Side-by-side distribution
Application Security
$194,750
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 53.4%
- Live roles
- 324
Cybersecurity
$132,500
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 34.8%
- Live roles
- 376
Highest-paying jobs
Staff+ Application Security Engineer - M&A
Staff+ Application Security Engineer
Security Engineer, Application Security
Security Engineer, Application Security
Security Engineer, Application Security
Principal Software Engineer II - Product Security
Senior Software Engineer, Application Security
Security Engineer, Application Security
Principal Security Software Engineer, Application Security
Security Engineer, Product
Highest-paying jobs
Staff+ Software Engineer, Cybersecurity Products
Full Stack Software Engineer, Cybersecurity Products
Research Engineer, Cybersecurity RL (Reinforcement Learning)
Senior Cyber-Security Operations Analyst, Product AppSec
Senior Cybersecurity Engineer II - Secret Clearance
Senior Security GRC Analyst
Senior Software Engineer, Cybersecurity
Security GRC Analyst
Cybersecurity Engineer
Cybersecurity Research Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Anduril Industries
|
$187,250 | 8 |
DigitalOcean
|
$155,150 | 6 |
Compass
|
$222,050 | 4 |
SpaceX
|
$175,000 | 4 |
|
OpenAI
|
$355,500 | 3 |
Brex
|
$216,000 | 3 |
Okta
|
$213,500 | 3 |
Airwallex
|
$205,000 | 3 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Saalex
|
$124,750 | 8 |
MetroStar
|
$184,000 | 6 |
| DW Dark Wolf Solutions | $147,500 | 6 |
|
Accenture Federal Services
|
$116,500 | 6 |
|
Anduril Industries
|
$150,000 | 5 |
CHAOS Industries
|
$150,000 | 4 |
AGE Solutions
|
$85,000 | 4 |
|
Rocket Lab Corporation
|
$192,500 | 3 |
Application Security salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $237,500 | 42 |
| New York | $235,000 | 31 |
| London | $220,000 | 4 |
| Denver | $219,000 | 3 |
| Chicago | $213,750 | 7 |
| Seattle | $197,500 | 13 |
| Boston | $197,500 | 9 |
| Toronto | $185,000 | 6 |
| Austin | $165,000 | 3 |
| Los Angeles | $150,000 | 6 |
Cybersecurity salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $186,591 | 8 |
| New York | $160,000 | 12 |
| Los Angeles | $150,000 | 3 |
| Seattle | $147,500 | 6 |
| Boston | $141,750 | 8 |
Application Security vs Cybersecurity: which pays more?
The median for Application Security is $194,750 per year (typically $157,500–$237,952), versus $132,500 for Cybersecurity ($110,000–$165,000). That puts Application Security about 47% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Application Security and Cybersecurity are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.