The median pay for Information Security Engineers is $116,580 a year ($56.05/hr), according to BLS OEWS, May 2025. Employment is projected to grow 5.1% through 2035, with about 27,000 openings a year (BLS EP, 2025–2035). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 15-1299
- Computer and Mathematical
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Information Security Engineer in four numbers
- Median pay
- $116,580a year, or $56.05/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $56KTop 10% $188K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +5.1%Faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+5.1%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +5.1% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 27,000471,200 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025471.2K
- Projected 2035495.3K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 471.2K Projected 2035 495.3K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Less than high school5.3%
- High school5.3%
- Certificate15.8%
- Some college10.5%
- Associate's10.5%
- Bachelor's47.4%
Highest education held by information security engineers Segment Value Less than high school 5.3% High school 5.3% Certificate 15.8% Some college 10.5% Associate's 10.5% Bachelor's 47.4%
Also advertised as: BISO (Business Information Security Officer), Cloud Engineer, Engineer, Information Security Auditor, Information Security System Engineer, Infrastructure Security Engineer.
Pay
How much do Information Security Engineers make?
Every information security engineer in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$116,580
Middle half earn $79,370 to $157,500
- 10th
- $55,940
- 25th
- $79,370
- 75th
- $157,500
- 90th
- $188,470
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $55,940 |
| 25th | $79,370 |
| Median | $116,580 |
| 75th | $157,500 |
| 90th | $188,470 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $116,580
- Median hourly wage
- $56.05/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $122,230
- People employed
- 435,370
Versus all US occupations
At $116,580, Information Security Engineers earn 129% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $65,600 a year.
Versus computer and mathematical occupations
The median is typical for the Computer and Mathematical group, where the middle occupation pays $116,580.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $188,470 or more while the bottom 10% earn $55,940, a gap of 3.4×. That is an unusually wide spread, which usually tracks specialisation, employer type and years of experience.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 82% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Highest-paying state
District of Columbia pays the most at $156,590, and still leads at $142,483 once local prices are taken into account.
Pay by state
Which states pay Information Security Engineers the most?
State medians come from the same OEWS release as the national figures. The cost-of-living column divides each state median by that state's BEA Regional Price Parity, restating pay in national-average dollars so a high-cost state and a low-cost one can be compared directly.
| State | Median | COL-adjusted | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1District of Columbia | $156,590 | $142,483 | 17,200 |
| 2Maryland | $144,680 | $137,844 | 19,060 |
| 3Colorado | $139,580 | $135,446 | 11,800 |
| 4Virginia | $139,030 | $137,512 | 17,000 |
| 5Delaware | $137,470 | $137,734 | 860 |
| 6California | $134,440 | $121,423 | 80,150 |
| 7Washington | $128,940 | $120,490 | 14,360 |
| 8Connecticut | $127,720 | $123,270 | 3,100 |
| 9New Mexico | $127,090 | $137,824 | 1,650 |
| 10Hawaii | $120,100 | $109,230 | 2,080 |
Job outlook
Is Information Security Engineer a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Faster than average. +5.1% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Information Security Engineers | +5.1% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Faster than average
BLS projects employment of Information Security Engineers to change 5.1% over 2025–2035, against 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 24,200 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 27,000 openings are projected each year, 5.7% of the 471,200 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become an Information Security Engineer
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
None
- 3
Typical on-the-job training
None
- 4
Preparation needed (O*NET job zone)
Medium preparation
BLS Employment Projections, 2025–2035; job zone from O*NET 31.0 Database.
What education people in the job have
O*NET incumbent survey: the highest level of education reported by people already working as information security engineers.
- Bachelor's Degree47.4%
- Post-Secondary Certificate15.8%
- Some College Courses10.5%
- Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree10.5%
- Less than a High School Diploma5.3%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 47.4% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 15.8% |
| Some College Courses | 10.5% |
| Associate's Degree or other 2-year degree | 10.5% |
| Less than a High School Diploma | 5.3% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does an Information Security Engineer do?
Develop and oversee the implementation of information security procedures and policies. Build, maintain and upgrade security technology, such as firewalls, for the safe use of computer networks and the transmission and retrieval of information. Design and implement appropriate security controls to identify vulnerabilities and protect digital files and electronic infrastructures. Monitor and respond to computer security breaches, viruses, and intrusions, and perform forensic investigation. May oversee the assessment of information security systems.
Day-to-day tasks
- Coordinate monitoring of networks or systems for security breaches or intrusions.
- Recommend information security enhancements to management.
- Troubleshoot security and network problems.
- Train staff on, and oversee the use of, information security standards, policies, and best practices.
- Scan networks, using vulnerability assessment tools to identify vulnerabilities.
- Conduct investigations of information security breaches to identify vulnerabilities and evaluate the damage.
- Develop or install software, such as firewalls and data encryption programs, to protect sensitive information.
- Oversee development of plans to safeguard computer files against accidental or unauthorized modification, destruction, or disclosure or to meet emergency data processing needs.
O*NET core tasks, ordered by reported importance.
Working conditions and hours
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayIndoors, in a climate-controlled space, every day.
Outdoors in all weather
NeverEvery dayAlmost never works outdoors.
Physical demands
Sitting
NeverAlmost all the timeSeated for more than half the working day.
Standing
NeverAlmost all the timeBending or twisting
NeverAlmost all the time
Working with people
Contact with other people
NoneConstantFace-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayDealing with the public
Not importantExtremely important
Pressure and stakes
Strict deadlines
NeverEvery dayConflict situations
NeverEvery dayCost of a mistake
Not seriousExtremely serious
Autonomy
Freedom to decide
NoneA lotA lot of freedom to make decisions without checking first.
Conditions: O*NET Work Context survey. Each item has its own scale, so each dot is read against the two answers that end its own line.
Core skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Reading Comprehension4.1
- Critical Thinking4.0
- Active Listening3.9
- Writing3.6
- Monitoring3.6
- Speaking3.5
- Active Learning3.3
- Learning Strategies2.9
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Reading Comprehension | 4.1 |
| Critical Thinking | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.6 |
| Monitoring | 3.6 |
| Speaking | 3.5 |
| Active Learning | 3.3 |
| Learning Strategies | 2.9 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Quality Control Analysis3.4
- Systems Analysis3.4
- Systems Evaluation3.4
- Complex Problem Solving3.3
- Judgment and Decision Making3.3
- Instructing3.1
- Programming3.1
- Operations Monitoring3.1
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Quality Control Analysis | 3.4 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.4 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.4 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.3 |
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.3 |
| Instructing | 3.1 |
| Programming | 3.1 |
| Operations Monitoring | 3.1 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Application server software · in demand
- Cloud-based management software · in demand
- Configuration management software · in demand
- Content workflow software · in demand
- Data base management system software · in demand
- Data base reporting software · in demand
- Data base user interface and query software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail software · in demand
- Enterprise application integration software · in demand
- Enterprise system management software · in demand
“In demand” marks an O*NET Employer-Based Hot Technology, software named in real job postings for this occupation.
Personality fit
What personality type suits an Information Security Engineer?
O*NET Occupational Interests (RIASEC), scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Information Security Engineer |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 4 |
| Investigative | 6 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 3 |
| Conventional | 6 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
What the work is built around
Day to day this is work built around organising, following procedures and working precisely with data, combined with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data.
- Conventional6.1
- Investigative5.5
- Realistic4.3
- Enterprising2.7
- Social1.8
- Artistic1.3
Closest MBTI types
NueCareer fit scores: cosine similarity between each MBTI type's interest vector and this occupation's O*NET interest profile. Not a BLS or O*NET figure; the method is documented on our methodology page.
Explore further
Careers related to Information Security Engineer
O*NET related occupations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Business and Financial Operations
- Computer and Mathematical
Network and Computer Systems Administrator
$99,130median a year
Most earn $63K to $155K
−4.1%Bachelor's - Computer and Mathematical
- Management
More computer and mathematical careers
Median annual pay, with information security engineers highlighted
- Software Developer$135,980
- Actuary$130,000
- Data Scientist$120,230
- Business Intelligence Analyst$120,230
- Information Security Engineer$116,580
- Database Administrator$104,620
- Web Designer$104,000
- Computer Programmer$100,390
- Web Developer$92,650
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Software Developer | $135,980 |
| Actuary | $130,000 |
| Data Scientist | $120,230 |
| Business Intelligence Analyst | $120,230 |
| Information Security Engineer | $116,580 |
| Database Administrator | $104,620 |
| Web Designer | $104,000 |
| Computer Programmer | $100,390 |
| Web Developer | $92,650 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Specialty careers within information security engineer
Distinct careers BLS counts inside this occupation, each with its own profile.
Lists Information Security Engineer appears on
Questions
Information Security Engineer: frequently asked questions
How much do Information Security Engineers make?
Information Security Engineers earn a median of $116,580 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). That is 129% above the $50,980 median for all US occupations. That works out at $56.05/hr. The middle half earn between $79,370 and $157,500. The top 10% earn $188,470 or more.
Do you need a degree to become an Information Security Engineer?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Information Security Engineers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 47.4% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Information Security Engineer a growing career?
Yes. Employment is projected to grow 5.1% over 2025–2035, faster than the 3.5% average for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 27,000 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does an Information Security Engineer do?
Develop and oversee the implementation of information security procedures and policies. A core O*NET task: coordinate monitoring of networks or systems for security breaches or intrusions. Employers most often ask for Application server software, Cloud-based management software, Configuration management software.
Which states pay Information Security Engineers the most?
The highest state medians for Information Security Engineers are District of Columbia ($156,590), Maryland ($144,680), Colorado ($139,580) (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
What personality type suits an Information Security Engineer?
O*NET scores Information Security Engineers highest on the Conventional, Investigative and Realistic interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with investigating, analysing and solving problems with ideas and data. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping that lines up most closely with ISTJ personalities. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.