AI Fraud Detection Engineer Salary.
Across 83 U.S. cities.
$145,000
national median salary
$110,000 to $185,000. Last updated April 2026.
Highest Paying
$198,000
San Francisco, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$151,000
Los Angeles, CA
Lowest Paying
$112,000
Jackson, MS
Salary data sourced from SEC filings, H-1B Labor Condition Applications (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, and aggregated job postings across 50+ platforms. Ranges reflect 25th to 75th percentile for full-time positions. Cost-of-living adjustments use Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parities (2025 index). Last updated April 2026.
The average AI Fraud Detection Engineer salary in the United States is $145,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $110,000 at the 25th percentile to $185,000 at the 75th. San Francisco pays the most at $198,000, while Los Angeles offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Compensation reflects the direct financial impact of fraud prevention systems.
AI Fraud Detection Engineer salary by city
Skills that increase AI Fraud Detection Engineer pay
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for AI Fraud Detection Engineers based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $20,300 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$20,300 per year
≈ +$18,850 per year
≈ +$17,400 per year
≈ +$15,950 per year
≈ +$14,500 per year
≈ +$14,500 per year
≈ +$14,500 per year
≈ +$13,050 per year
What you should know
Compensation reflects the direct financial impact of fraud prevention systems. Engineers who can build real-time transaction scoring models with low false positive rates earn premiums. Experience with graph neural networks for fraud ring detection, anomaly detection at scale, and adversarial robustness against evolving fraud tactics drives higher salaries.
Junior fraud detection engineers start at $95,000 to $115,000. Mid-level engineers building production fraud scoring systems reach $135,000 to $165,000. Senior engineers designing enterprise fraud platforms earn $170,000 to $210,000. Directors of fraud AI at financial institutions can reach $230,000 to $290,000 in total compensation.
Performance bonuses of 15% to 25% tied to fraud loss reduction are common. Equity at fintech companies adds $20,000 to $70,000 annually. Some organizations offer bonuses based on the dollar value of fraud prevented. Benefits include financial services industry certifications and conference budgets.