Security & Investigations · Mid · 2 to 6 years typical
Protective Intelligence Analyst Salary
Annual base compensation, national and by market, from 258 named sources. Every figure below says where it came from.
| Market | Multiplier | P25 | P50 | P75 | P90 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York City, NY | 1.40× | $110,000 | $145,000 | $190,000 | $240,000 |
| San Francisco, CA | 1.30× | $100,000 | $135,000 | $180,000 | $220,000 |
| Boston, MA | 1.25× | $95,000 | $130,000 | $170,000 | $215,000 |
| Palm Beach, FL | 1.25× | $95,000 | $130,000 | $170,000 | $215,000 |
| Miami, FL | 1.23× | $95,000 | $130,000 | $170,000 | $210,000 |
| Los Angeles, CA | 1.20× | $90,000 | $125,000 | $165,000 | $205,000 |
| Washington, DC | 1.20× | $90,000 | $125,000 | $165,000 | $205,000 |
| Seattle, WA | 1.15× | $90,000 | $120,000 | $160,000 | $195,000 |
| Chicago, IL | 1.05× | $80,000 | $110,000 | $145,000 | $180,000 |
| Dallas, TX | 1.00× | $75,000 | $105,000 | $135,000 | $170,000 |
Time to fill 10 weeks for comparable searches, estimated from rouka's benchmark set.
Growing rapidly. The intelligence function is professionalizing as EP programs mature. ZeroFox identified over 2,200 threats against executives in five weeks spanning late 2024 to early 2025, up from 1,560 direct threats over the previous seven months. Deepfake fraud surged 1,740% in North America 2022-2023. AI-powered platforms transforming the role: Dataminr processes 43+ TB of public data daily (one customer reported 70% decrease in incident response time), Babel Street covers 200+ languages, Recorded Future provides predictive intelligence. Job postings now reference AI tools as required skills. Common backgrounds: US Intelligence Community, military intelligence (HUMINT, SIGINT, All-Source), FBI, CIA, DHS.
What does a Protective Intelligence Analyst do?
The Protective Intelligence Analyst operates providing executive protection, threat assessment, and security operations for high-net-worth families, corporate principals, or private organizations. Professionals in this role typically bring 2 to 6 years of relevant experience. Classified at the Mid level, this position draws from a tight candidate market with an estimated pool of 150-400 qualified professionals, making targeted sourcing and competitive compensation critical for successful placements.
What drives Protective Intelligence Analyst compensation?
The median (P50) compensation for a Protective Intelligence Analyst is $105,000, with the 25th to 75th percentile range spanning $75,000 to $135,000. The 57% spread between P25 and P75 reflects significant pay variation driven by principal risk profile, domestic vs. international travel requirements, team size managed, security clearance level, and specialized training in surveillance detection or threat mitigation. Demand for this role is trending upward with 15% year-over-year growth, which is putting upward pressure on compensation at all levels.
Protective Intelligence Analyst career path
Professionals who move into Protective Intelligence Analyst roles most commonly come from military special operations, federal law enforcement, intelligence agencies, or corporate security departments. From this position, the typical trajectory leads toward director of security for large family offices, corporate security leadership, or independent security consulting. The average tenure in this role is approximately 3 years, with an annual turnover rate of 22%.
Hiring a Protective Intelligence Analyst?
A search playbook for this seat: compensation positioning against the band above, the sourcing map, and the interview framework.