Network Security Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Network Security Engineer jobs in Illinois are in strong demand, concentrated in financial services, healthcare IT, and enterprise technology, with openings at every level from entry-level analysts stepping into security roles through senior architects and team leads. Chicago is the dominant hiring hub, with Naperville and Schaumburg also active as major suburban technology corridors. Established employers like Discover Financial, Allstate, and United Airlines have ongoing needs for network security engineers protecting large, complex environments. Cloud security, zero-trust architecture, and network intrusion detection are the specialties appearing most consistently in Illinois postings. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Showing 5 of 7+ Network Security Engineer jobs
Responsible for designing and implementing security solutions to protect an organization's systems and data. Assess security risks, develop security strategies, and ensure that security measures are integrated into all aspects of the organization's IT infrastructure. Additionally, provide guidance and leadership to security teams, conduct security audits, and stay up to date on the latest security threats and technologies.
In this specific role, the ideal candidate will have deep AWS and Palo Alto expertise who can establish secure-by-design network architectures, drive cloud security modernization, implement Zero Trust principles, and provide strategic leadership for enterprise-wide network security programs.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to :
- Security Design and Integration: Lead the design, delivery, and integration of security monitors, defenses, and foundational capabilities to ensure robust and reliable security for both information systems and cloud platforms.
- Collaboration and Vision Translation: Partner with executive teams, IT, security, and other stakeholders to understand and translate the broader vision into secure by design technological and process requirements.
- Policy and Architecture Development: Design, develop, and implement security policies, architectures, and technical specifications, leveraging industry best practices to support technology applications and recommend future investments.
- Strategic Initiatives and Adoption: Serve as the voice of security architecture for strategic initiatives and adoption programs, ensuring secure and reliable product adoption.
- Agile Security Delivery: Work collaboratively to architect and deliver agile, secure by design solutions throughout the product aInd program lifecycle.
The posting range for this position is:
173,400.00 - 251,400.00Required Education, Certifications and Experience:
Education
- Required Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
Experience
- Required 10+ Years relevant technical and business experience working in roles, such as: Security Architect, Enterprise Architect, Solution Architecture
- Experience leading enterprise security architecture initiatives across cloud, storage, VDI and other infrastructure domains
Knowledge Skills and Abilities
- Interpersonal Relationships - Knowledge of the techniques and the ability to work with a variety of individuals and groups in a constructive and collaborative manner.
- Problem Solving - Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.
- Leadership - Ability to work with a group to set its objectives and agenda, generate allegiance to those objectives, and guide and motivate their achievement.
- Industry Knowledge - Knowledge of the organization's industry group, trends, directions, major issues, regulatory considerations, and trendsetters; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.
- IT Environment - Knowledge of organization's total Information Technology (IT) environment with minimum knowledge of MS office and other software’s used by the organization.
- Effective communication skills - (written and verbal) to properly articulate complicated cloud reports to management and other IT development partners.
- Demonstrates AI literacy and an understanding of generative AI tools, including appropriate business applications and limitations.
- Knowledgeable in enterprise networking, AWS security architecture, Palo Alto security platforms, Zero Trust design, micro-segmentation, identity-based security, security monitoring, cloud networking, and cybersecurity frameworks.
- Skilled in network security architecture, AWS cloud security design, Palo Alto engineering and architecture, firewall policy governance, threat modeling, security strategy development, architecture governance, and executive-level communication.
- Ability to define enterprise network security strategy, lead large-scale security transformation initiatives, architect secure hybrid-cloud environments, implement Zero Trust networking, reduce enterprise attack surface, and influence technology decisions across business and IT organizations.
#LI_HYBRID
The posted salary range is the lowest to highest salary we, in good faith, believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the hiring range and this hiring range may also be modified in the future. A candidate’s position within the hiring range may be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, relevant experience, skills, seniority, performance, shift, travel requirements, and business or organizational needs. This job is also eligible for annual bonus incentive pay.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, 11 holidays, medical/dental/vision insurance, generous 401(k) matching, lifestyle spending account and many other benefits to eligible employees.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or any other form of compensation that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.
Responsible for designing and implementing security solutions to protect an organization's systems and data. Assess security risks, develop security strategies, and ensure that security measures are integrated into all aspects of the organization's IT infrastructure. Additionally, provide guidance and leadership to security teams, conduct security audits, and stay up to date on the latest security threats and technologies.
In this specific role, the ideal candidate will have deep AWS and Palo Alto expertise who can establish secure-by-design network architectures, drive cloud security modernization, implement Zero Trust principles, and provide strategic leadership for enterprise-wide network security programs.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to :
- Security Design and Integration: Lead the design, delivery, and integration of security monitors, defenses, and foundational capabilities to ensure robust and reliable security for both information systems and cloud platforms.
- Collaboration and Vision Translation: Partner with executive teams, IT, security, and other stakeholders to understand and translate the broader vision into secure by design technological and process requirements.
- Policy and Architecture Development: Design, develop, and implement security policies, architectures, and technical specifications, leveraging industry best practices to support technology applications and recommend future investments.
- Strategic Initiatives and Adoption: Serve as the voice of security architecture for strategic initiatives and adoption programs, ensuring secure and reliable product adoption.
- Agile Security Delivery: Work collaboratively to architect and deliver agile, secure by design solutions throughout the product aInd program lifecycle.
The posting range for this position is:
173,400.00 - 251,400.00Required Education, Certifications and Experience:
Education
- Required Bachelor's Degree or equivalent experience
Experience
- Required 10+ Years relevant technical and business experience working in roles, such as: Security Architect, Enterprise Architect, Solution Architecture
- Experience leading enterprise security architecture initiatives across cloud, storage, VDI and other infrastructure domains
Knowledge Skills and Abilities
- Interpersonal Relationships - Knowledge of the techniques and the ability to work with a variety of individuals and groups in a constructive and collaborative manner.
- Problem Solving - Knowledge of approaches, tools, techniques for recognizing, anticipating, and resolving organizational, operational or process problems; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.
- Leadership - Ability to work with a group to set its objectives and agenda, generate allegiance to those objectives, and guide and motivate their achievement.
- Industry Knowledge - Knowledge of the organization's industry group, trends, directions, major issues, regulatory considerations, and trendsetters; ability to apply this knowledge appropriately to diverse situations.
- IT Environment - Knowledge of organization's total Information Technology (IT) environment with minimum knowledge of MS office and other software’s used by the organization.
- Effective communication skills - (written and verbal) to properly articulate complicated cloud reports to management and other IT development partners.
- Demonstrates AI literacy and an understanding of generative AI tools, including appropriate business applications and limitations.
- Knowledgeable in enterprise networking, AWS security architecture, Palo Alto security platforms, Zero Trust design, micro-segmentation, identity-based security, security monitoring, cloud networking, and cybersecurity frameworks.
- Skilled in network security architecture, AWS cloud security design, Palo Alto engineering and architecture, firewall policy governance, threat modeling, security strategy development, architecture governance, and executive-level communication.
- Ability to define enterprise network security strategy, lead large-scale security transformation initiatives, architect secure hybrid-cloud environments, implement Zero Trust networking, reduce enterprise attack surface, and influence technology decisions across business and IT organizations.
#LI_HYBRID
The posted salary range is the lowest to highest salary we, in good faith, believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the hiring range and this hiring range may also be modified in the future. A candidate’s position within the hiring range may be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, relevant experience, skills, seniority, performance, shift, travel requirements, and business or organizational needs. This job is also eligible for annual bonus incentive pay.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, 11 holidays, medical/dental/vision insurance, generous 401(k) matching, lifestyle spending account and many other benefits to eligible employees.
Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or any other form of compensation that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.
See All 7 Network Security Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find JobsNetwork Security Engineer Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Network Security Engineer Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
Top Industries Hiring
- Technology & Software
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in network security engineer jobs across Illinois.
- CompTIA Security+ or CISSP certification required or strongly preferred by most Illinois employers
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, information technology, cybersecurity, or a related field
- Hands-on experience with firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and network monitoring tools
- Proficiency with SIEM platforms such as Splunk, IBM QRadar, or Microsoft Sentinel
- Experience implementing and managing zero-trust network access or cloud security frameworks
- Familiarity with compliance frameworks relevant to Illinois industries, including PCI DSS and HIPAA
Network Security Engineer Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a network security engineer in Illinois?
Illinois does not require a state-issued license to work as a network security engineer, so the path runs through education and industry credentials. Most Illinois employers expect a bachelor's degree in computer science, cybersecurity, or information technology combined with certifications such as CompTIA Security+, CISSP, or Cisco's CCNP Security. Gaining hands-on experience through IT support, systems administration, or network operations roles is the most common route into a dedicated security engineering position.
How much do network security engineers make in Illinois?
Network security engineers in Illinois earn a median of about $124,180 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $78,760 for the lowest 10% to over $172,830 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire network security engineers in Illinois?
Employers hiring network security engineers in Illinois right now include HCLTech, NPO USA, and Collabera, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Illinois's concentration of financial institutions, large insurers, and major airlines means demand is especially consistent at companies managing high-volume transaction data and complex regulated environments.
Which Illinois cities have the most network security engineer jobs?
Chicago, Abbott, and Frankfort account for the greatest number of network security engineer openings in Illinois. Chicago leads because of its density of corporate headquarters, financial institutions, and healthcare networks, while Naperville and Schaumburg attract hiring from the large technology campuses and insurance company operations concentrated in Chicago's western suburbs.
Are there remote network security engineer jobs in Illinois?
Yes, and more than many technical fields, since much of the work involves managing software-defined systems and monitoring dashboards that do not require physical presence. About 33% of network security engineer openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, reflecting the analytical and systems-management nature of the role. Tasks like incident response, threat hunting, and SIEM analysis are the functions most commonly performed fully remote.
How can I get hired as a network security engineer in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is moving from a network operations, IT helpdesk, or systems administrator role into a junior security analyst or security operations center position. Large Illinois employers such as healthcare systems and financial services firms regularly hire for SOC analyst roles that serve as a structured entry point. Earning CompTIA Security+ before applying and building a home lab to demonstrate firewall configuration or log analysis gives candidates a concrete edge over others with similar academic backgrounds.
Where can I find and apply to network security engineer jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to network security engineer jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings across Chicago, the suburbs, and the rest of the state. Find roles that fit your experience and specialization and apply directly to the employer.
See All 7 Network Security Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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