Updated: April 3, 2026

Application Security Engineer resume examples (United States, 2026)

Copy-paste Application Security Engineer resume examples for the United States—3 complete samples with strong AppSec bullets, skills, and ATS keywords.

EU hiring practices 2026
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You just searched for an Application Security Engineer resume example, which usually means one thing: you’re writing a resume right now and you want something you can steal—today.

Good. Below are three complete, realistic US resume samples you can copy, paste, and adapt in 10 minutes. They’re written the way AppSec hiring teams actually read: tools, scope, and measurable outcomes. Not “responsible for security.”

Pick the one closest to your level, swap in your stack, and ship it.

Resume Sample #1 — Mid-level Application Security Engineer (Hero Sample)

Resume Example

Maya Thompson

Application Security Engineer

Austin, United States · maya.thompson@appmail.com · (512) 555-0148

Professional Summary

Application Security Engineer with 5+ years securing cloud-native web apps and APIs across AWS/Kubernetes environments. Reduced critical vulns in production by 62% in 12 months by integrating SAST/SCA/DAST into CI/CD and tightening threat modeling with engineering teams. Targeting an AppSec Engineer role focused on secure SDLC and developer enablement.

Experience

Application Security Engineer — BlueCedar Payments, Austin

03/2022 – Present

  • Integrated Semgrep (SAST), Snyk (SCA), and OWASP ZAP (DAST) into GitHub Actions, cutting mean time to remediate (MTTR) for high-severity findings from 21 days to 8 days.
  • Built a Kubernetes admission control policy set (OPA Gatekeeper) to block privileged pods and unsigned images, reducing policy violations by 74% within two quarters.
  • Led threat modeling (STRIDE) for a new public API (GraphQL + REST), identifying 19 abuse cases and driving fixes that prevented IDOR and auth bypass issues pre-launch.
  • Partnered with platform engineering to roll out AWS WAF managed rules + custom rate limiting, reducing credential-stuffing traffic by 41% and lowering fraud alerts by 18%.
  • Ran quarterly secure code review sprints using CodeQL and manual review, eliminating recurring injection patterns and reducing “repeat” findings by 33%.

Security Engineer (Product Security) — HarborNine SaaS, Dallas

06/2020 – 02/2022

  • Implemented secrets scanning (Gitleaks) and enforced pre-commit hooks, cutting leaked credential incidents from 6/quarter to 0 over 9 months.
  • Tuned Burp Suite workflows for authenticated testing and documented exploit paths, enabling engineering to close 27 high-risk issues before external pen tests.
  • Created a security champions program across 6 squads, increasing secure coding training completion from 45% to 92% and improving fix acceptance rate for AppSec tickets.

Education

B.S. Computer Science — University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, 2016–2020

Skills

Secure SDLC, Threat Modeling (STRIDE), OWASP Top 10, API Security, SAST, DAST, SCA, Semgrep, CodeQL, Snyk, Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP, GitHub Actions, Kubernetes, OPA Gatekeeper, AWS (IAM, WAF), Terraform, Docker, JWT/OAuth2/OIDC, NIST SSDF

You’re not trying to “sound security-ish.” You’re trying to make a hiring manager think: this person can plug into our pipeline, talk to devs, and reduce risk without slowing releases.

Section-by-section breakdown (why this resume works)

You’re not trying to “sound security-ish.” You’re trying to make a hiring manager think: this person can plug into our pipeline, talk to devs, and reduce risk without slowing releases. This sample does that with three signals: scope (what you secured), tooling (how you did it), and outcomes (what changed).

Professional Summary breakdown

The summary is short, technical, and measurable. It names the environment (cloud-native, AWS/Kubernetes), the security work (SAST/SCA/DAST + threat modeling), and the impact (critical vulns down 62%). That’s exactly what an Application Security Specialist or Software Security Engineer hiring panel wants to see in the first 6 seconds.

Weak version:

Application security professional with experience in security tools and best practices. Strong communicator and team player looking for a challenging role.

Strong version:

Application Security Engineer with 5+ years securing cloud-native web apps and APIs across AWS/Kubernetes environments. Reduced critical vulns in production by 62% in 12 months by integrating SAST/SCA/DAST into CI/CD and tightening threat modeling with engineering teams. Targeting an AppSec Engineer role focused on secure SDLC and developer enablement.

The strong version wins because it’s specific (stack + methods) and provable (a number + timeframe). It also points to a clear next role instead of a vague “challenging position.”

Experience section breakdown

Notice how each bullet reads like a mini incident report: what you changed, where you changed it, and what improved. That’s the AppSec sweet spot—security outcomes tied to engineering reality.

Also notice the tool choices: Semgrep/CodeQL/Snyk/Burp/ZAP, GitHub Actions, OPA Gatekeeper, AWS WAF. These are common in US postings for AppSec Engineer, Product Security Engineer, and Application Security Analyst roles.

Weak version:

Responsible for running SAST and DAST scans and fixing vulnerabilities.

Strong version:

Integrated Semgrep (SAST), Snyk (SCA), and OWASP ZAP (DAST) into GitHub Actions, cutting mean time to remediate (MTTR) for high-severity findings from 21 days to 8 days.

The strong bullet proves you understand CI/CD integration (not just “running scans”) and it quantifies the outcome in a metric security leaders actually track: MTTR.

Skills section breakdown

This skills list is intentionally ATS-friendly for the US market: it mixes methods (Secure SDLC, threat modeling), risk frameworks (OWASP Top 10, NIST SSDF), and hands-on tools (Semgrep, CodeQL, Burp, ZAP). That combination helps you match both recruiter keyword screens and technical reviewers.

One more thing: “AWS (IAM, WAF)” is better than “AWS” alone. Same for “JWT/OAuth2/OIDC” instead of “authentication.” AppSec is detail work—your resume should reflect that.

Resume Sample #2 — Entry-level / Junior AppSec Engineer (Different Level)

Resume Example

Daniel Kim

Application Security Analyst

Raleigh, United States · daniel.kim@appmail.com · (919) 555-0182

Professional Summary

Junior Application Security Analyst with 1+ year of hands-on experience triaging SAST/SCA findings and validating vulnerabilities in APIs and web apps. Improved signal-to-noise by reducing false positives 28% by tuning Semgrep rules and standardizing severity mapping to CVSS v3.1. Seeking an Application Security Engineer role focused on secure CI/CD and developer support.

Experience

Application Security Analyst — Northbridge HealthTech, Raleigh

07/2024 – Present

  • Triaged Snyk SCA and Semgrep SAST findings across 40+ repos, cutting open high-severity backlog from 310 to 190 by improving ticket quality and remediation guidance.
  • Validated reported issues using Burp Suite and Postman collections, confirming exploitability for 22 findings and preventing unnecessary engineering churn.
  • Added GitHub Advanced Security secret scanning and push protection, blocking 14 credential leaks in the first 60 days.

Software Engineer Intern (Secure Development) — Pinecone Logistics Systems, Durham

06/2023 – 06/2024

  • Implemented input validation and output encoding fixes in a Node.js/Express service, reducing reflected XSS findings from 9 to 0 in the next ZAP scan.
  • Wrote unit tests for auth middleware (JWT) and improved coverage from 52% to 71%, preventing regressions during a major API refactor.

Education

B.S. Information Technology — North Carolina State University, Raleigh, 2020–2024

Skills

SAST, SCA, DAST, Semgrep, Snyk, GitHub Advanced Security, Secret Scanning, Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP, CVSS v3.1, OWASP Top 10, API Security, Postman, JWT, OAuth2, Secure Code Review, Python, Node.js

What’s different vs. Sample #1 (and why it works)

At junior level, you usually don’t “own the program.” You own execution: triage, validation, tuning rules, making tickets actionable, and fixing a small set of issues end-to-end.

That’s why this resume leans on:

  • Backlog movement (310 → 190) and false-positive reduction (28%).
  • Concrete validation work (Burp + Postman) instead of “did testing.”
  • A credible bridge from dev work to AppSec (internship bullets show you can implement fixes, not just report problems).

If you’re coming from software engineering and trying to pivot into an AppSec Engineer role, this is the pattern: show security outcomes and code-level fixes.

At junior level, you usually don’t “own the program.” You own execution: triage, validation, tuning rules, making tickets actionable, and fixing a small set of issues end-to-end.

Resume Sample #3 — Senior / Lead Application Security Specialist (Recommended)

Resume Example

Priya Nair

Senior Application Security Engineer

Seattle, United States · priya.nair@appmail.com · (206) 555-0176

Professional Summary

Senior Application Security Engineer with 9+ years leading secure SDLC programs for microservices and customer-facing platforms in AWS. Cut externally reported vulnerabilities by 48% year-over-year by scaling CodeQL/Semgrep coverage, formalizing threat modeling, and implementing risk-based SLAs with engineering leadership. Targeting a Product Security Engineer role with ownership of AppSec strategy and developer experience.

Experience

Senior Application Security Engineer (Tech Lead) — CascadeFin Platform, Seattle

01/2021 – Present

  • Defined risk-based vulnerability SLAs (CVSS + exploitability) and built Jira automation for routing/aging, improving on-time remediation from 54% to 86% within 2 quarters.
  • Scaled CodeQL and Semgrep across 120+ services with standardized pipelines (GitHub Actions), increasing scan coverage from 35% to 93% and reducing “unknown ownership” findings by 60%.
  • Led security architecture reviews for Kubernetes + service mesh rollout (Istio), closing 11 high-risk gaps (mTLS, authz policies, egress controls) before production cutover.
  • Established an internal pentest playbook (Burp Suite + ZAP + custom scripts) and coached 8 engineers, reducing reliance on external testing and saving ~$180K/year.

Application Security Engineer — RedMap Commerce, Portland

05/2017 – 12/2020

  • Implemented OAuth2/OIDC hardening (token lifetimes, scopes, PKCE) for mobile + web clients, reducing auth-related incidents by 32% over 12 months.
  • Built a secure dependency management workflow (Snyk + Renovate), cutting critical vulnerable packages in production from 27 to 6 within 6 months.

Education

M.S. Cybersecurity — University of Washington, Seattle, 2015–2017

Skills

AppSec Program Leadership, Secure SDLC, Threat Modeling, Security Architecture, OWASP ASVS, OWASP Top 10, API Security, CodeQL, Semgrep, Snyk, Renovate, Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP, GitHub Actions, Jira Automation, Kubernetes, Istio, AWS (IAM, WAF, KMS), Terraform, CVSS, NIST SSDF

What makes a senior resume different

Senior AppSec isn’t “more tools.” It’s more surface area and more leverage.

This sample shows leadership through:

  • Governance with teeth (risk-based SLAs + automation).
  • Scale metrics (120+ services, coverage 35% → 93%).
  • Architecture influence (Istio/Kubernetes controls before prod).
  • Business impact (saving ~$180K/year).

If your resume reads like a task list, you’ll get down-leveled. If it reads like you moved the system, you’ll get senior interviews.

How to write each section (step-by-step)

a) Professional Summary

Your summary isn’t a mission statement. It’s a trailer. In AppSec, the hiring manager is scanning for: What do you secure? How do you secure it? Did risk actually go down?

Use this simple formula and keep it to 2–3 sentences:

  1. Years + domain (web apps, APIs, mobile, cloud-native)
  2. Specialization (secure CI/CD, threat modeling, code review, Kubernetes policy)
  3. One measurable win (MTTR, vuln reduction, coverage, incident reduction)
  4. Target role (Application Security Engineer / Product Security Engineer / Application Security Specialist)

Weak version:

Seeking a position in application security where I can use my skills and grow.

Strong version:

Application Security Engineer with 4+ years securing REST/GraphQL APIs in AWS. Reduced high-severity findings 40% by integrating Semgrep + Snyk into GitHub Actions and enforcing risk-based SLAs. Targeting an AppSec Engineer role focused on secure CI/CD and developer enablement.

The strong version works because it’s already doing the job: it names the attack surface (APIs), the environment (AWS), the mechanism (CI/CD tooling), and the outcome (40%).

b) Experience section

Your experience section should read like proof. Not “I attended meetings.” In AppSec, proof usually looks like pipeline changes, policy enforcement, validated findings, and measurable remediation improvements.

Keep reverse-chronological order, but don’t waste bullets on obvious duties. If you did it every week, it’s not automatically resume-worthy—unless you can show the impact.

Weak version:

Performed security testing on applications and reported vulnerabilities.

Strong version:

Validated vulnerabilities using Burp Suite authenticated testing and documented exploit paths, enabling teams to remediate 18 high-risk issues before release and reducing re-test cycles by 25%.

The strong bullet tells me you can reproduce issues, communicate them, and speed up delivery. That’s what teams pay for.

AppSec-specific action verbs that sound natural in US resumes (and map to real work):

  • Integrated, automated, enforced, hardened, validated
  • Triaged, tuned, suppressed (false positives), prioritized
  • Modeled (threats), reviewed (code/architecture), instrumented
  • Remediated, patched, mitigated, blocked, reduced
  • Standardized, scaled, coached, led

c) Skills section

Skills are where ATS either helps you or quietly deletes you.

Here’s the strategy: pull 10–15 skills directly from the job description (exact phrasing), then add 5–10 that are “table stakes” for an AppSec Engineer in the United States. Don’t dump every tool you’ve ever installed. If you can’t defend it in an interview, it doesn’t belong.

Below is a US-focused keyword set you can mix and match.

Hard Skills / Technical Skills

  • Secure SDLC, Secure Code Review, Threat Modeling (STRIDE), OWASP Top 10
  • API Security, Authentication/Authorization, Session Management
  • Vulnerability Management, Risk-based SLAs, CVSS v3.1
  • Kubernetes Security, Container Security, Infrastructure as Code (IaC) Security
  • Secrets Management, Security Architecture Reviews

Tools / Software

  • Semgrep, CodeQL, GitHub Advanced Security
  • Snyk, Dependabot, Renovate
  • Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP
  • GitHub Actions, Jenkins, GitLab CI
  • AWS WAF, AWS IAM, AWS KMS
  • OPA Gatekeeper, Trivy, Docker, Kubernetes

Certifications / Standards

  • OSCP (hands-on offensive credibility), GWAPT (web app focus)
  • CSSLP (secure software lifecycle), CISSP (for senior/lead roles)
  • OWASP ASVS, NIST SSDF, NIST 800-53 (depending on industry)

If you’re applying to regulated environments (healthcare/fintech), sprinkling in NIST SSDF and OWASP ASVS helps because it signals you can translate security into governance language. NIST SSDF is a real keyword showing up more often in US orgs after the Secure Software Development Framework push (NIST SSDF).

d) Education and certifications

In the US, education is rarely the deciding factor for AppSec—unless you’re early-career or the role is in government/defense. Include your degree, institution, and dates. Skip coursework unless it’s unusually relevant (e.g., secure software engineering capstone, formal methods, reverse engineering).

Certifications matter when they match the job’s reality. If the role is heavy on web app testing, OSCP/GWAPT can help. If it’s program-heavy, CISSP can help once you’re senior enough to back it up with experience. If you’re mid-level and building secure SDLC, CSSLP is a clean signal.

If you’re currently studying, list it honestly:

“OSCP — In progress (expected 2026)” is better than pretending you already have it. Hiring managers can smell that from a mile away.

Common mistakes (AppSec resumes specifically)

One classic mistake is writing like a compliance document: “ensured security best practices.” That tells me nothing about what you actually did. Fix it by naming the control and the mechanism—“enforced OPA Gatekeeper policies to block privileged pods”—and then show the result.

Another is listing tools without proof. If you claim Burp Suite, but your bullets never mention authenticated testing, session handling, or reproducing findings, it reads like keyword stuffing. Add one bullet where you validated exploitability and shortened a re-test cycle.

A third is hiding developer impact. AppSec lives or dies by developer adoption. If you built pipelines, champions programs, or remediation playbooks, say so—and quantify adoption (coverage %, completion %, MTTR).

Finally, people over-index on “pen testing” language for roles that are actually secure SDLC. If the job is AppSec Engineer, show CI/CD integration, code review, threat modeling, and dependency management—not only scanning.

FAQ — Application Security Engineer resumes (US)

Do I need OSCP for an Application Security Engineer role in the United States?

Not always. OSCP helps most when the role is heavy on hands-on testing and exploit validation, but many AppSec Engineer roles are secure SDLC and pipeline-focused. If you don’t have OSCP, compensate with strong CI/CD integration bullets (Semgrep/CodeQL/Snyk) and measurable remediation outcomes.

What metrics look best on an AppSec Engineer resume?

Use metrics tied to risk reduction and delivery speed: MTTR, vuln backlog reduction, scan coverage %, on-time remediation %, incident reduction, and false-positive reduction. Avoid vanity numbers like “ran 100 scans” unless you connect them to outcomes.

Should I list OWASP Top 10 and OWASP ASVS in skills?

Yes—if you can speak to them. OWASP Top 10 is a common ATS keyword and a shared language with dev teams, while OWASP ASVS signals you can work with security requirements and verification levels.

How technical should my resume be for AppSec roles?

Very. US AppSec hiring teams expect tool names, CI/CD context, and cloud/platform details. The trick is to keep it readable: one tool + one context + one result per bullet.

Can I apply as a Software Security Engineer or Product Security Engineer with an Application Security Engineer resume?

Yes. Those titles overlap heavily in the US market. Adjust the summary and top skills to match the posting—Product Security often wants more architecture and cross-team leadership, while Software Security can lean deeper into code review and secure design.

Conclusion

A strong Application Security Engineer resume isn’t “security buzzwords.” It’s evidence: the pipeline you improved, the vulnerabilities you prevented, and the time you saved engineering.

If you want this formatted cleanly and ATS-optimized fast, build it in cv-maker.pro using one of our templates, then paste in the bullets above and tailor the skills to the job post.

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Frequently Asked Questions
FAQ

Not always. OSCP helps most when the role is heavy on hands-on testing and exploit validation, but many AppSec Engineer roles are secure SDLC and pipeline-focused. If you don’t have OSCP, compensate with strong CI/CD integration bullets (Semgrep/CodeQL/Snyk) and measurable remediation outcomes.