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Engineering & IT · San Diego, CA
Security Engineer jobs in San Diego, CA
Security engineers protect systems and data by finding vulnerabilities, building defenses, and responding to incidents. The work spans application security, infrastructure hardening, and threat detection.
160
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$45–$119/hr
Typical pay range
$156k
Median, full-time
11
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timeDescriptionClient Solution Architects (CSA) is currently seeking a Systems Engineer III to support a program onsite in San Diego, CA,This position... ...be responsible for designing, implementing, and maintaining sec…
$115k - $165k
SeitzZachary Piper Solutions is looking for a Senior Network Engineer to join a large DOD program in San Diego, CA. Essential Duties... ...administrator, system administration, network systems, lan, wan, lan/wan, securit…
$160k - $250k
Instagram, and YouTube. Job Description:Join Shield AI’s Hivemind SDK State Estimation and Vision team to build the tools that help engineers develop, understand, and validate autonomous navigation systems. You will turn…
$105k - $168k
Job TitleSenior Procurement/Strategic Sourcing EngineerJob DescriptionThe Senior Procurement Engineer develops and industrializes the supply base, drives Product Cost Roadmaps (PCRs), and executes Design for eXcellence (…
$92.3k - $166.85k
Leidos has a new and exciting opportunity for a Applications Software Engineer in our INTEL Sector's Cyber & Analytics Business Area (CABA). Our talented team is at the forefront in Security Engineering, Computer Network…
$110.3k - $165.5k
firms while building our clean energy future.Your OpportunityOur US work group has an opportunity for a Senior Transmission Line Engineer; this individual will sit in any of Stantec’s US offices. Project requirements wil…
operating in complex and contested environments. Forge is the engineering platform used to build, integrate, test, and operate Hivemind... ..., and incorporate what you learn. Work across infrastructure, security, produc…
$145.6k - $218.5k
lead, and do the most consequential work of their careers.Your OpportunityStantec is seeking an accomplished US Transmission Line Engineering Manager to lead and advance our transmission line engineering and design pract…
Job-ID33155524Reference26-01885Remote50% Remote Job Description: The Senior Manufacturing Engineer serves as the technical process owner responsible for manufacturing process validations, performance, equipment readiness…
$98.4k - $147.6k
, and world changing projects, you will do more and become more than you ever thought possible.We are seeking a Senior Mechanical Engineer to support new product development in genomics instrumentation. This is a mechani…
We are seeking a Senior CJA Implementation Engineer to lead the design, implementation, configuration, and reporting of Adobe Customer Journey Analytics (CJA) alongside a website implementation. The role will support the…
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What security engineers earn in San Diego
Hourly first — that's how the offer arrives
| Experience | Hourly | Annual, full-time |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level | $45–$62 | $94k–$130k |
| Mid level | $62–$88 | $130k–$183k |
| Senior | $85–$119 | $177k–$248k |
Adjusted for the San Diego market from national ranges.
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What employers ask for
The skills these listings keep naming
Threat modelingOWASP and web app securityNetwork and cloud securityIncident responseScripting (Python, Bash)SIEM and detection toolingIdentity and access managementVulnerability managementExplaining risk to non-experts
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Interview questions worth rehearsing
With the thing the interviewer is actually listening for
Walk me through how you would threat model a new feature.
Use a structure — assets, entry points, attacker goals — and show that you rank risks rather than listing everything. STRIDE is a fine scaffold if you actually apply it.
You find a critical vulnerability in production. What are your next steps?
Verify, assess exposure, contain, and coordinate disclosure and fix — with communication throughout. Panic-free process is the whole answer.
Explain a recent vulnerability class or breach and what you took from it.
Staying current is part of the job. Pick something real, explain the root cause simply, and connect it to a defense you would build.
How do you get developers to fix security issues they see as low priority?
Show empathy for delivery pressure: translate risk into business impact, make fixes easy, and build guardrails so the secure path is the default.
How would you secure a cloud environment from scratch?
Cover identity first, then network segmentation, logging, encryption, and automated policy checks. Saying 'IAM is where most cloud breaches start' shows you know the terrain.
What is the difference between authentication and authorization, and where do systems commonly get it wrong?
Define both crisply, then give a real failure mode like broken object-level authorization. The follow-through example is what distinguishes the answer.
Tell me about a security control you built or improved.
Describe the risk it addressed and evidence it worked — findings reduced, detection time improved. Controls without measurement are just hopes.
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Resume tips that move the needle
For security engineers specifically — generic advice costs you here
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Lead with concrete defensive wins: vulnerabilities remediated, detection coverage added, incident response times improved.
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List relevant certifications (Security+, OSCP, CISSP) prominently; this field still screens on them.
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Name the domains you cover — appsec, cloud security, detection — since 'security' alone is too broad to place you.
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Mention responsible disclosures, CTF results, or published research if you have them; they are strong credibility signals.
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Show you can work with engineers, not just audit them — secure code reviews, training, or paved-road tooling you built.
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Where this role goes
Typical progression
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Security Analyst
02
Security Engineer
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Senior Security Engineer
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Security Architect
05
CISO
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