Security Engineer Jobs in Tucson, AZ
Security engineers in Tucson build protection into missiles, avionics, a power grid and county networks. Raytheon's plant on Hermans Road south of the airport anchors the work, with Pima County and Tucson Electric Power also hiring. Current openings are below, followed by who hires, what it pays and how to qualify.
Current Security Engineer Openings in Tucson, AZ
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Security Engineer Work in Tucson
Much of the security engineering in Tucson is defense work. Raytheon hires systems security engineers for anti-tamper and program protection on weapon systems, plus embedded and software security engineers who harden code and firmware, all on site at its Hermans Road campus, and its Tucson security engineering postings ask for an active Secret clearance. Universal Avionics, the Tucson avionics maker, has listed a systems and network security engineer here as well.
The civilian side is smaller but steady. Pima County's Information Technology Department hires Security Engineer I and II staff in Tucson to monitor firewalls and intrusion prevention, run vulnerability scans and audit systems against CJIS, NIST, HIPAA and PCI standards, and Tucson Electric Power keeps IT security analysts and engineers protecting a utility that serves more than 458,000 customers. Those jobs pay less than defense work but need no clearance.
Top Tucson Employers for Security Engineers
These Tucson employers hire security engineers:
- Raytheon (RTX) - systems security, anti-tamper, program protection and embedded software security engineers on site at 1151 E. Hermans Road.
- Pima County - the Information Technology Department hires Security Engineer I and II staff in office in Tucson for monitoring, forensics and compliance audits.
- Tucson Electric Power - IT security engineers and analysts handle firewalls, access control, vulnerability assessments and incident response for the utility.
- Universal Avionics - the Tucson avionics maker has listed a systems and network security engineer role.
Security Engineer Salaries in Tucson
- Entry level (0-3 years): roughly $70,000 to $90,000 per year.
- Experienced (3-8 years): roughly $90,000 to $130,000 per year.
- Senior or principal (8+ years, cleared): roughly $130,000 to $180,000 per year, with top defense roles higher.
These are estimates that vary by employer and experience. Recent Tucson postings show the range: Pima County's Security Engineer I pays $79,185 to $110,905, Raytheon's Embedded Security Software Engineer II lists $68,900 to $131,100, its senior systems security engineer lists $86,800 to $165,200, and a senior principal software security engineer opening listed $132,400 to $251,600. A clearance and anti-tamper experience move pay the most.
How to Become a Security Engineer in Tucson
Most Tucson postings ask for a bachelor's degree plus experience: Pima County wants a degree and two years of information security work, and Raytheon's senior systems security role asks for a STEM degree and about five years. The University of Arizona College of Information Science offers a BAS in Cyber Defense on the main campus and online, and Pima Community College's Cybersecurity AAS at East Campus on Irvington Road is an NSA Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense program and a local starting point. Arizona has no license for security engineers. Defense work requires U.S. citizenship, a clearance and DoD 8140 qualification, and certifications such as CISSP or CEH help.
What the Job Involves
A security engineer designs and maintains the controls that keep systems safe. Depending on the employer, that means configuring firewalls, VPNs and intrusion prevention, building SIEM detections, running vulnerability scans and fixing what they find, threat modeling a new design, writing security requirements into a product and documenting compliance for auditors or a government customer.
Skills Employers Look For
- Firewalls, VPNs, IDS/IPS and endpoint security tools
- SIEM use for auditing and detection
- Active Directory, Entra ID, DNS and PKI
- Threat modeling and secure architecture
- Knowledge of NIST, CJIS, RMF and DoD program protection rules
- Embedded, firmware or FPGA security for defense roles
- Clearance eligibility and certifications such as CISSP or Security+
Career Path and Advancement
Tucson security engineers usually come up from network or systems administration or a SOC analyst seat. Pima County's ladder runs Security Engineer I to II, and Raytheon's runs from Systems Security Engineer I through senior, principal and senior principal levels, with program lead roles at the top. Engineers with a clearance and anti-tamper experience command the top of the local pay range.
Related Careers in Tucson
These Tucson guides cover the closest alternatives for security engineers:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do security engineers need a license in Arizona?
No. Arizona does not license security engineers or other cybersecurity workers. Defense employers such as Raytheon require U.S. citizenship and a security clearance, and many roles ask for certifications such as Security+, CISSP or CEH.
How much do security engineers make in Tucson?
Entry-level security engineers in Tucson typically earn about $70,000 to $90,000 a year, and experienced engineers $90,000 to $130,000. Pima County's Security Engineer I range is $79,185 to $110,905, and senior cleared Raytheon roles list well above $130,000.
Which Tucson employers hire the most security engineers?
Raytheon leads, with systems security, anti-tamper and software security engineers at its Hermans Road plant. Pima County, Tucson Electric Power and Universal Avionics also hire for the work.
Do I need a security clearance to be a security engineer in Tucson?
For defense work, yes. Raytheon's Tucson security engineering postings require an active Secret clearance on day one. Pima County and Tucson Electric Power jobs do not need one but do run background checks.
What is anti-tamper security engineering?
It is the work of protecting weapon systems so an adversary who captures one cannot reverse engineer or alter it. Raytheon's Tucson engineers do threat modeling, critical program information assessments and embedded security design for DoD programs.
Ready to apply? Browse all security engineer jobs in Tucson, AZ on TucsonHIRED and apply today.