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Security Operations Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Everpure

Security Operations Engineer

Santa Clara, CA · On-site

$170K - $255K/yr

THE ROLE As a Security Operations Engineer in the Global Information Security Office (GISO), you will lead the mission to reduce our global attack surface across cloud, endpoint, and SaaS ...

Sandisk

Staff Security Operations Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$127K - $216K/yr

The Staff Security Operations Engineer serves as a key technical driver for migrating devices into Entra ID and as a hands-on engineering resource for the Entra ID (Azure AD) platform. Supporting ...

Sandisk

Staff Security Operations Engineer

Irvine, CA · Hybrid

The Staff Security Operations Engineer serves as a key technical driver for migrating devices into Entra ID and as a hands-on engineering resource for the Entra ID (Azure AD) platform. Supporting ...

Sandisk

Staff Security Operations Engineer

Irvine, CA · Hybrid

The Staff Security Operations Engineer serves as a key technical driver for migrating devices into Entra ID and as a hands-on engineering resource for the Entra ID (Azure AD) platform. Supporting ...

Brex

Senior Security Operations Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$134K - $185K/yr

What you'll do As a Security Operations Engineer at Brex, you will focus on preventing, detecting and responding to security threats across Brex's corporate and cloud environments. You will use ...

FieldAI

Senior IT & Security Operations Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$121K - $166K/yr

The Senior IT & Security Operations Engineer will manage IT infrastructure to ensure the robotics engineering organization is secure and productive, overseeing endpoint management, network operations ...

FieldAI

Senior IT & Security Operations Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$113K - $153K/yr

Field AI is transforming how robots interact with the real world, and they are seeking a Senior IT & Security Operations Engineer to manage their IT infrastructure. This role involves overseeing ...

Replit

Security Operations Lead

Foster City, CA · On-site

$295K - $385K/yr

We are looking for a Security Operations Lead (SOC Lead) to build, mature, and operate our 24/7 ... Developer platforms + CI/CD pipelines * AI/ML systems and model-serving workflows AI-Based SOC ...

FieldAI

Senior IT & Security Operations Engineer

Irvine, CA

$114K - $155K/yr

What You Have * Senior IT Operations Background: 5+ years of IT engineering experience, including ... Endpoint Security: Working experience with CrowdStrike Falcon or a comparable EDR/XDR platform ...

FieldAI

Senior IT & Security Operations Engineer

Irvine, CA

$114K - $155K/yr

What You Have * Senior IT Operations Background: 5+ years of IT engineering experience, including ... Endpoint Security: Working experience with CrowdStrike Falcon or a comparable EDR/XDR platform ...

FieldAI

Senior IT & Security Operations Engineer

Irvine, CA · On-site

$114K - $155K/yr

What You Have * Senior IT Operations Background: 5+ years of IT engineering experience, including ... Endpoint Security: Working experience with CrowdStrike Falcon or a comparable EDR/XDR platform ...

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All JobsSecurity Operations Engineer JobsSecurity Operations Engineer Jobs in California

Security Operations Engineer information

See California salary details

$33.1K

$135.9K

$171.7K

How much do security operations engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for security operations engineer in California is $135,941.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $109,500.00 and $170,700.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Security Operations Engineer vs Security Analyst?

AspectSecurity Operations EngineerSecurity Analyst
CertificationsCompTIA Security+, CISSP, CEHCompTIA Security+, GIAC Security Essentials
Work EnvironmentHands-on security infrastructure management, incident responseMonitoring, analyzing security data, reporting
Employer & Industry UsageIT security teams in various industries, focusing on security operations

The Security Operations Engineer focuses on managing security systems and responding to incidents, while the Security Analyst primarily monitors security data and analyzes threats. Both roles require similar certifications and work closely within security teams, but their daily tasks differ in scope and focus.

What are some of the main challenges security operations engineers face when responding to security incidents?

Security Operations Engineers often face challenges such as quickly identifying genuine threats among large volumes of security alerts, coordinating responses across multiple teams, and containing incidents before they escalate. Balancing thorough investigation with the need for rapid action can be demanding, especially in high-pressure situations. Additionally, staying updated on emerging threats and ensuring compliance with security protocols are ongoing responsibilities that require continuous learning and adaptability.

What does a security operations engineer do?

As a security operations engineer, your job is to monitor a network or system and help implement new methods of protection and data recovery. In this role, you may conduct a vulnerability assessment for each emerging threat, coordinate with other security specialists, and help develop responses with industry peers. This job title refers to maintaining network security systems and should not be confused with non-electronic security operations, such as safeguarding VIPs or facilities. A security operations engineer works regular hours, but employers may call you in for emergency help as needed. This position usually reports to someone, such as a chief information security officer. You may occasionally brief executives or other managers on relevant topics, so presentation skills are helpful.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a security operations engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Security Operations Engineer, you need a solid understanding of network security, incident response, and vulnerability management, typically supported by a degree in computer science or a related field. Experience with SIEM tools (like Splunk or QRadar), firewalls, IDS/IPS, and certifications such as CISSP or CompTIA Security+ are commonly required. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and effective communication skills help you quickly detect and respond to security threats while collaborating with teams. These skills are crucial to proactively safeguarding organizational assets, minimizing risks, and ensuring swift recovery from security incidents.
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Security Operations Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Security Operations Engineer job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 84% Full Time, 12% Part Time, 2% Temporary, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 94% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $135,941 per year, or $65.4 per hour.

Security Operations Engineer

Everpure

Santa Clara, CA • On-site

Full-time

PTO

Re-posted 10 days ago

Job description

THE ROLE

As a Security Operations Engineer in the Global Information Security Office (GISO), you will lead the mission to reduce our global attack surface across cloud, endpoint, and SaaS environments. You will report to the Senior Security Operations Manager and work closely with Cloud Platform, Network Engineering, and DevOps teams to connect Zero Trust connectivity and vulnerability management into a coherent program. This role differentiates itself by moving beyond simple task execution to architecting automated, risk-based outcomes that enable the business to scale safely while protecting our most critical assets.

WHAT YOU'LL DO
  • Own the Vulnerability & Asset Lifecycle: Drive risk-based remediation across cloud, container, and endpoint environments. You will shift the needle from volume-based reporting to exploitability-led prioritization (EPSS), utilizing asset intelligence to ensure remediation meets SLAs that tangibly reduce organizational risk.
  • Engineer Zero Trust & Connectivity: Lead the operational excellence of Zscaler (ZIA/ZPA). You will manage complex SSL/TLS inspection strategies and policy enforcement to provide seamless, secure access while maintaining deep visibility into encrypted traffic flows.
  • Eliminate Credential & Secret Risk: Act as the primary architect for secrets detection within CI/CD pipelines. You will partner with DevOps to automate the identification and remediation of exposed credentials, moving security "left" from code to cloud.
  • Architect Detection, Deception, & Automation: Build advanced detection queries in Splunk and deploy enterprise-wide deception strategies aligned with the MITRE ATT&CK framework. You will automate manual triage via Python or SOAR workflows to turn raw security data into high-fidelity alerts.
  • Validate & Simulate Defenses: Execute targeted adversary simulations and controls validation (e.g., Atomic Red Team) to verify that detections perform as expected, providing risk-rated findings to technical leaders.
  • Translate Risk for Stakeholders: Serve as the technical authority who can pivot from deep-packet inspection troubleshooting to delivering "Fix Impact Reports" for executive leadership, quantifying how remediation efforts have eliminated critical threats.
WHAT YOU BRING
  • Security Engineering & Vulnerability Mastery: You possess deep experience in security operations and vulnerability management within enterprise environments, including hands-on experience with asset discovery and secrets detection tools such as runZero, TruffleHog, or GitLeaks.
  • Zero Trust & Cloud Specialization: You have technical depth in configuring and operating Zero Trust platforms-specifically Zscaler ZIA/ZPA (including SSL inspection design and policy tuning)-and experience securing major cloud providers like AWS, GCP, or Azure.
  • Analytical Automation & DevSecOps: You are proficient in SIEM detection engineering (Splunk) and scripting (Python, PowerShell, or Bash), with a proven ability to integrate secrets scanning and automated remediation workflows directly into CI/CD pipelines.
  • Offensive Security & Strategic Communication: You bring practical experience with threat emulation and deception technologies mapped to MITRE ATT&CK, coupled with the ability to partner with engineering teams to prioritize remediation and translate technical risk into business-relevant language.

We are primarily an in-office environment. You will be expected to work from our Santa Clara, CA or Lehi, UT office in compliance with company policies, unless on approved PTO, work travel, or other leave.

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