Palo Alto Networks
Santa Clara, CA · founded 2005
Palo Alto Networks is the largest pure-play cybersecurity company, headquartered in Santa Clara, built originally on next-generation firewalls and now spanning cloud security (Prisma) and AI-driven security operations (Cortex). It is a fast-growing, acquisitive public company with an intense, sales-strong, execution-focused culture set by longtime CEO Nikesh Arora. The benefits lean toward wellness and flexibility, including a large on-site gym with instructor-led classes at HQ, Flexible Time Off, a $1,000 annual FLEXBenefits allowance, an ESPP with a 24-month lookback, and equity for most roles. The notable weak spot is the 401(k) match, which is only 50% capped at $1,000 a year. The trade-off is real: strong equity upside and growth against a demanding, high-expectations environment. A good fit for security and cloud engineers who want scale and equity and can thrive in a driven culture.
see the full file on Palo Alto Networksdocumented benefits (24)
| Birthing-parent leave | 6 weeks |
|---|---|
| Partner leave | 6 weeks |
| How leave is framed | equal_all_parents |
| Retirement match | 50% company match up to a maximum of $1,000 per year |
| Dental | yes |
| Vision | yes |
| Unlimited PTO | yes |
| On-site gym | yes |
| Internal course catalog | yes |
| Stock purchase plan | yes |
| Equity | RSU |
| Wellness stipend | $1,000 |
| HSA | yes |
| Life insurance | yes |
| On-site cafeteria | yes |
| Food | snacks |
| Employee discount portal | yes |
| Median filed wage | $201,747 |
| Gender pay gap, median | -1.8% |
| Gender pay gap, mean | 1.2% |
| Bonus gap, median | 21.5% |
| Women in the top pay quartile | 24% |
| Women in the workforce | 23% |
| Disability | yes |
what Palo Alto Networks pays
Median of 97 certified wages filed with the US Department of Labor: $201,747.
Half of Palo Alto Networks's certified filings fall between $168,000 and $216,258.
| role | median | filings | range |
|---|---|---|---|
| principal engineer software | $216,258 | 14 filings | $175,689 to $218,443 |
| principal software engineer | $218,443 | 4 filings | $144,395 to $218,443 |
| senior staff software engineer | $182,994 | 4 filings | $152,088 to $182,994 |
| senior staff it software engineer | $201,747 | 3 filings | $192,991 to $202,575 |
| senior technical support engineer, focused services | $145,330 | 3 filings | $107,886 to $156,291 |
Source: US Department of Labor, FY2025 Q4. Read 2026-07-27.
notable perks
- On-site EV charging stations at the Santa Clara HQ
- On-site fuel service at the Santa Clara campus
- Daily instructor-led exercise classes in the large on-site gym at HQ
- Ongoing wellness speaker series on the latest health and wellness trends
- Complimentary drinks, fresh fruit, and snacks in the break rooms
the legal floor where they are
Set by law, not by Palo Alto Networks. It applies to every employer in CA.
| IVF cycles the state covers | California requires IVF from 1 January 2026, and only from large employers. SB 729 (2024) rewrote Health and Safety Code § 1374.55 so that a large group health care service plan contract 'issued, amended, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, shall provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility and fertility services, including a maximum of three completed oocyte retrievals with unlimited embryo transfers', following ASRM guidelines and using single embryo transfer where medically appropriate. Large group means 100 or more employees. Small group plans need only be OFFERED the coverage rather than provide it, religious employers are excluded, Medi-Cal managed care is exempt, and CalPERS plans are delayed to 1 July 2027. The original 1 July 2025 date was pushed back a budget trailer bill, AB 116 (2025). THE LIMIT THAT DECIDES WHETHER THIS REACHES YOU: a state insurance mandate binds only fully insured plans. A self-funded employer plan is governed federally under ERISA and is preempted, and KFF's 2025 employer survey puts 67% of covered workers — 80% at firms of 200 or more — in a self-funded plan. At most large California employers this law therefore does not apply, and the fertility benefit on the page is the company's own choice. (Senate Bill 729 (2024), which repealed and added Section 1374.55 of the Health and Safety Code and amended Section 10119.6 of the Insurance Code; the operative date was moved from 1 July 2025 to 1 January 2026 by Assembly Bill 116 (2025).) |
|---|---|
| Adoption leave the law gives | 12 workweeks of UNPAID job-protected leave in any 12-month period on the placement of a child for adoption or foster care, and only for employees who meet the FMLA eligibility test. There is no federal paid adoption leave. (Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1)(B) and 2612(c); eligibility at 29 U.S.C. 2611(2) and (4). Quoted from the 2023 edition of the US Code.) |
| Pay when you are ill | No federal law requires any paid sick leave. The FLSA does not require payment for time not worked, and the FMLA gives 12 workweeks of UNPAID job-protected leave in any 12-month period for a serious health condition, and only for employees who meet the FMLA eligibility test. Any paid sick time comes from a state or city law, or from the employer's own choice. (Fair Labor Standards Act, per the Department of Labor's statement on payment for time not worked; Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, 29 U.S.C. 2612(a)(1)(D) and 2612(c). Quoted from the 2023 edition of the US Code on govinfo.gov.) |
Every claim above is sourced and dated. See sources on the full page.
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