How Much Do Network Security Engineers Make?

Having a clear understanding of earnings potential is important, especially if you are researching career paths or considering changing jobs. If you're one of those people, and you're curious what kind of salary network security engineers make, you've come to the right place.

Using data from Lightcast,™ the Best Adult Colleges and Careers Guide has compiled rich information about salary for network security engineers and related jobs, including details about average compensation, salary trends and job growth. We've also gathered advertised salaries from actual job postings to provide insight into what employers of network security engineers are offering as compensation.

Keep reading to learn more about how much network security engineers can expect to make in the United States.

At a Glance: Salary & Jobs for Network Security Engineers

According to data from 2023, there were about 186,139 positions for network security engineers in the United States. In terms of salary, the national median salary for network security engineers was reported to be $120,370. Additionally, when examining job demand, employers across the country posted 48,192 job postings related to positions for network security engineers.

How Much Money Do Network Security Engineers Make?

Median salary is just one data point. To build a better understanding of how much money network security engineers and related positions can expect to make in the United States, it can be helpful to look at the full range of compensation for those jobs.

Let's look more deeply at data that was reported to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for detail into the lowest and highest salary earnings for network security engineers.

Annual Salary for Network Security Engineers

According to the BLS, the lowest earners for network security engineers and related professions earned about $69,222 per year in 2023. Meanwhile, at the other end of the spectrum, the highest earners made about $182,374 annually.

As mentioned previously, the median salary for network security engineers in the United States in 2023 was $120,370.

Hourly Salary for Network Security Engineers

The BLS also breaks down compensation for network security engineers by hourly salary, and the median average hourly pay for network security engineers in 2023 was $58. Lowest hourly earners took home $33 while the highest reported hourly salaries for network security engineers was $88.

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Degree Options for Network Security Engineers

Advertised Compensation for Network Security Engineers

Data from the BLS is one way to dig into compensation for network security engineers, but another way to build a more real-time understanding of salary is to look at actual job postings and see what compensation organizations are currently providing to fill open positions for network security engineers.

Keep in mind that salary data is not included in every job posting, so the information compiled here is reflective of the data available through Lightcast.™

Annual Salary from Job Postings for Network Security Engineers

During a review of 54,396 job postings related to network security engineers, advertised salary was included in 17,869 of them, which was 33%. Based on those postings, the median advertised salary for network security engineers was $109,952 per year.

Hourly Salary from Job Postings for Network Security Engineers

A similar analysis of job postings provides insight into advertised hourly salary for network security engineers. Based on 37% of postings with advertised compensation, the median hourly salary for open positions for network security engineers in the United States is about $53.

Salary Trend for Network Security Engineers

If you're thinking about pursuing a career in the field, you may want to understand how compensation has changed over time for network security engineers. The chart below provides a snapshot of advertised salaries over the past three years.

Based on compensation data that was included in job postings for network security engineers dating back to September 2020, advertised salaries for network security engineers have increased 22%.

What's the Job Growth for Network Security Engineers?

Another data point that someone thinking about a career path should consider is whether or not jobs are expected to see growth in the future. The chart below looks at projected employment for network security engineers over the next 10 years.

According to the data obtained through Lightcast,™ there were 185,942 jobs for network security engineers in the United States in 2023. By 2033, it is expected that about 58,368 jobs will be added. That's a 31.4% increase over the next 10-year period.

Additional Links

Ready to dig deeper into career information about network security engineers? Visit our other pages focused on salary and education for network security engineers.

What do network security engineers do?
Network Security Engineers: How do you become one?

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