Leads a team of security engineers who build the defenses, tools and secure infrastructure that protect a company's products and systems. BLS does not publish separate figures for computer and information systems managers; it counts them within it manager (SOC 11-3021), whose median pay is $175,140 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Typical entry-level education: Bachelor's degree.
- SOC 11-3021
- Management
- Last updated October 9, 2026
At a glance
Security Engineering Manager in four numbers
- Median pay
- $175,140a year, or $84.20/hrBLS OEWS, May 2025Lowest 10% $108KTop 10% $298K
US median, all jobs: $50,980
- Projected growth
- +15.8%Much faster than averageBLS EP, 2025–2035This career+15.8%All jobs+3.5%
Projected employment change, 2025–2035 Item Value This career +15.8% All jobs +3.5% - Openings a year
- 53,500685,800 jobs todayBLS EP, 2025–2035
- Jobs in 2025685.8K
- Projected 2035793.9K
Employment, 2025–2035 Item Value Jobs in 2025 685.8K Projected 2035 793.9K - Typical education
- Bachelor'sneeded to enterBLS EP, 2025–2035; mix: O*NET
- Certificate5.8%
- Some college26%
- Associate's2.2%
- Bachelor's47.7%
- Post-bacc certificate2.8%
- Master's14.4%
Highest education held by computer and information systems managers Segment Value Certificate 5.8% Some college 26% Associate's 2.2% Bachelor's 47.7% Post-bacc certificate 2.8% Master's 14.4%
Also advertised as: Manager, Security Engineering, Director of Security Engineering, Product Security Manager, Head of Security Engineering.
Pay
How much do Computer and Information Systems Managers make?
Every security engineering manager in the US, by percentile of annual wage
Median
$175,140
Middle half earn $138,060 to $220,730
- 10th
- $107,550
- 25th
- $138,060
- 75th
- $220,730
- 90th
- $297,510
All US occupations: $50,980
| Percentile | Value |
|---|---|
| 10th | $107,550 |
| 25th | $138,060 |
| Median | $175,140 |
| 75th | $220,730 |
| 90th | $297,510 |
| All US occupations | $50,980 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
- Median annual wage
- $175,140
- Median hourly wage
- $84.20/hr
- Mean annual wage
- $192,160
- People employed
- 670,570
Versus all US occupations
At $175,140, Computer and Information Systems Managers earn 244% above the $50,980 median across all US occupations, a difference of $124,160 a year.
Versus management occupations
Inside the Management group, where the middle occupation pays $126,060, this is 39% above the group median.
Pay range
The top 10% earn $297,510 or more while the bottom 10% earn $107,550, a gap of 2.8×. That is a typical spread for a US occupation.
Rank in the bank
This median pays more than 96% of the 1,741 occupations in the NueCareer career bank.
Cost of living
California posts the highest raw median ($218,290), but once local prices are taken into account Massachusetts leads at $203,258 in national-average dollars.
Pay by state
Which states pay Computer and Information Systems Managers 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1California | $218,290 | $197,155 | 94,720 |
| 2Massachusetts | $214,960 | $203,258 | 24,910 |
| 3New York | $214,300 | $198,571 | 48,050 |
| 4Washington | $209,370 | $195,649 | 16,960 |
| 5New Jersey | $203,460 | $186,995 | 34,470 |
| 6Virginia | $201,490 | $199,290 | 17,550 |
| 7Colorado | $199,420 | $193,514 | 11,510 |
| 8District of Columbia | $195,190 | $177,605 | 5,690 |
| 9New Hampshire | $176,540 | $169,481 | 3,810 |
| 10Minnesota | $176,380 | $178,846 | 10,970 |
Job outlook
Is Security Engineering Manager a growing career?
Employment change over 2025–2035, against every US occupation
Much faster than average. +15.8% projected growth vs 3.5% for all occupations.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | +15.8% |
| All US occupations | +3.5% |
Source: BLS EP, 2025–2035
Much faster than average
BLS projects employment of Computer and Information Systems Managers to change 15.8% over 2025–2035, roughly 4.5× the 3.5% projected for all occupations. That is 108,100 more jobs.
Annual openings
About 53,500 openings are projected each year, 7.8% of the 685,800 jobs that existed in 2025. Most come from workers leaving the occupation, not from growth alone.
Getting in
How to become a Security Engineering Manager
Most security engineering managers hold a bachelor's degree in computer science or a related field and start as software or security engineers. Years of hands-on work in application security, cloud security or detection engineering usually come before a move into management. Certifications such as CISSP or offensive security credentials help but are not always required.
The usual step is to act as a tech lead on a security team, mentor colleagues and run projects across teams, then take on a manager role. Experience with secure design reviews, incident response and frameworks such as the NIST Cybersecurity Framework is valuable. The NICE Workforce Framework describes many of the related roles.
- 1
Typical entry-level education
Bachelor's degree
- 2
Work experience in a related occupation
5 years or more
- 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 computer and information systems managers.
- Bachelor's Degree47.7%
- Some College Courses26%
- Master's Degree14.4%
- Post-Secondary Certificate5.8%
- Post-Baccalaureate Certificate2.8%
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Bachelor's Degree | 47.7% |
| Some College Courses | 26% |
| Master's Degree | 14.4% |
| Post-Secondary Certificate | 5.8% |
| Post-Baccalaureate Certificate | 2.8% |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
The work
What does a Security Engineering Manager do?
Security engineering managers lead teams of engineers who protect a company's software, cloud infrastructure and data. Unlike security operations teams that watch for attacks, security engineering teams build things: identity and access systems, encryption services, detection pipelines, secure coding tools and the guardrails that keep other engineers from making dangerous mistakes.
Managers hire and develop security engineers, set the team's roadmap, and decide which risks to tackle first based on threats and business priorities. They work closely with product engineering leaders to review designs, manage vulnerability programs and plan responses to incidents. Many also own bug bounty programs and relationships with outside penetration testers.
Day-to-day tasks
- Hire, coach and evaluate security engineers
- Set the security engineering roadmap based on threat and risk
- Oversee design of identity, encryption and access control systems
- Review high-risk product designs with engineering leaders
- Run vulnerability management and bug bounty programs
- Coordinate the team's role in incident response
- Report security metrics to security and engineering leadership
Typical tasks, researched by NueCareer from the sources below.
Working conditions and hours
Security engineering managers work at technology companies, banks, cloud providers and other organizations with large in-house engineering teams. The work is desk-based, usually hybrid, and combines people management, planning and technical review. Security incidents can bring urgent after-hours work.
Where the work happens
Indoors, climate-controlled
NeverEvery dayOutdoors 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
NoneConstantConstant contact with other people.
Face-to-face discussions
NeverEvery dayFace-to-face discussions every day.
Dealing 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
- Critical Thinking4.1
- Reading Comprehension4.0
- Active Listening4.0
- Speaking3.9
- Monitoring3.9
- Writing3.8
- Active Learning3.4
- Learning Strategies3.3
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Critical Thinking | 4.1 |
| Reading Comprehension | 4.0 |
| Active Listening | 4.0 |
| Speaking | 3.9 |
| Monitoring | 3.9 |
| Writing | 3.8 |
| Active Learning | 3.4 |
| Learning Strategies | 3.3 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Transferable skills
O*NET importance, 1 to 5
- Judgment and Decision Making3.9
- Coordination3.8
- Complex Problem Solving3.8
- Social Perceptiveness3.6
- Systems Analysis3.6
- Systems Evaluation3.6
- Management of Personnel Resources3.6
- Time Management3.4
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Judgment and Decision Making | 3.9 |
| Coordination | 3.8 |
| Complex Problem Solving | 3.8 |
| Social Perceptiveness | 3.6 |
| Systems Analysis | 3.6 |
| Systems Evaluation | 3.6 |
| Management of Personnel Resources | 3.6 |
| Time Management | 3.4 |
Source: O*NET 31.0 Database
Tools and software
- Analytical or scientific software · in demand
- Application server software · in demand
- Business intelligence and data analysis 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 user interface and query software · in demand
- Data mining software · in demand
- Development environment software · in demand
- Document management software · in demand
- Electronic mail 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 a Security Engineering Manager?
NueCareer estimate (Holland code EIC) built on O*NET's IT Manager profile, scored 1 to 7
| Axis | Security Engineering Manager |
|---|---|
| Realistic | 3 |
| Investigative | 5 |
| Artistic | 1 |
| Social | 2 |
| Enterprising | 5 |
| 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 leading, persuading, selling and making decisions.
- Conventional5.9
- Enterprising5.4
- Investigative4.8
- Realistic2.7
- Social2.4
- Artistic1.5
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 Security Engineering Manager
O*NET related occupations
- Management
- Computer and Mathematical
- Business and Financial Operations
- Computer and Mathematical
- Computer and Mathematical
- Business and Financial Operations
More management careers
Median annual pay, with computer and information systems managers highlighted
- IT Manager$175,140
- Security Engineering Manager$175,140
- Marketing Manager$166,790
- Financial Manager$166,570
- Human Resources Manager$149,280
- Sales Manager$148,270
- Construction Manager$114,990
- Supply Chain Manager$107,230
- Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager$69,990
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| IT Manager | $175,140 |
| Security Engineering Manager | $175,140 |
| Marketing Manager | $166,790 |
| Financial Manager | $166,570 |
| Human Resources Manager | $149,280 |
| Sales Manager | $148,270 |
| Construction Manager | $114,990 |
| Supply Chain Manager | $107,230 |
| Property, Real Estate, and Community Association Manager | $69,990 |
Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025
Lists Security Engineering Manager appears on
Questions
Security Engineering Manager: frequently asked questions
How much do Computer and Information Systems Managers make?
BLS does not publish a separate wage for computer and information systems managers. It counts them within it manager, whose median pay is $175,140 a year (BLS OEWS, May 2025). The middle half of that occupation earn between $138,060 and $220,730, and the top 10% earn $297,510 or more.
Do you need a degree to become a Security Engineering Manager?
Yes. BLS reports a bachelor's degree as the typical entry-level education for Computer and Information Systems Managers, and O*NET rates the preparation needed as medium preparation. Employers typically expect 5 years or more of related work experience first. In O*NET's survey of people already doing the job, 47.7% hold bachelor's degree.
Is Security Engineering Manager a growing career?
Yes, strongly. Employment is projected to grow 15.8% over 2025–2035, more than double the 3.5% projected for all occupations (BLS EP, 2025–2035). BLS still projects about 53,500 openings a year, mostly from workers retiring or moving to other work.
What does a Security Engineering Manager do?
Security engineering managers lead teams of engineers who protect a company's software, cloud infrastructure and data. A typical task: hire, coach and evaluate security engineers. Employers most often ask for Analytical or scientific software, Application server software, Business intelligence and data analysis software.
Which states pay Computer and Information Systems Managers the most?
The highest state medians for Computer and Information Systems Managers are California ($218,290), Massachusetts ($214,960), New York ($214,300) (BLS OEWS, May 2025). Adjusted for local prices using BEA Regional Price Parities, Massachusetts moves to the top at $203,258.
What personality type suits a Security Engineering Manager?
O*NET scores Computer and Information Systems Managers highest on the Conventional, Enterprising and Investigative interest areas, so the work mixes organising, following procedures and working precisely with data with leading, persuading, selling and making decisions. On NueCareer's MBTI-to-interest mapping the closest types are ESTJ, ISTJ. Personality is a fit signal, not a gate. The free NueCareer quiz scores your own profile against all 1,731 careers in the bank.