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How much do security operations center operator jobs pay per hour?

As of Aug 10, 2026, the average hourly pay for security operations center operator in Virginia is $19.66, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $17.16 and $21.20 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Security Operations Center Operator vs Security Analyst?

AspectSecurity Operations Center OperatorSecurity Analyst
CertificationsCompTIA Security+, CEH, CISSP (preferred)CompTIA Security+, CISSP, GIAC certifications
Work EnvironmentMonitoring security systems in a SOC, responding to alertsAnalyzing security data, investigating incidents, reporting
Employer & Industry UsageCommon in cybersecurity firms, large enterprises, government agenciesUsed across industries for threat detection and risk assessment

Security Operations Center (SOC) Operators focus on real-time monitoring and initial response to security alerts, while Security Analysts perform in-depth analysis, investigation, and reporting. Both roles require similar certifications and often work within the same environment, but their responsibilities differ in scope and depth of analysis.

What are some common challenges faced by Security Operations Center Operators, and how can they be managed?

SOC Operators often encounter challenges such as managing high volumes of alerts, distinguishing false positives from genuine threats, and maintaining situational awareness during fast-paced incidents. Effective time management, continuous training on new threat vectors, and leveraging automation tools can help address these challenges. Collaborating closely with incident response teams and participating in regular drills also ensures readiness and improves overall team effectiveness.

What does a Security Operations Center Operator do?

As a security operations center operator, or SOC operator, you monitor a variety of technologies including access control, video surveillance, and alarm systems to provide security service and threat elimination for industrial, business, or residential customers. You respond to medical crises, safety incidents, natural disasters and other emergencies, and dispatch security officers, police, fire, EMS personnel, and other services as required. Your duties and responsibilities also include investigating incidents, escalating situations to appropriate parties in the SOC, and filing incident reports. In some roles, you are responsible for monitoring social media and other news and information channels to support threat identification.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Security Operations Center Operator?

To thrive as a Security Operations Center (SOC) Operator, you need a solid understanding of cybersecurity principles, incident response, and network monitoring, often supported by a relevant degree or certifications like CompTIA Security+ or CEH. Familiarity with security information and event management (SIEM) tools, intrusion detection systems, and ticketing platforms is typically required. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication are crucial soft skills for identifying threats and collaborating with teams. These skills are essential to quickly detect, assess, and respond to security incidents, ensuring the organization's information assets remain protected.
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Security Operations Center Operator jobs near you
Infographic showing various Security Operations Center Operator job openings in Virginia as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 87% Full Time, 11% Part Time, and 2% Nights. Highlights an 95% In-person, 3% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $40,891 per year, or $19.7 per hour.

Security Operations Center Engineer III

MartinFed

Arlington, VA • On-site

Full-time

Re-posted 23 days ago

Job description

COMPANY OVERVIEWFounded in 2007 in Huntsville, AL, MartinFed provides the U.S. government with customer-focused, performance-based solutions using technology and an empowered workforce as an engine to drive its customers' missions. Our goal is to attract the best and brightest within their field.We invest in our people because they are our greatest asset. They cultivate our purpose, embody and reflect our core values, and define our culture. MartinFed's core values that set us apart are the following:Be Driven - We are fueled by the hunger to learn more and do more.Be Curious - We engage in continuous improvement - never accepting the status quo.Be Humble - We seek honest feedback to strengthen our relationships.Pursue Excellence - We strive to achieve extraordinary results and do not settle for mediocrity.Strive for excellence and consider joining our growing team today!Please note: this position is contingent upon contract award.JOB OVERVIEW:MartinFed is seeking a highly experienced Security Operations Center (SOC) Engineer III to provide advanced cybersecurity monitoring, detection, analysis, and incident response support within a complex enterprise environment. The ideal candidate will serve as a senior technical resource responsible for engineering, optimizing, and maintaining security operations platforms while leading efforts to detect, investigate, and mitigate cybersecurity threats.This role requires extensive experience in Security Operations Center (SOC) environments, security information and event management (SIEM) platforms, log aggregation, threat hunting, incident response, and security automation. The SOC Engineer III will collaborate with cybersecurity teams, system administrators, network engineers, and organizational leadership to strengthen the organization's security posture and ensure continuous monitoring of critical systems and infrastructure.ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:Lead security monitoring operations utilizing SIEM technologies, including Splunk and Cribl platforms.Design, implement, configure, and maintain enterprise security monitoring and logging solutions.Perform advanced threat detection, threat hunting, and incident analysis activities across enterprise networks and cloud environments.Investigate security alerts, incidents, and anomalies to determine root cause, impact, and remediation actions.Develop and maintain security use cases, correlation searches, dashboards, reports, and automated workflows.Engineer and optimize log collection, normalization, enrichment, and retention strategies.Support the deployment, administration, and optimization of Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Cloud, and Cribl environments.Develop security content to improve detection capabilities for emerging cyber threats and adversarial tactics.Lead incident response activities and coordinate containment, eradication, recovery, and lessons learned efforts.Conduct security assessments and identify opportunities to improve monitoring, visibility, and operational effectiveness.Collaborate with cloud, network, and systems engineering teams to integrate security controls and monitoring solutions.Develop operational procedures, technical documentation, and standard operating procedures (SOPs).Provide technical leadership and mentorship to junior SOC analysts and engineers.Generate executive-level reports, metrics, and briefings regarding security incidents, trends, and organizational risk.Support compliance initiatives, audits, and security assessments in accordance with federal cybersecurity requirements.Stay current on emerging threats, attack techniques, and cybersecurity technologies to enhance defensive capabilities.REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:United States Citizen with a DoD Secret clearance.Bachelor's Degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, Information Systems, or a closely related technical field. Relevant experience may be considered in lieu of degree requirements.Minimum of 10 years of experience performing IT Security Operations in enterprise or government environments.Demonstrated experience supporting Security Operations Centers (SOCs), Cyber Defense Operations, or Security Monitoring Programs.Advanced experience administering, engineering, and supporting Splunk Enterprise and/or Splunk Cloud environments.Experience implementing and maintaining log management, SIEM, and security analytics platforms.Strong knowledge of incident response, threat hunting, digital forensics, malware analysis, and vulnerability management.Experience with cloud security monitoring and AWS security services.Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks and standards, including:NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)NIST 800 SeriesRisk Management Framework (RMF)FISMASecurity Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs)MITRE ATT&CK FrameworkStrong understanding of network security, endpoint security, identity and access management, and security architecture.Experience developing security dashboards, correlation searches, alerts, reports, and automation workflows.Excellent analytical, troubleshooting, communication, and leadership skills.PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONSInside office environment.Working on a computer for long periods of time.May involve long period of sitting at a desk.The work environment is fast-paced and sometimes involves extreme deadline pressures.OTHER DUTIESThis job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.MartinFed is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, religious creed, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, transgender, pregnancy, marital status, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, disability, protected Veteran Status, genetics or any other characteristics protected by applicable federal, state or local law. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. In addition to federal law requirements, MartinFed complies with all applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in all locations.If you are a qualified individual with a disability or disabled veteran, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access MartinFed's current openings as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by calling 855.212.1810. Thank you for your interest in MartinFed.Please Note: All positions at MartinFed are contingent upon passing a background check prior to a start date and are subject to random drug screenings during the employment period. In addition, MartinFed is an E-Verify employer.
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