AI Threat Modeler Salary.
Across 30 U.S. cities.
$180,000
national median salary
$135,000 to $235,000. Last updated April 2026.
Highest Paying
$253,000
San Jose, CA
Best Purchasing Power
$186,000
Pittsburgh, PA
Lowest Paying
$160,000
St. Louis, MO
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 Threat Modeler salary in the United States is $180,000 in 2026, with the full range spanning $135,000 at the 25th percentile to $235,000 at the 75th. San Jose pays the most at $253,000, while Pittsburgh offers the best purchasing power after cost-of-living adjustments. Compensation is driven by expertise in identifying attack surfaces unique to AI systems and ability to design comprehensive threat models spanning data, models, and infrastructure.
AI Threat Modeler salary by city
What you should know
Compensation is driven by expertise in identifying attack surfaces unique to AI systems and ability to design comprehensive threat models spanning data, models, and infrastructure. Threat modelers covering the full AI supply chain from training data to inference endpoints earn top compensation. Experience with STRIDE, MITRE ATLAS, and custom AI threat frameworks is highly valued.
Junior AI security analysts start at $115,000 to $135,000 conducting structured threat assessments. Mid-level threat modelers leading system-level analysis earn $155,000 to $180,000. Senior modelers architecting enterprise AI security strategy reach $210,000 to $235,000, with chief AI security architects at $265,000 to $310,000.
Bonuses of 15 to 22% are standard, with additional compensation for threat intelligence contributions and security framework development. Equity at AI security startups can be substantial, representing 20 to 40% of total compensation.