She is likely underpaid currently. Generally, a junior level security analyst will have a higher starting salary. A lead would likely make a lot more at most companies.
There are many security analysts who are involved with reviewing/auditing security practices and protocols. They usually work a normal schedule with very little overtime or on call hours. So there is a decent chance she'd be able to find a position with a similar quality of life at a higher salary.
Yes, there are some security roles in the "incident response" space which DO require more overtime / on-call hours. However, if that is not in alignment with her career goals, she doesn't have to seek out such positions.
Regarding whether her position could be made redundant by AI, I don't think that is going to happen for security analysts in the near term. In fact, I would argue that, in the short/medium term, AI will INCREASE the demand of security analysts for two reasons:
1. AI is introducing new threat vectors which require organizations to evolve their security policies and procedures
2. The AI systems that companies use will require governance and oversight from a security standpoint
In other words, AI is generating more work for security analysts!
Perhaps there will become a point where AI will be able to monitor and govern itself, but I think that's a long ways away. There is just not enough trust yet to allow AI to operate without any oversight whatsoever.
I think probably the bigger job threat is outsourcing/offshoring of security jobs to lower cost regions. That would be higher on my list of worries in her field.
There are many security analysts who are involved with reviewing/auditing security practices and protocols. They usually work a normal schedule with very little overtime or on call hours. So there is a decent chance she'd be able to find a position with a similar quality of life at a higher salary.
Yes, there are some security roles in the "incident response" space which DO require more overtime / on-call hours. However, if that is not in alignment with her career goals, she doesn't have to seek out such positions.
Regarding whether her position could be made redundant by AI, I don't think that is going to happen for security analysts in the near term. In fact, I would argue that, in the short/medium term, AI will INCREASE the demand of security analysts for two reasons:
1. AI is introducing new threat vectors which require organizations to evolve their security policies and procedures
2. The AI systems that companies use will require governance and oversight from a security standpoint
In other words, AI is generating more work for security analysts!
Perhaps there will become a point where AI will be able to monitor and govern itself, but I think that's a long ways away. There is just not enough trust yet to allow AI to operate without any oversight whatsoever.
I think probably the bigger job threat is outsourcing/offshoring of security jobs to lower cost regions. That would be higher on my list of worries in her field.
Statistics: Posted by humblecoder — Thu Feb 05, 2026 1:48 pm — Replies 11 — Views 488