Malware Analyst / Reverse Engineer Salary
This is what we do all day: recruit technology and IT professionals.
Technology Headhunters uses BLS OEWS data to answer this pay question. For Malware Analyst / Reverse Engineer, this guide uses Information Security Analysts (SOC 15-1212) in the United States. BLS estimates the median wage for that occupation at $129,180 a year, and the middle half of workers earned between $97,810 and $163,500 (BLS OEWS May 2025). BLS does not measure this exact title separately.
Broader occupation
BLS does not report this exact title. The figures shown are for SOC 15-1212, Information Security Analysts. BLS reports Information Security Analysts as a broader occupation. It does not separate Malware Analyst / Reverse Engineer, technology stack, seniority, certifications or employer sector. These figures are not a title-specific offer range.
BLS publishes one set of figures for SOC 15-1212. Other titles in our taxonomy map to it and show the same numbers. Percentiles describe all workers in the occupation. They are not experience levels.
| Measure | Per year |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $75,090 |
| 25th percentile | $97,810 |
| Median | $129,180 |
| 75th percentile | $163,500 |
| 90th percentile | $199,850 |
| Mean | $132,510 |
| Measure | Per hour |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $36.10 |
| 25th percentile | $47.03 |
| Median | $62.11 |
| 75th percentile | $78.61 |
| 90th percentile | $96.08 |
| Mean | $63.71 |
Only a cell carrying the source's # marker is displayed as "or more." The May 2025 release notes define that marker as $239,200 a year or $115.00 an hour or greater. This is a lower bound for marked cells, not a universal wage ceiling. Published numeric values, including values above those amounts, are retained unchanged. Suppressed or unavailable cells are not assigned a wage.
BLS estimates 190,650 people work in this occupation nationally.
Target metros
| Metro | Median | P25 to P75 | Employment | LQ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL | $125,310 | $91,270 to $149,490 | 3,300 | 0.95 |
| Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL | $118,970 | $87,120 to $151,040 | 2,460 | 1.39 |
| Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL | $129,440 | $99,460 to $161,050 | 1,890 | 1.09 |
| Raleigh-Cary, NC | $143,640 | $103,320 to $153,310 | 2,510 | 2.75 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $140,470 | $107,810 to $175,710 | 11,330 | 0.97 |
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | $140,470 | $107,810 to $175,710 | 11,330 | 0.97 |
| Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX | $133,610 | $103,440 to $162,270 | 7,080 | 1.43 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $125,310 | $99,760 to $158,210 | 3,480 | 0.63 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 15-1212 Information Security Analysts, the United States. Released 2026-05-15. The source index links to the release workbooks; it is not a link to an individual wage row. Methodology and mapping notes.
These are published government statistical wage estimates, not observed individual offers or a separate technology-title survey. A broader occupation or proxy is not separate pay data for your job title.
Recruiter's read
Qualitative hiring context. Not BLS data.
The figures describe Information Security Analysts, not a separately measured Malware Analyst / Reverse Engineer title. Specify who owns incident response, detection rules, cloud controls and audit evidence. Confirm any clearance requirement and on-call scope. Write down the work location and attendance policy. Discuss equity and RSUs separately; this guide adds no premium for them.
Questions answered by BLS data
What is the median pay for Malware Analyst / Reverse Engineer?
BLS reports a median of $129,180 a year for SOC 15-1212, Information Security Analysts, in the United States (May 2025). Half of workers earned less and half earned more.
What is the pay range for Malware Analyst / Reverse Engineer?
10% of workers in this occupation earned less than $75,090. 10% earned more than $199,850.
How many Malware Analyst / Reverse Engineer jobs are there?
BLS estimates 190,650 workers in SOC 15-1212 nationally in May 2025.
Does BLS publish this exact job title?
Not exactly. Malware Analyst / Reverse Engineer is shown using SOC 15-1212, Information Security Analysts, a broader occupation. BLS reports Information Security Analysts as a broader occupation. It does not separate Malware Analyst / Reverse Engineer, technology stack, seniority, certifications or employer sector. These figures are not a title-specific offer range.
Which of our target metros reports the highest median for Malware Analyst / Reverse Engineer?
Raleigh-Cary, NC , at $143,640 a year (May 2025).
Are percentiles the same as experience levels?
No. The 10th percentile means 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than that amount. BLS does not report pay by experience.
Related roles
Download the source data for this role (CSV) · Methodology
What changed between the published releases?
These are BLS survey estimates for SOC 15-1212, Information Security Analysts. They are not a projection or a comparison of the same individual workers.
| Reference period | Median |
|---|---|
| May 2024 | $124,910 |
| May 2025 | $129,180 |
How do published wages differ by industry?
These national rows describe private establishments in BLS four-digit industry groups. Industry names are shown as BLS publishes them. They do not include government establishments. An industry figure is still an occupation estimate, not local pay for this exact title.
View the published industry table
| Industry | NAICS | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile | Mean | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 211100 | $105,050 | $141,890 | $163,120 | $137,600 | Not published by BLS |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 221100 | $96,510 | $120,370 | $136,100 | $118,570 | 1150 |
| Natural Gas Distribution | 221200 | $103,180 | $134,830 | $169,580 | $137,180 | Not published by BLS |
| Residential Building Construction | 236100 | $75,500 | $85,580 | $132,250 | $104,360 | 40 |
| Nonresidential Building Construction | 236200 | $94,310 | $105,500 | $135,730 | $112,330 | 120 |
| Utility System Construction | 237100 | $134,670 | $168,580 | $168,650 | $150,920 | 140 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 238200 | $77,610 | $90,020 | $135,110 | $103,810 | 400 |
| Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing | 311800 | $112,120 | $117,430 | $121,680 | $116,500 | 30 |
| Other Food Manufacturing | 311900 | $96,610 | $125,390 | $161,850 | $131,470 | 40 |
| Converted Paper Product Manufacturing | 322200 | $99,690 | $130,190 | $166,200 | $129,270 | 30 |
| Printing and Related Support Activities | 323100 | $76,810 | $92,790 | $131,260 | $104,980 | 40 |
| Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing | 324100 | $105,710 | $133,630 | $161,400 | $133,880 | 60 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3251, 3252, 3253, and 3259 only) | 3250A1 | $83,200 | $102,450 | $125,620 | $107,500 | 150 |
| Chemical Manufacturing (3255 and 3256 only) | 3250A2 | $73,010 | $81,350 | $108,630 | $91,030 | 40 |
| Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing | 325400 | $100,920 | $127,660 | $155,730 | $127,970 | 190 |
| Plastics Product Manufacturing | 326100 | $58,340 | $80,500 | $127,070 | $95,140 | 140 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3321, 3322, 3325, 3326, and 3329 only) | 3320A1 | $89,270 | $107,300 | $142,100 | $120,800 | 120 |
| Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing (3323 and 3324 only) | 3320A2 | $70,390 | $94,370 | $103,420 | $90,320 | 50 |
| Machinery Manufacturing (3331, 3332, 3334, and 3339 only) | 3330A1 | $104,540 | $132,090 | $166,860 | $130,530 | 610 |
| Commercial and Service Industry Machinery Manufacturing | 333300 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 300 |
| Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing | 333500 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 50 |
| Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing | 333600 | $91,820 | $95,900 | $153,140 | $114,820 | 80 |
| Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing | 334100 | $126,010 | $173,950 | $212,600 | $168,690 | 460 |
| Communications Equipment Manufacturing | 334200 | $102,200 | $122,270 | $143,880 | $124,400 | 340 |
| Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing | 334400 | $95,740 | $126,930 | $161,610 | $134,220 | 1060 |
| Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing | 334500 | $105,040 | $126,210 | $152,000 | $128,740 | 1250 |
| Electrical Equipment Manufacturing | 335300 | $84,030 | $115,580 | $132,150 | $109,800 | 50 |
| Other Electrical Equipment and Component Manufacturing | 335900 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 90 |
| Motor Vehicle Manufacturing | 336100 | $108,000 | $122,780 | $154,180 | $136,980 | 130 |
| Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing | 336300 | $84,900 | $105,900 | $119,240 | $110,130 | 140 |
| Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing | 336400 | $107,630 | $134,570 | $168,830 | $140,390 | 3660 |
| Ship and Boat Building | 336600 | $78,160 | $101,780 | $131,250 | $105,290 | 180 |
| Medical Equipment and Supplies Manufacturing | 339100 | $103,000 | $137,270 | $178,600 | $147,360 | 160 |
| Other Miscellaneous Manufacturing | 339900 | $66,490 | $96,840 | $136,670 | $107,130 | 60 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers | 444100 | $49,300 | $51,550 | $105,140 | $82,700 | 40 |
| Electronics and Appliance Retailers | 449200 | $106,960 | $166,300 | $172,630 | $144,970 | 100 |
| Health and Personal Care Retailers | 456100 | $102,230 | $132,240 | $159,800 | $139,350 | 130 |
| Clothing and Clothing Accessories Retailers | 458100 | $77,910 | $144,180 | $168,540 | $128,010 | Not published by BLS |
| Sporting Goods, Hobby, and Musical Instrument Retailers | 459100 | $90,050 | $138,740 | $138,740 | $117,640 | 50 |
| Other Miscellaneous Retailers | 459900 | $82,080 | $144,160 | $173,920 | $135,620 | 70 |
| Scheduled Air Transportation | 481100 | $95,490 | $124,800 | $157,750 | $126,530 | 230 |
| Nonscheduled Air Transportation | 481200 | $106,460 | $109,360 | $109,360 | $116,130 | 80 |
| Rail Transportation | 482100 | $102,190 | $117,580 | $160,330 | $127,230 | 50 |
| Support Activities for Air Transportation | 488100 | $95,180 | $105,130 | $136,170 | $115,090 | 130 |
| Freight Transportation Arrangement | 488500 | $82,490 | $84,010 | $141,540 | $103,770 | 180 |
| Couriers and Express Delivery Services | 492100 | $77,340 | $106,750 | $126,370 | $103,870 | 290 |
| Warehousing and Storage | 493100 | $81,990 | $107,760 | $141,590 | $117,870 | 130 |
| Motion Picture and Video Industries | 512100 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 140 |
| Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers | 513100 | $99,530 | $136,600 | $174,810 | $139,400 | 280 |
| Software Publishers | 513200 | $102,780 | $144,970 | $200,040 | $150,920 | 4830 |
| Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations | 516100 | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | Not published by BLS | 30 |
| Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers | 516200 | $140,280 | $169,260 | $202,220 | $171,190 | 660 |
| Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services | 518200 | $92,320 | $129,810 | $170,340 | $138,750 | 6890 |
| Web Search Portals, Libraries, Archives, and Other Information Services | 519200 | $141,570 | $175,410 | $212,350 | $180,530 | 1040 |
| Monetary Authorities-Central Bank | 521100 | $123,620 | $159,640 | $173,260 | $151,990 | 630 |
| Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (5221 and 5223 only) | 5220A1 | $100,600 | $130,840 | $162,890 | $133,070 | 14810 |
| Nondepository Credit Intermediation | 522200 | $107,060 | $136,530 | $168,690 | $142,720 | 2040 |
| Insurance Carriers | 524100 | $100,600 | $126,620 | $150,650 | $128,090 | 6390 |
| Agencies, Brokerages, and Other Insurance Related Activities | 524200 | $89,430 | $123,710 | $149,410 | $121,200 | 2460 |
| Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds | 525100 | $93,650 | $111,650 | $207,920 | $138,590 | 40 |
| Legal Services | 541100 | $103,570 | $137,170 | $172,550 | $142,480 | 690 |
| Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services | 541200 | $95,580 | $118,990 | $155,470 | $131,510 | 4340 |
| Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services | 541300 | $102,660 | $132,610 | $168,590 | $138,270 | 7420 |
| Computer Systems Design and Related Services | 541500 | $99,990 | $132,410 | $166,810 | $136,760 | 43440 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 541600 | $95,370 | $125,420 | $164,880 | $131,970 | 12480 |
| Scientific Research and Development Services | 541700 | $106,190 | $137,950 | $173,620 | $146,920 | 7610 |
| Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services | 541800 | $108,070 | $134,040 | $154,900 | $135,860 | 260 |
| Other Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 541900 | $91,980 | $119,990 | $148,670 | $125,350 | 2520 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 551100 | $99,760 | $128,950 | $159,130 | $130,550 | 19390 |
| Office Administrative Services | 561100 | $93,510 | $125,600 | $149,470 | $121,830 | 1580 |
| Facilities Support Services | 561200 | $102,940 | $123,720 | $146,840 | $125,240 | 260 |
| Employment Services | 561300 | $78,640 | $116,690 | $154,430 | $121,790 | 4870 |
| Business Support Services | 561400 | $78,530 | $104,650 | $140,080 | $112,340 | 600 |
| Travel Arrangement and Reservation Services | 561500 | $94,830 | $136,930 | $166,050 | $133,140 | Not published by BLS |
| Investigation and Security Services | 561600 | $80,070 | $99,690 | $155,470 | $114,740 | 690 |
| Other Support Services | 561900 | $85,440 | $101,260 | $119,400 | $101,200 | 150 |
| Offices of Physicians | 621100 | $79,690 | $104,390 | $130,630 | $107,520 | 590 |
| Offices of Other Health Practitioners | 621300 | $90,620 | $109,030 | $131,120 | $106,240 | 100 |
| Outpatient Care Centers | 621400 | $94,990 | $107,620 | $134,730 | $114,170 | 230 |
| Medical and Diagnostic Laboratories | 621500 | $92,360 | $113,600 | $166,290 | $128,560 | 150 |
| Home Health Care Services | 621600 | $99,870 | $109,520 | $128,780 | $115,120 | 90 |
| Other Ambulatory Health Care Services | 621900 | $106,560 | $128,220 | $159,750 | $133,660 | 320 |
| Individual and Family Services | 624100 | $71,950 | $86,330 | $114,060 | $90,870 | 90 |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | 624300 | $54,410 | $73,630 | $96,030 | $83,010 | 50 |
What should you check outside the wage figure?
For this technology hire, compare the cash work covered by the occupation before judging an offer. Keep nonproduction bonuses separate. Discuss equity and RSUs separately; no stock value is added to these wages.
OEWS includes commissions and production bonuses, but excludes nonproduction bonuses and employer benefits. It is neither pure base salary nor total compensation.
Remote pay bands are an employer decision. These figures have no remote-work or cost-of-living adjustment. The published metro and state rows describe the BLS area, not a remote candidate's personal pay expectations.
Compare all published metro medians for this occupation · Read the mapping and data method
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 15-1212 Information Security Analysts, the United States. Released 2026-05-15. The source index links to the release workbooks; it is not a link to an individual wage row. Methodology and mapping notes.
These are published government statistical wage estimates, not observed individual offers or a separate technology-title survey. A broader occupation or proxy is not separate pay data for your job title.