Top Metros for Information Security Analysts in 2026: DC Leads, All Top 10 Beat National Pay

Across all U.S. locations tracked by LaborCove, information security analysts have a national median salary of $129,180 and national employment of 190,650 in the 2026 data, with national projected employment growth of 28.5%. Within that national context, the 10 highest‑ranked metros offer a range of higher‑ and lower‑paying markets, larger and smaller employment counts, and differing Geography Scores. Washington‑Arlington‑Alexandria, DC‑VA‑MD‑WV holds the top LaborCove ranking with a Geography Score of 74.87, the largest employment count among these metros at 16,560, and a median salary of $148,950. By contrast, San Jose‑Sunnyvale‑Santa Clara, CA has the highest median salary in the top 10 at $176,120 but a smaller employment count of 2,280 and ranks third with a Geography Score of 62.83. These differences show that LaborCove rankings reflect a combination of factors rather than salary alone. Among the top 10 metros, New York‑Newark‑Jersey City, NY‑NJ ranks second with a Geography Score of 67.72, a median salary of $140,470, and employment of 11,330. Dallas‑Fort Worth‑Arlington, TX and Los Angeles‑Long Beach‑Anaheim, CA also appear in the top 10 with employment counts of 7,080 and 4,820 and median salaries of $133,610 and $129,630, respectively. Together, these markets illustrate how salary levels, employment counts, and Geography Scores can align differently across leading metros.

Nationally, information security analysts have a median annual salary of $129,180 in the 2026 data. Every metro in the LaborCove top‑10 list reports a median salary above this national figure, from $129,630 in Los Angeles‑Long Beach‑Anaheim, CA up to $176,120 in San Jose‑Sunnyvale‑Santa Clara, CA. On employment, the national total is 190,650 information security analyst roles. Within that national figure, individual metros account for differing employment counts. Washington‑Arlington‑Alexandria, DC‑VA‑MD‑WV has 16,560 information security analysts, New York‑Newark‑Jersey City, NY‑NJ has 11,330, and Seattle‑Tacoma‑Bellevue, WA has 4,700. These counts describe how many information security analyst jobs are measured in each metro, not the number of openings or employers. National projected employment growth for information security analysts is 28.5%. This is a national occupational projection and should be used as broader context for the field. It is not a forecast for any individual metro, and no metro‑level projected growth rates are supplied in this evidence.

Washington‑Arlington‑Alexandria, DC‑VA‑MD‑WV ranks first among metros for information security analysts with a LaborCove Geography Score of 74.87. Its employment count of 16,560 is the largest among the supplied top‑10 metros, and its median salary of $148,950 is above the national median of $129,180. Compared with New York‑Newark‑Jersey City, NY‑NJ, which ranks second with a Geography Score of 67.72, Washington‑Arlington‑Alexandria has both a higher Geography Score and a higher employment count. New York‑Newark‑Jersey City reports 11,330 information security analyst roles and a median salary of $140,470, which is above the national median but below Washington’s $148,950. Baltimore‑Columbia‑Towson, MD, ranked tenth with a Geography Score of 48.84, also sits in the broader Mid‑Atlantic region and records a median salary of $138,170 and employment of 4,600. These three metros show that LaborCove’s rankings place multiple Mid‑Atlantic markets in the top 10, each with different combinations of salary, employment, and Geography Score.

San Jose‑Sunnyvale‑Santa Clara, CA stands out for compensation, with the highest median salary among the top 10 metros at $176,120. It ranks third overall with a LaborCove Geography Score of 62.83 and has an employment count of 2,280. Its Geography Score is lower than Washington‑Arlington‑Alexandria’s 74.87 and New York‑Newark‑Jersey City’s 67.72, even though its salary is higher than in those two metros. San Francisco‑Oakland‑Fremont, CA ranks fourth with a Geography Score of 59.09, a median salary of $162,310, and employment of 3,730. Its median salary is lower than San Jose‑Sunnyvale‑Santa Clara’s $176,120 but higher than Washington‑Arlington‑Alexandria’s $148,950. Seattle‑Tacoma‑Bellevue, WA is fifth with a Geography Score of 58.41, a median salary of $161,780, and employment of 4,700. Its salary is slightly below San Francisco‑Oakland‑Fremont’s $162,310 but remains above Washington‑Arlington‑Alexandria’s $148,950 and the national median of $129,180. Together, these West Coast metros demonstrate that several markets combine high salaries with differing Geography Scores and employment counts.

New York‑Newark‑Jersey City, NY‑NJ is the second‑ranked metro overall with a Geography Score of 67.72, a median salary of $140,470, and employment of 11,330. Its employment count is lower than Washington‑Arlington‑Alexandria’s 16,560 but higher than Seattle‑Tacoma‑Bellevue’s 4,700. Dallas‑Fort Worth‑Arlington, TX ranks seventh with a Geography Score of 52.94. It has a median salary of $133,610 and an employment count of 7,080. Its salary is higher than the national median of $129,180 and higher than Los Angeles‑Long Beach‑Anaheim’s $129,630, while its employment count is larger than Los Angeles‑Long Beach‑Anaheim’s 4,820. Los Angeles‑Long Beach‑Anaheim, CA ranks ninth with a Geography Score of 49.33, a median salary of $129,630, and employment of 4,820. Its median salary is slightly above the national median of $129,180 and below Dallas‑Fort Worth‑Arlington’s $133,610. These three large multi‑metro regions illustrate that similar‑sounding hubs can have different LaborCove rankings, salary levels, and employment counts.

Boston‑Cambridge‑Newton, MA‑NH ranks eighth with a LaborCove Geography Score of 51.92. It has a median salary of $136,550 and employment of 5,220. Its salary is higher than the national median of $129,180 and higher than Los Angeles‑Long Beach‑Anaheim’s $129,630, while its employment count is higher than Baltimore‑Columbia‑Towson’s 4,600. Baltimore‑Columbia‑Towson, MD ranks tenth with a Geography Score of 48.84, a median salary of $138,170, and employment of 4,600. Its salary is higher than Boston‑Cambridge‑Newton’s $136,550, even though Baltimore ranks lower overall in the LaborCove results. Both metros have median salaries above the national figure of $129,180. Kahului‑Wailuku, HI ranks sixth with a Geography Score of 53.26 and a median salary of $131,640. Its salary is above the national median of $129,180. Employment is not supplied for Kahului‑Wailuku in the available data, so only its salary and Geography Score can be compared with the other top metros.

LaborCove builds its metro rankings for information security analysts using authoritative labor‑market data combined with the proprietary LaborCove Geography Score. For each metro, the underlying data used in this Insight includes median annual salary, employment counts, and the resulting Geography Score, plus a national benchmark for salary, employment, and projected employment growth for the occupation. The Geography Score summarizes how a metro compares within LaborCove’s framework; it is not a prediction of hiring probability or individual career outcomes. National projected employment growth of 28.5% for information security analysts provides context for the occupation overall but does not represent any specific metro’s projected growth rate. Readers should interpret these rankings alongside their own priorities, such as preferred regions, commuting patterns, or personal circumstances, which are not captured in the LaborCove data presented here.