Security Engineer Salary Seattle 2026: Amazon, Microsoft & Cloud-Native Pay

Seattle is one of the best cities in the world to be a security engineer. Amazon and Microsoft alone account for thousands of security roles — and the surrounding ecosystem of cloud-native companies, established tech firms, and fast-growing startups creates sustained demand, competitive salaries, and a labor market that pushes total compensation to exceptional levels.

Add Washington State's 0% income tax, and Seattle looks extraordinarily attractive compared to San Francisco and New York — even when base salaries are nominally similar.

Here is exactly what security engineers earn in Seattle in 2026, who is hiring, which specializations pay the most, and how the numbers compare to other top markets.

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Seattle Security Engineer Salary Ranges by Level (2026)

Junior (0–2 years): Entry-level security engineers in Seattle find their first roles at mid-size tech companies, cloud service providers, and Amazon or Microsoft as part of their large security development programs. A CS or security degree plus Security+, Python skills, and cloud fundamentals makes candidates competitive. Amazon SDE roles with a security focus often start at $120K–$135K base with meaningful RSU grants on top. Mid-level (2–5 years): The most active hiring tier. Engineers at this level run security operations, build automation, integrate security into DevSecOps pipelines, and lead incident response. Microsoft's security division and Amazon's AWS security teams recruit heavily here. Total comp at Amazon or Microsoft can reach $180K–$210K when RSU vesting is included. Senior (5–8 years): Senior security engineers are the backbone of Seattle's cybersecurity ecosystem. At Amazon or Microsoft, you own security architecture for critical systems, partner with product teams, and influence organization-wide security standards. The base range of $145K–$195K understates the real story: RSU grants at Amazon for senior L6 roles regularly push total compensation past $300K in vesting-heavy years 3 and 4. Principal / Staff (8+ years): At this level — Amazon Principal Security Engineer (L7) or Microsoft Distinguished Security IC — you set security strategy for entire product lines or AWS services. Total compensation of $350K–$450K+ is realistic at Big Tech with compounding refresh grants and long tenure.

Top Security Engineer Employers in Seattle

Amazon / AWS: The largest single employer of security engineers in Seattle by a wide margin. AWS has dedicated security teams for every major service — IAM, network security, cryptography, compliance engineering, and threat intelligence. Amazon also runs internal red team operations and a large security operations center for its broader retail and logistics business. Microsoft: Azure Security, Microsoft Defender, and the Microsoft Security Response Center (MSRC) are all based primarily in Redmond. Microsoft's security division has grown dramatically with the rise of enterprise cloud adoption. Microsoft is known for strong work-life balance relative to Amazon and a more predictable RSU vesting structure. Google (Kirkland): Google's Kirkland campus houses significant engineering teams. Google security roles cover infrastructure security, zero-trust implementation, and product security review. Total comp is highly competitive with complex structures: base + bonus + triannual RSU refreshes. Meta (Bellevue): Meta's major engineering hub in Bellevue hires security engineers across platform integrity, infrastructure security, and privacy engineering. RSU-heavy packages at the Meta level yield $300K+ for senior engineers in strong markets. T-Mobile (Bellevue): As a major telco headquartered in Bellevue, T-Mobile hires heavily in network security, mobile security, and security operations. Pay is below Big Tech but the scope is meaningful and the role is highly stable. Tableau / Salesforce, Expedia, Databricks, Cloudflare: These mid-size employers offer strong alternatives to Big Tech. Cloudflare's Seattle presence is notable for network security, DDoS mitigation, and zero-trust roles. Databricks pays aggressively for security engineers comfortable in cloud-native data environments.

Specialization Premiums in Seattle

Not all security engineers earn the same. What you specialize in changes your market value significantly:

Cloud Security (+15–25%): The single biggest premium in the Seattle market in 2026. Engineers with hands-on expertise in AWS or Azure security — IAM, GuardDuty, Security Hub, Azure Sentinel, Cloud SIEM — command $15,000–$30,000 above generalists at equivalent seniority. This premium is driven by Amazon and Microsoft competing directly for the same limited pool of cloud security specialists. Application Security (AppSec): AppSec engineers who embed with product development teams — running threat models, building SAST/DAST pipelines, reviewing code for vulnerabilities — earn 10–20% premiums. Amazon's Security Development Lifecycle (SDL) teams and Microsoft's AppSec engineering teams are the primary employers. Zero-Trust Architecture: Engineers who design and implement zero-trust network architectures using Microsoft's Zero Trust stack or AWS network access controls are in sustained high demand, particularly at enterprise companies migrating away from perimeter-based security models. Penetration Testing / Red Team: Amazon and Microsoft both run large internal red teams. These roles pay very well but seats are competitive. External pentest firms serving Seattle's enterprise base also operate, though total comp typically runs lower than internal Big Tech positions.

Amazon vs Microsoft: RSU Vesting Structures

Both companies are equity-heavy, but the vesting models differ substantially — and the difference matters when comparing offers.

Amazon uses a famously front-loaded inverse cliff: RSUs vest at 5% in year 1, 15% in year 2, 40% in year 3, and 40% in year 4 (distributed quarterly). A $300,000 RSU grant over 4 years delivers just $15,000 in year 1 and $45,000 in year 2, then $120,000 per year in years 3 and 4. Amazon compensates for this by offering large sign-on bonuses (often $50,000–$80,000+). Engineers who leave before year 3 forfeit the bulk of their equity. Microsoft uses a more even quarterly vesting schedule: 25% per year, distributed quarterly. A $120,000 RSU grant vests at $30,000 per year — $7,500 every quarter — from day one. Microsoft also provides annual refresh grants and performance-based equity top-ups. Most engineers find Microsoft's vesting far less risky and easier to plan around financially.

Seattle vs San Francisco vs New York vs Remote (2026)

Full breakdown of tech compensation in Seattle →

The Washington Tax Advantage: Real Numbers

Washington State has no personal income tax. For a security engineer earning $200,000 in total compensation, this creates a substantial and compounding advantage:

A California resident earning $200K pays roughly $16,000–$20,000 in state income tax annually. A New York City resident earning $200K pays approximately $14,000–$19,000 in combined state and city income tax. The same engineer in Seattle pays $0 in state income tax.

That difference — $15,000–$20,000 per year — compounds over a career. Over 5 years, the Washington tax advantage alone adds $75,000–$100,000 in take-home pay compared to living in California or New York. For an engineer on an Amazon vesting cliff, the tax savings in year 3 and 4 — when RSUs vest in quantity — are especially significant.

Certification Impact in Seattle

Certifications matter most for mid-to-senior roles at companies outside Big Tech. Here is the market value of the key credentials in Seattle:

CISSP: The most broadly impactful certification. Adds $12,000–$20,000 to base salary for senior engineers, and is required or strongly preferred at T-Mobile, Expedia, government contractors, and enterprise tech companies. AWS Security Specialty: Particularly high value in Seattle given Amazon's dominance. Adds $10,000–$18,000 for engineers with demonstrated cloud security experience. For roles at Amazon or AWS partner companies, it approaches a prerequisite. OSCP: The gold standard for penetration testing. Adds $10,000–$15,000 for red team and offensive security roles at Amazon, Microsoft, and defense contractors. CISM: Adds $8,000–$15,000 primarily in governance, risk, and compliance roles — common at Expedia, T-Mobile, Tableau/Salesforce, and enterprise tech companies with regulated industries exposure.

For security engineer salaries in Europe, see Security Engineer Salary Amsterdam 2026. For the East Coast comparison, see Security Engineer Salary New York 2026.

Seattle's security engineering market in 2026 combines some of the highest total compensation in the world — driven by Amazon and Microsoft competing for limited talent — with the substantial structural advantage of zero state income tax. For engineers with cloud security depth, the city is as financially attractive as anywhere on the planet.