AI Incident Response Analyst Salary.
Across 81 U.S. cities.
$125,000
national median salary
$87,000 to $165,000. Last updated August 2026.
Government benchmark for this occupation
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $129,180 for Information Security Analysts (SOC 15-1212) across the United States, based on 190,650 employed workers (May 2025 release).
10th percentile
$75,090
25th percentile
$97,810
Median
$129,180
75th percentile
$163,500
90th percentile
$199,850
Workers surveyed
190,650
What BLS published in each release
May 2024 release
$124,910
May 2025 release
$129,180
These are two separate published estimates, not a time series. The Bureau of Labor Statistics does not encourage the use of OEWS data for time-series analysis. Differences between releases reflect changes in occupational classification, survey methodology, and the three-year pooled sample as well as any change in pay, so the two figures should not be read as a rate of wage growth.
BLS publishes wages by occupation code, not by job title, so this figure covers every role mapped to Information Security Analysts (SOC 15-1212) rather than AI Incident Response Analystspecifically. The national range at the top of this page is Orbyt’s role-level estimate, which is a different thing and is labelled as such.
View the BLS source for SOC 15-1212Highest Paying
$176,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$130,000
San Diego, CA
Lowest Paying
$96,000
Charleston, WV
The salary figures on this page are computed estimates, not observed wages. Each one is a national role baseline scaled by a Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity cost-of-living multiplier (2025 index) and rounded to the nearest $1,000. No published wage percentile is consulted and no wage survey response enters the calculation, so an Orbyt estimate must not be cited as a Bureau of Labor Statistics figure or as measured pay. The published wage data Orbyt holds is Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and Department of Labor H-1B Labor Condition Application filings, which record a filed minimum visa base wage rather than market pay. Where BLS publishes a wage for the occupation a role maps to, it is shown on that role's page as a separate benchmark, labelled with its occupation code, metro area and the number of employed workers it covers. Last updated August 2026. This role maps to BLS occupation code 15-1212. Full methodology.
Orbyt estimates the average AI Incident Response Analyst salary in the United States at $125,000 in 2026, within a range of $87,000 to $165,000. These figures are Orbyt estimates, computed rather than measured, and must not be cited as Bureau of Labor Statistics figures; the published BLS wage for the occupation this role maps to is shown separately on this page. San Jose is the highest of the 81 cities at $176,000, while San Diego offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Compensation depends on incident handling experience and ability to respond rapidly to AI-specific security events.
AI Incident Response Analyst salary by city.
Skills that increase AI Incident Response Analyst pay.
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for AI Incident Response Analysts based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $17,500 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$17,500 per year
≈ +$16,250 per year
≈ +$15,000 per year
≈ +$13,750 per year
≈ +$12,500 per year
≈ +$12,500 per year
≈ +$12,500 per year
≈ +$11,250 per year
What you should know.
Compensation depends on incident handling experience and ability to respond rapidly to AI-specific security events. Analysts who have managed real-world AI incidents like model compromise, data poisoning detection, or adversarial attacks in production earn significant premiums. On-call availability and cross-functional coordination skills drive salary above median.
Junior incident analysts start at $90,000 to $110,000 in monitoring and triage roles. Mid-level analysts leading AI incident investigations earn $128,000 to $148,000. Senior analysts designing AI incident response programs reach $172,000 to $195,000, with IR managers at $215,000 to $250,000.
On-call stipends add $10,000 to $25,000 annually. Bonuses of 12 to 18% are common, sometimes tied to incident resolution time metrics. Retention bonuses are frequent given the scarcity of qualified AI incident responders.
Total compensation breakdown.
Salary by company size
Remote salary adjustment
Remote AI Incident Response Analysts typically earn $116,000 (7% less than on-site). This reflects location-adjusted pay policies at companies using geographic salary bands. Some companies pay flat national rates regardless of location.
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Related.
Common questions about AI Incident Response Analyst pay.
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