.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Security Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Security Engineer, you need expertise in information security principles, network architecture, vulnerability assessment, and commonly a degree in computer science or a related field. Familiarity with tools like SIEM systems, firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, and certifications such as CISSP or CEH are typically required. Strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and effective communication set outstanding Security Engineers apart. These competencies are essential to proactively protect organizations from cyber threats, ensure compliance, and minimize security risks.

What do you do as a security engineer?

A security engineer designs, implements, and maintains security systems to protect an organization’s networks, systems, and data from cyber threats. They analyze vulnerabilities, develop security protocols, and often use tools like firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and encryption. Certifications such as CISSP or CEH and strong knowledge of network architecture are common in this role.

What is the difference between Security Engineer vs Network Security Specialist?

AspectSecurity EngineerNetwork Security Specialist
Required CertificationsCompTIA Security+, CISSP, CEHCompTIA Security+, Cisco CCNA Security, CISSP
Work EnvironmentDesigning, implementing, and maintaining security systems across IT infrastructureMonitoring, analyzing, and securing network traffic and infrastructure
Employer & Industry UsageTech companies, finance, government agenciesTelecommunications, enterprise networks, cybersecurity firms

Security Engineers focus on developing and deploying security solutions across IT systems, while Network Security Specialists concentrate on protecting network infrastructure and traffic. Both roles require similar certifications and often work together to ensure comprehensive security.

What are the most commonly searched types of Security Engineer jobs in California?

The most popular types of Security Engineer jobs in California are:

What job categories do people searching Security Engineer jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Security Engineer jobs in California are:

What cities in California are hiring for Security Engineer jobs?

Cities in California with the most Security Engineer job openings:

Infographic showing various Security Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 83% Full Time, 13% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 92% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $150,773 per year, or $72.5 per hour.

Security Engineer

Lambda

San Francisco, CA • On-site

$266K - $395K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Re-posted yesterday


Job description

Lambda, The Superintelligence Cloud, is a leader in AI cloud infrastructure serving tens of thousands of customers. Our customers range from AI researchers to enterprises and hyperscalers. Lambda's mission is to make compute as ubiquitous as electricity and give everyone the power of superintelligence. One person, one GPU.
If you'd like to build the world's best AI cloud, join us.
*Note: This position requires presence in our San Francisco/San Jose/Bellevue office location 4 days per week; Lambda's designated work from home day is currently Tuesday.
About the Role
Lambda Security protects some of the world's most valuable digital assets: training data, model weights representing immense computational investments, and the sensitive inputs required to leverage best-of-breed AI models. We're responsible for securing every byte that powers breakthrough artificial intelligence.
As a Security Engineer at Lambda, you'll touch many areas across the security program such as building detections, hardening infrastructure, reviewing designs, automating toil, and responding to incidents. Reporting to the Head of Security and partnering closely with Product Engineering, Data Center Operations and Engineering, IT, and embedded Technical Program Managers, your work shapes the security posture customers rely on.
Security at Lambda directly enables customer trust and unlocks enterprise revenue. Our customers run billion-dollar training jobs and irreplaceable model weights on our infrastructure; our job is to make Lambda the safest place to build with AI. Over the next 12-18 months, you'll help deliver our 2026 security roadmap, expand detection coverage for AI-specific threats, help mature our incident response program, and ship security automation that other engineering teams adopt voluntarily. You'll also have direct access to LLMs hosted on Lambda's own infrastructure to push security operations beyond what's possible elsewhere.
Security is a broad field, and we don't expect you to be an expert in everything our team does, but we do expect you to learn quickly, ship across domains, and support the specialists around you. If you enjoy moving between detection, architecture, and platform work and want to build security alongside the engineers you're protecting rather than from the outside then we'd love to talk.
We value diverse backgrounds, experiences, and skills, and we are excited to hear from candidates who can bring unique perspectives to our team. If you do not exactly meet this description but believe you may be a good fit, please still apply and help us understand your readiness for this role. Your application is not a waste of our time.
What You'll Do
  • Build and Tune Detections: Develop and refine detection content across our SIEM and EDR to catch threats targeting customer data, model weights, and infrastructure.
  • Respond to Incidents: Participate in on-call, lead investigations end-to-end, and turn each incident into automation, playbooks, or controls that prevent the next one.
  • Harden Systems Directly: Remediate vulnerabilities and security findings in production, partnering with engineering teams when fixes cross team boundaries.
  • Review Architectures and Code: Provide actionable security feedback on high-level designs and individual changes, and turn recurring review patterns into reusable standards.
  • Build Security Tooling: Ship Python or Go services that automate evidence collection, vulnerability triage, and other toil, using Lambda's hosted LLMs where they meaningfully accelerate the work.
  • Partner Across Engineering: Work with Product Engineering, Data Center Operations and Engineering, IT, and Legal to land security improvements at the moments they're cheapest to adopt.
  • Balance Strategic and Tactical: Recognize when to invest in a long-term fix versus when "good enough" is exactly that, and bias toward measurable forward progress.

What We Think a Candidate Needs to Demonstrate to Succeed
  • 5+ years of demonstrated security engineering experience, either directly as a security engineer or as an engineer driving security outcomes. We also welcome equivalent backgrounds: significant formal security training paired with strong engineering experience.
  • A track record of working across security domains; for example, shipping detection work in one role and architecture, platform, or vulnerability management work in another. We don't expect mastery of every domain; we do expect demonstrated breadth and eagerness to learn.
  • Thrives in high-speed, high-ambiguity startup environments where priorities shift regularly and structure must be built while executing.
  • Strong hands-on Linux experience that showcases your ability to protect both our applications and the cloud we build underneath them.
  • Comfortable solving problems in Python, Go, or a similar language, with the discipline to ship production-grade tooling rather than only one-off scripts.
  • Excellent collaboration with technical teams both with and without authority (we're all on the same team!).

Nice to Have
  • You've led or developed a meaningful component of a security program (detection & response, security architecture, platform/tooling, vulnerability management, GRC operations, etc.).
  • Experience driving or providing significant evidence for compliance audits such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS, HIPAA/HITECH, or FedRAMP.
  • Significant experience operating large-scale production services (e.g., SRE across thousands of hosts) or with virtualization at scale (KVM, Hyper-V, Xen).
  • You've built or deployed critical security infrastructure such as SIEM, SOAR, EDR, IDS/IPS, or canary/honeypot systems.
  • Experience with AI/ML infrastructure security, model security, or protecting high-value computational workloads.
  • Enthusiasm about leveraging direct access to state-of-the-art LLMs to push security operations beyond the status quo, including through automated triage, intelligent alert correlation, AI-assisted code review.

Salary Range Information
The annual salary range for this position has been set based on market data and other factors. However, a salary higher or lower than this range may be appropriate for a candidate whose qualifications differ meaningfully from those listed in the job description.
About Lambda
  • Founded in 2012, with 500+ employees, and growing fast
  • Our investors notably include TWG Global, US Innovative Technology Fund (USIT), Andra Capital, SGW, Andrej Karpathy, ARK Invest, Fincadia Advisors, G Squared, In-Q-Tel (IQT), KHK & Partners, NVIDIA, Pegatron, Supermicro, Wistron, Wiwynn, Gradient Ventures, Mercato Partners, SVB, 1517, and Crescent Cove
  • We have research papers accepted at top machine learning and graphics conferences, including NeurIPS, ICCV, SIGGRAPH, and TOG
  • Our values are publicly available: https://lambda.ai/careers
  • We offer generous cash & equity compensation
  • Health, dental, and vision coverage for you and your dependents
  • Wellness and commuter stipends for select roles
  • 401k Plan with 2% company match (USA employees)
  • Flexible paid time off plan that we all actually use

Equal Opportunity Employer
Lambda is an Equal Opportunity employer. Applicants are considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, age, sex, gender, marital status, sexual orientation and identity, genetic information, veteran status, citizenship, or any other factors prohibited by local, state, or federal law.