Senior Cybersecurity Engineer Jobs in California
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in defense contracting, big tech, financial services, and healthcare, with demand at every level from early-career security analysts to principal engineers. The heaviest hiring is in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where companies like Northrop Grumman, Palo Alto Networks, and Kaiser Permanente maintain large and ongoing security teams. The most sought-after specialties are cloud security, zero-trust architecture, and security operations center leadership. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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Who We Are
Join a team that puts its People First! Since 1889, First American (NYSE: FAF) has held an unwavering belief in its people. They are passionate about what they do, and we are equally passionate about fostering an environment where all feel welcome, supported, and empowered to be innovative and reach their full potential. Our inclusive, people-first culture has earned our company numerous accolades, including being named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for eleven consecutive years. We have also earned awards as a best place to work for women, diversity and LGBTQ+ employees, and have been included on more than 50 regional best places to work lists. First American will always strive to be a great place to work, for all. For more information, please visit www.careers.firstam.com.What We Do
Leads day-to-day planning and fieldwork for assigned technology and cybersecurity audits within Manager-approved objectives and scope. Coordinates audit procedures, guides Staff auditors, reviews testing and workpapers, and develops clear, evidence-based conclusions for Manager review.Essential Functions
- Lead day-to-day planning and fieldwork for assigned audits, including walkthroughs, risk and control mapping, test procedures, sampling, work allocation, milestones, and status reporting.
- Work with the Manager to refine objectives and scope. Identify dependencies, system boundaries, shared services, relevant regulations, and program components that could leave material risks unaddressed; raise proposed scope changes promptly.
- Coordinate day-to-day discussions with control owners, technical SMEs, and project stakeholders. Run walkthroughs, clarify evidence requests, resolve routine questions, and elevate sensitive or executive-level matters to the Manager.
- Guide Staff auditors in completing test procedures, collecting and validating evidence, documenting results, and following up on exceptions. Review workpapers for accuracy, traceability, and alignment with the approved test approach.
- Perform assigned audit procedures, including process walkthroughs, control assessment, population validation, sample selection, evidence inspection, reperformance, and follow-up testing.
- Test controls in one or more technology programs, such as threat intelligence, security operations, incident response, endpoint and network security, data protection, penetration testing, application security, vulnerability and patch management, IAM, cloud, IT operations, change management, Secure SDLC, or business continuity and disaster recovery.
- Inspect security-technology configurations and supporting evidence. Compare sampled settings and rules to approved baselines and requirements; assess logging, monitoring, access, changes, encryption, certificates, and documented exceptions as applicable.
- Assess whether evidence is relevant, reliable, complete, and consistent with the control objective. Identify gaps, contradictory information, or scope limitations and discuss them promptly with the Lead.
- Document procedures performed, evidence reviewed, sample details, results, exceptions, and conclusions in clear, traceable workpapers that meet Internal Audit quality standards.
- Participate in walkthroughs and client discussions; explain evidence needs and testing questions professionally and follow up on outstanding items.
- Analyze exceptions to understand their cause, impact, extent, and possible compensating controls. Support development of observations and practical recommendations.
- Use data analysis, scripts, and audit tools where appropriate to validate populations, identify anomalies, and improve testing coverage.
- Help prepare status updates, report content, issue validation, and examination support materials; incorporate review comments and maintain organized audit files.
- Maintain project status, risks, issues, dependencies, and deliverables. Keep work on schedule and raise resource or access constraints early.
- Draft audit findings, recommendations, management responses, and report sections. Support issue validation and prepare organized, traceable documentation for quality review and examiner requests.
- Independently lead configuration-focused testing in the assigned specialty, including CyberArk/PAM, Active Directory architecture, firewalls, network security, and segmentation; or cloud security architecture/WAF, SIEM/XDR/SOAR, DLP, encryption/key management, or vulnerability evidence.
Required qualifications
- At least 5 years of relevant IT audit, cybersecurity audit, technology risk, or related control experience, including experience coordinating audit fieldwork and guiding other auditors. Experience must include IT or cybersecurity operational audit work; general ITGC testing alone is not sufficient.
- Demonstrated ability to independently lead configuration-focused audit testing in at least one of these areas: (1) CyberArk/PAM, Active Directory architecture, firewalls, segmentation, or network security; or (2) cloud security architecture/WAF, SIEM/XDR/SOAR, DLP, encryption/key management, or vulnerability management. Experience with comparable tools is acceptable.
- Familiarity with official security guidance for Microsoft Azure, AWS, and Google Cloud, including Azure network security best practices, the AWS Well-Architected Security Pillar, and Google Cloud Well-Architected security guidance. Able to locate and apply relevant guidance during audit planning and configuration testing.
- Strong working knowledge of audit methodology, risk and control assessment, sampling, evidence evaluation, workpaper documentation, and issue development.
- Strong analytical, written, and verbal communication skills; able to manage assigned testing with limited day-to-day direction
Preferred experience
- Prior experience testing controls in audits of Network Security, Security Operations, Data Security, Data Protection, Data Privacy, Offensive Security, or Vulnerability Management is strongly preferred. Banking or financial-services experience and exposure to GLBA, Interagency Guidelines, SWIFT CSP, PCI DSS, OWASP, CIS Benchmarks, NIST CSF, or NIST SP 800-series guidance are also valued. Relevant IT or cybersecurity coursework, professional training, or hands-on experience is valued. Exposure to CTI, cloud service management (AWS, Azure, or GCP), or PKI and certificate management is a plus. Familiarity with AuditBoard, Power BI, ServiceNow, Jira, or SailPoint is helpful.
Pay Range: $97,700.00 - $130,300.00 Annually
This hiring range is a reasonable estimate of the base pay range for this position at the time of posting. Pay is based on a number of factors which may include job-related knowledge, skills, experience, business requirements and geographic location.
** Note that the following statements only apply to candidates who will be working from an unincorporated area within Los Angeles County. **
First American will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest or conviction records, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws (e.g., the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act).
First American intends to conduct a review of an applicant’s criminal history in connection with a conditional offer. First American reasonably believes that a criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship with the following material job duties for this position potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment: handling of confidential, proprietary or trade secret information belonging to First American or its customers, administrating or facilitating financial transactions, and the ability to meet customer-imposed criminal history requirements.
What We Offer
By choice, we don’t simply accept individuality – we embrace it, we support it, and we thrive on it! Our People First culture is inclusive for all employees - not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it's the key to our success. We are proud to foster an authentic and inclusive workplace For All. You are free and encouraged to bring your entire, unique self to work. First American is an equal opportunity employer in every sense of the term. Based on eligibility, First American offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401k, PTO/paid sick leave and other great benefits like an employee stock purchase plan.See All 20 Senior Cybersecurity Engineer Jobs in California
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Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring


What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in senior cybersecurity engineer jobs across California.
- Active CISSP, CISM, or CISA certification recognized by California employers in this field
- Seven or more years of hands-on experience in cybersecurity engineering or information security
- Deep expertise in cloud security across AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud environments
- Experience designing and implementing zero-trust network architectures at enterprise scale
- Proficiency in SIEM platforms, threat detection tools, and security incident response processes
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, information security, or a closely related technical field
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a senior cybersecurity engineer in California?
Reaching a senior cybersecurity engineer role in California typically requires a bachelor's degree in computer science, information systems, or a related field, followed by years of progressive security experience. California has no state-issued license for this role, but employers consistently require professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, or CompTIA Security+. Building experience in cloud security, threat analysis, or security architecture within California's tech or defense sectors accelerates the path to senior-level positions.
How much do senior cybersecurity engineers make in California?
Senior cybersecurity engineers in California earn a median of about $138,570 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $66,070 for the lowest 10% to over $221,000 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire senior cybersecurity engineers in California?
Employers hiring senior cybersecurity engineers in California right now include Northrop Grumman, CHAOS Industries, and EY, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. California's concentration of defense contractors in San Diego and Los Angeles, alongside major tech headquartered in the Bay Area, means the hiring pool is unusually broad and includes both commercial and cleared-facility positions.
Which California cities have the most senior cybersecurity engineer jobs?
The cities with the most senior cybersecurity engineer openings in California are El Segundo, Santa Clara, and San Diego. The San Francisco Bay Area leads because of its density of cloud and enterprise technology companies, while Los Angeles draws volume from entertainment, aerospace, and defense, and San Diego benefits from a large Navy and defense-contractor presence that generates consistent demand for cleared and uncleared security roles.
Are there remote senior cybersecurity engineer jobs in California?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 44% of senior cybersecurity engineer openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, reflecting how much of the work centers on cloud environments, policy development, and security architecture rather than physical hardware. Roles that require access to classified systems or on-premises infrastructure are more likely to require full on-site presence.
How can I get hired as a senior cybersecurity engineer in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is starting in a junior security analyst or IT support role at a California tech company, healthcare system, or government contractor, then building toward security engineering as you earn certifications. Large California employers such as Kaiser Permanente, Northrop Grumman, and major Bay Area tech companies run associate and rotational programs that accept candidates with a degree and foundational credentials like CompTIA Security+ or Google's Cybersecurity Certificate. From adjacent roles in network administration or systems administration, a lateral move into a security operations position is a well-worn route into the field.
Where can I find and apply to senior cybersecurity engineer jobs in California?
You can find and apply to senior cybersecurity engineer jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current California openings across industries and experience levels. Find the roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 20 Senior Cybersecurity Engineer Jobs in California
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