AI Model Evaluator.

Where do you fall?

Salary trend

Estimated total: $152,000

If you are interviewing for AI Model Evaluator roles in San Antonio, here is what you are walking into. San Antonio has a major military presence with Joint Base San Antonio and a growing cybersecurity hub. The city is home to USAA headquarters and a cluster of healthcare systems. The extremely affordable cost of living and no state income tax make it attractive for professionals seeking purchasing power. Compensation scales with expertise in evaluation methodology design, benchmark creation, and statistical rigor. Evaluators who can design domain-specific assessments for frontier models and quantify safety metrics command premiums. Experience with red-teaming, adversarial testing, and regulatory compliance evaluation adds significant value.

Junior evaluators start at $80,000 to $95,000 running standard benchmarks. Mid-level evaluators designing custom evaluation suites reach $115,000 to $140,000. Senior evaluators leading safety assessment programs earn $145,000 to $180,000. Directors of AI evaluation at frontier labs can exceed $220,000 in total compensation. In San Antonio, cost of living sits near the national average, so the numbers you see are roughly what you keep.

Base salary is not the full picture. Equity at AI safety companies and frontier labs adds $20,000 to $70,000 annually. Bonuses of 10% to 15% are typical. Research publication budgets and conference travel are common perks that support career development. And on the tax side: texas has no state income tax. San Antonio has no city income tax. The zero tax environment and very affordable housing create exceptional purchasing power relative to most metros. When someone quotes you $106,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.

On negotiation: Leverage the cybersecurity corridor. San Antonio's NSA facility and military cyber operations drive demand for cleared security professionals at premium rates. The range for AI Model Evaluators in San Antonio runs from $79,000 to $137,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.

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