PayMetric Labs
Cybersecurity2026 dataSalary by location

Security Engineer Salary in Ireland 2026: Benchmarks, Range & Skills

The median Security Engineer salary in Ireland is €80K in 2026, with a typical range from €65K to €90K. Year-on-year movement is still building as more matched salary data is published. Dublin currently leads city pay at €91K.

What does A Security Engineer do?

A Security Engineer is responsible for designing, building, and maintaining security controls, tooling, and infrastructure to protect systems from threats.

Day-to-day responsibilities

  • Hardening cloud infrastructure configurations
  • Building automated security scanning pipelines
  • Conducting threat modelling
  • Reviewing code for security vulnerabilities
  • Managing PKI and secrets management
  • Integrating security into CI/CD
Very High demand+16% CISSP / CISM+15% HashiCorp Vault+17% DevSecOps pipeline integration

National Median Salary

80K

Ireland benchmark • 2026

Salary Range (P25 – P75)

80K
45K150K

Data quality & confidence

Confidence Score

78%

YoY Momentum

Trend building

Median salary benchmark

€80K

annual - 2026

Typical salary range

€65K-€90K

25th-75th percentile

Year-on-year pay movement

Trend building

vs 2025

Forward pay outlook

€80K

Forecasted market posture

Permanent Salary Benchmark for Security Engineer

Permanent salary benchmarks for Security Engineer in Ireland, from the low end to the top of the range, based on published market compensation data.

80K
45K150K

Low

45K

P25

65K

Median

80K

P75

90K

High

150K

Security Engineer Take-Home Pay in Ireland (2026)

After Income Tax, USC & PRSI · single, standard PAYE

Entry

Take-home/year

€47,587

Effective rate

26.8%

Median

Take-home/year

€55,009

Effective rate

31.2%

Senior

Take-home/year

€59,789

Effective rate

33.6%

See the full band-by-band breakdown for Security Engineer

Adjust for your actual salary, see each Income Tax, USC, and PRSI band, and get monthly and weekly figures.

Is a Security Engineer hybrid salary worth the commute?

3-day/week office schedule · typical Irish commute assumptions

Break-even remote salary

€60,400

minimum to match 80K hybrid

Annual commute impact

€9,898

costs + time value lost

Hours commuting/year

138 hrs

at 60 min/day, 3 days/wk

See the full break-even analysis for Security Engineer

Adjust commute costs, compare any two salaries, and find the exact remote salary you need.

Remote vs hybrid analysis

Security Engineer career path in Ireland

5 levels · salary at each step · technical and management tracks

Hiring outlook

Growing

Junior Security salary

€42–58k

0–2 yrs experience

Senior Security salary

€88–118k

4–8 yrs experience

€42–58k
0–2 yrs
€62–86k
2–5 yrs
€88–118k
4–8 yrs
€120–155k
7–12 yrs
€158–210k
10+ yrs

Full career progression guide for Security Engineer

Technical vs management tracks, salary at all 5 levels, top employers, and progression FAQs.

Career path guide

Security Engineer market demand in Ireland

Hiring outlook · remote rate · top employers

Hiring outlook

Growing

Remote / hybrid

72%

of roles offer remote or hybrid

Salary growth (YoY)

0.0%

salary is stable

Top hirers:
StripeMastercardGoogleMetaAccenturePwC

Full market demand breakdown for Security Engineer

Hiring drivers, remote rate detail, full employer list, and demand FAQs for Ireland.

Market demand guide

Contract day rates available for this role

Median 362/week, see full breakdown, city rates, and take-home calculator

View Security Engineer day rates →

Contract break-even

What day rate beats a €80K Security Engineer salary after tax?

Break-even day rate

€364/day

to match 80K permanent net

Permanent net take-home

€55,009/yr

80K gross, single, 2026 rates

Sole trader, 220 days, single, no pension. Net figures are estimates; use the calculators for exact results.

Market Demand & Outlook

Hiring demand, top locations, and career outlook for Security Engineer

High Confidence

Demand level

Medium

Based on hiring signals relative to similar roles in this market.

Top hiring locations

DublinCorkGalwayLimerick

Career outlook

Stable market outlook

Security Engineer pay is broadly stable, with current market guidance centered around €80K.

Security Engineer Salary by Seniority Level

Seniority bands are shown where independent benchmarks exist across experience levels for this role and market.

General

80K

65K-90K middle band

Mid

73K

70K-75K middle band

Senior

90K

80K-95K middle band

Junior

58K

40K-75K middle band

Skills That Command a Premium for Security Engineers

Certain technical skills push Security Engineer salaries in Ireland significantly above the €80K median. These are the most impactful skills to develop or highlight when negotiating.

CISSP / CISM

+16%

salary premium vs median

HashiCorp Vault

+15%

salary premium vs median

DevSecOps pipeline integration

+17%

salary premium vs median

Zero Trust architecture

+19%

salary premium vs median

How Much Does a Security Engineer Earn by City in Ireland?

Security Engineer salary varies meaningfully by location. Dublin commands a +14% premium over the national benchmark (€91K), while Galway sits -5% at €76K. Location is worth factoring into any offer negotiation.

How does Security Engineer pay compare to similar roles?

Why Security Engineer Salaries Are at This Level

Security Engineers in Ireland earn a median salary of €80K in 2026, with a typical range from €65K at the 25th percentile to €90K at the 75th percentile. This benchmark reflects published market compensation data for annual annual pay across the Ireland market.

Dublin currently leads city pay at €91K, which is 14% above the national benchmark. City coverage for this role includes Cork, Dublin, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Rest Of Ireland, helping you compare local pay differences without needing separate city-role pages.

At experience level, entry roles start around €58K, senior roles sit near €90K, and upper bands continue to trend above the median. Demand is currently steady for this role based on recent coverage and salary momentum signals.

Frequently Asked Questions About Security Engineer Salary in Ireland

1

What is the median Security Engineer salary in Ireland?

The median Security Engineer salary in Ireland is €80K in 2026. The typical range runs from €65K at the 25th percentile to €90K at the 75th percentile, based on published market compensation data.

2

Is Security Engineer salary increasing in Ireland?

Year-on-year trend data is not yet available for this role. Check back as the dataset grows.

3

How does Security Engineer salary vary by city in Ireland?

Security Engineer salaries vary across Ireland. Dublin leads at €91K (+14% vs the national benchmark), while Galway sits at €76K. Use the city breakdown above to compare all locations.

4

What does a Security Engineer take home after tax in Ireland?

A Security Engineer earning the median €80K gross in Ireland will take home a net amount after income tax and other deductions. Use the PayMetric Labs take-home calculator on this page for an exact breakdown by tax band.

5

What experience level earns the most as a Security Engineer in Ireland?

Pay increases significantly with seniority for Security Engineers in Ireland. See the seniority band breakdown above for exact figures at each level.

6

Is a €80K Security Engineer hybrid role worth the commute in Ireland?

On a 3-day hybrid schedule with a typical Irish commute (€15/day travel, 60-minute round trip, daily meal premium, annual wardrobe costs), your true net income at €80K is approximately €45,111 per year, compared to €55,009 net without any commute. The commute costs €9,898 per year in direct expenses and lost time. A fully remote role paying €60,400 would leave you equally well off.

7

What remote salary is equivalent to a €80K hybrid Security Engineer salary in Ireland?

Assuming a 3-day hybrid schedule with typical commute costs, you would need a remote salary of at least €60,400 to match the true net value of a €80K hybrid Security Engineer role in Ireland. For a 5-day fully in-office role, the break-even remote salary rises to €48,600, as the higher office frequency increases travel, meal, and time costs significantly.

8

How many hours per year does a Security Engineer in Ireland spend commuting?

On a 3-day hybrid schedule with a 60-minute round trip, a Security Engineer in Ireland spends approximately 138 hours commuting per year, equivalent to 17 full working days. Valued at the implied hourly rate for a €80K salary (€46/hr), that time is worth €6,400 annually.

9

How does the 2026 Return to Office trend affect Security Engineer compensation in Ireland?

As more employers in Ireland reintroduce hybrid or full in-office mandates in 2026, the true value of a Security Engineer salary depends increasingly on the number of required office days. At €80K, each additional day in the office costs roughly €3,099 per year in direct and time costs (moving from 3 to 5 days). Candidates evaluating offers should compare true net income rather than gross salary alone.

10

What day rate do you need to earn more than a Security Engineer permanent salary in Ireland?

A Security Engineer earning €80K permanently takes home approximately €55,009 per year after tax in Ireland. As a sole trader contractor at 220 billable days, you need a day rate of at least €364/day to match that net income. Anything above that rate puts more money in your pocket compared to the permanent equivalent. Use the Irish contractor calculator at /calculators/irish-contractor-calculator for a full breakdown.

11

Is contracting more profitable than a permanent Security Engineer role in Ireland?

Whether contracting beats permanent pay for a Security Engineer in Ireland depends entirely on the day rate you can command. The break-even rate is approximately €364/day (220 working days, sole trader), which is the minimum required to match the €80K median permanent net take-home of €55,009 per year. Day rates above this produce a higher net income; rates below it mean the permanent role pays more after tax.

12

How reliable is this Security Engineer salary benchmark?

This benchmark is derived from verified market compensation data and is rated High Confidence. Confidence levels are calculated using salary source coverage, market consistency, data quality and benchmark strength.

13

Is Security Engineer pay increasing?

There is not enough matched prior-year data yet to publish a reliable growth figure. Growth is matched using the closest comparable prior-year role, location, seniority, currency, and salary type available in the salary intelligence tables.

14

What should employers and candidates take from this benchmark?

Exact role and seniority year-on-year salary growth is 0% against the prior-year median.

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