Lead Software Security Engineer

Lead Software Security Engineer Salary

$83K

$144.5K

$198K

$145,890

/year

$70.14

/hour

Lead Software Security Engineer Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$145,890

Columbus

Ohio

$140,915

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    How much does a Lead Software Security Engineer make?

    As of Jul 30, 2026, the average annual pay for a Lead Software Security Engineer in the United States is $145,890 a year.

    Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $70.14 an hour. This is the equivalent of $2,805/week or $12,157/month.

    While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $198,000 and as low as $83,000, the majority of Lead Software Security Engineer salaries currently range between $121,000 (25th percentile) to $168,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $186,500 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Lead Software Security Engineer varies greatly (by as much as 47500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

    A Lead Software Security Engineer in your area makes on average $140,915 per year, or $4,975 (3.410%) less than the national average annual salary of $145,890. Ohio ranks number 30 out of 50 states nationwide for Lead Software Security Engineer salaries.

    To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Lead Software Security Engineer jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

    Find your next high paying job as a Lead Software Security Engineer on ZipRecruiter today.

    What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Lead Software Security Engineer Jobs

    We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Lead Software Security Engineer job is above the national average. Topping the list is Kirkland, WA, , with Cupertino, CA, and Patterson, OH, close behind in the second and third positions. Patterson, OH, beats the national average by $33,299 (22.8%), and Kirkland, WA, furthers that trend with another $36,651 (25.1%) above the $145,890 average.

    With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Lead Software Security Engineer appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

    Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Kirkland, WA, and Sunnyvale, CA, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Lead Software Security Engineer role.

    City

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Kirkland, WA

    $182,541

    $87.76

    Cupertino, CA

    $179,991

    $86.53

    Patterson, OH

    $179,189

    $86.15

    Berkeley, CA

    $178,634

    $85.88

    Jessup, MD

    $177,174

    $85.18

    Sitka, AK

    $175,751

    $84.50

    Mountain View, CA

    $172,104

    $82.74

    Palo Alto, CA

    $171,930

    $82.66

    San Francisco, CA

    $171,884

    $82.64

    Sunnyvale, CA

    $171,224

    $82.32

    What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Lead Software Security Engineer Jobs in the U.S.

    Analyzing some similar jobs related to the Lead Software Security Engineer job category, we found that Software Security Engineer jobs have average salaries similar than Lead Software Security Engineer jobs.

    Job Title

    Annual Salary

    Hourly Wage

    Software Security Engineer

    $139,599

    $67.11

    Senior Fire Alarm Technician

    $60,454

    $29.06

    Alarm Service Technician

    $56,124

    $26.98

    Fire Alarm Installer

    $53,666

    $25.80

    Computer Systems Technician

    $41,429

    $19.92

    About Our Data

    ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

    Infographic detailing Lead Software Security Engineer salary across the United States as of July 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $145,890 per year or $70.14 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.