The ROI of AI in the SOC: Cost, Efficiency, and Analyst Retention

Security leaders often measure technology investments through the lens of return on investment. In the SOC, ROI can be difficult to quantify because outcomes are tied to both operational efficiency and risk reduction. AI SOC platforms, however, bring measurable improvements that extend beyond reducing alert queues. They cut costs, improve team efficiency, and help retain skilled analysts in a market where turnover is expensive.

We also cover how AI SOC solutions work alongside SIEM and can help manage ingestion and storage costs in a previous blog post here.

The cost of manual investigations

Every SOC leader understands how resource intensive investigations can be. An analyst may spend 30 to 60 minutes collecting context for a single alert, often across multiple systems. At scale, this adds up quickly. A team handling 1,000 alerts a week could easily spend 2,000 to 4,000 hours per month on investigations alone.

The financial impact is significant. With the average fully loaded cost of a security analyst often exceeding $150,000 annually, wasted hours translate into wasted budget. Even when organizations can afford the staff, hiring and retaining analysts remains one of the biggest challenges.

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Efficiency gains from AI-driven investigations

AI SOC platforms like Prophet Security deliver a direct productivity lift by automating investigations. Instead of waiting for an analyst to collect evidence and build a timeline, the AI agent does it as soon as the alert appears. It retrieves context from identity logs, cloud telemetry, endpoint data, and other integrated systems, then organizes the results into clear findings.

The time savings are immediate. Customers using Prophet Security have reported reductions in investigation time of up to 90 percent. That means an alert that previously consumed an hour of work can now be closed in minutes.

A simple ROI calculation highlights the impact:

• Baseline: A SOC processes 1,000 alerts a month, with each taking 30 minutes of analyst time.
• Manual effort: 500 analyst hours. At an average cost of $75 per hour, that equals $37,500 per month.
• With Prophet Security: 90 percent reduction in investigation time. Total effort drops to 50 hours, or $3,750 per month.
• Net savings: $33,750 per month, or more than $400,000 per year.

These gains show up directly in key SOC metrics that lower risk, like MTTI and MTTR. This calculation does not factor in the secondary benefits of improved accuracy or the value of reallocating analyst hours to proactive threat hunting and detection engineering.

Retaining analysts through meaningful work

Cost efficiency is only one part of the ROI equation. Analyst retention has become equally important. Burnout is a leading cause of turnover, and replacing an experienced analyst often costs 1.5 to 2 times their annual salary.

AI SOC platforms reduce burnout by removing the repetitive and manual steps that dominate a typical analyst’s day. Instead of copying logs into spreadsheets or pivoting endlessly between tools, analysts can focus on interpreting findings, improving detections, and addressing complex incidents. This shift toward higher-value work improves job satisfaction and helps reduce attrition.

Prophet Security customers often describe the impact as cultural as well as technical. Analysts feel like their expertise is being used effectively, which lowers the risk of losing talent to competitors.

A complete ROI picture

The ROI of an AI SOC platform can be measured across three dimensions:

• Direct cost savings through reduced investigation time and smaller staffing requirements.
• Operational efficiency gained from consistent, 24/7 investigations that reduce dwell time, MTTR, and improve accuracy.
• Analyst retention driven by a more engaging and sustainable workload.

When combined, these factors create a compelling case. A SOC that adopts Prophet Security is investing in the long-term resilience of its team and security. Request a demo of Prophet AI to see it in action.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

How does an AI SOC platform create measurable ROI in the SOC?

An AI SOC platform creates measurable ROI by automating investigations, which reduces the number of analyst hours needed to handle alerts. Prophet Security typically cuts investigation time by up to 90 percent, lowering staffing costs and freeing analysts to focus on higher-value work such as detection engineering and threat hunting.

What kinds of savings are typical with an AI SOC platform?

Organizations using Prophet Security often save hundreds of analyst hours per month. With investigation times reduced by up to 90 percent, many teams see cost savings that reach hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

Does adopting an AI SOC platform mean fewer analysts are needed?

Adopting an AI SOC platform does not always mean reducing headcount. Some organizations achieve the same coverage with smaller teams, while others repurpose the efficiency gains by assigning analysts to proactive tasks like hunting and detection engineering. In both cases, the SOC becomes more effective without additional hiring.

How does an AI SOC platform impact analyst retention?

An AI SOC platform improves retention by removing repetitive manual tasks and giving analysts more time for meaningful work. Prophet Security customers report higher job satisfaction and lower burnout because analysts spend less time copying logs and more time making impactful security decisions.