AI Red Teamer Salary.
Across 83 U.S. cities.
$188,000
national median salary
$140,000 to $248,000. Last updated April 2026.
Highest Paying
$259,000
San Francisco, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$196,000
Miami, FL
Lowest Paying
$147,000
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 Red Teamer salary in the United States is $188,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $140,000 at the 25th percentile to $248,000 at the 75th. San Francisco pays the most at $259,000, while Miami offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Salary is driven by expertise in adversarial attacks against ML systems and ability to identify novel vulnerability classes.
AI Red Teamer salary by city
Skills that increase AI Red Teamer pay
The skills below command measurable salary premiums for AI Red Teamers based on job posting data. Learning the top skill here could add $26,320 to your annual compensation.
≈ +$26,320 per year
≈ +$24,440 per year
≈ +$22,560 per year
≈ +$20,680 per year
≈ +$18,800 per year
≈ +$18,800 per year
≈ +$18,800 per year
≈ +$16,920 per year
What you should know
Salary is driven by expertise in adversarial attacks against ML systems and ability to identify novel vulnerability classes. Red teamers who discover high-impact exploits in production AI systems or publish influential security research command top compensation. Experience with prompt injection, model extraction, and training data poisoning techniques is essential for premium offers.
Junior AI security analysts start at $120,000 to $140,000 running standard evaluation suites. Mid-level red teamers designing custom attacks earn $165,000 to $188,000. Senior red team leads developing new attack methodologies reach $220,000 to $248,000, with principal roles exceeding $280,000.
Bonuses of 15 to 25% are standard, with some companies offering bug bounty-style rewards for critical findings. Equity at AI safety companies and major tech firms adds substantial value, often 25 to 50% of base salary in RSUs.