Model Vulnerability Analyst.
North Charleston.
$156,000
median salary, 2% below the national average
$117,000 to $205,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Model Vulnerability Analyst in North Charleston earns a median of $156,000 in 2026. That is 2% below the national average. The range runs from $117,000 to $205,000, and where you land depends on your experience, your skills, and how well you negotiate. Compensation scales with the breadth of vulnerability classes analyzed and depth of model architecture knowledge.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $141,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$101,000
to $125,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$133,000
to $164,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$172,000
to $203,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$195,000
to $242,000
Salary trend
+4% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $34,000 to the total package.
Base
$156,000
Equity
$19,000
Bonus
$12,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $190,000
How North Charleston compares
North Charleston, SC
$156,000
Cost of living: 6% below average
National Average
$160,000
North Charleston is $4,000 below
Model Vulnerability Analyst salary by city
Salary by role in North Charleston
What you should know
The Model Vulnerability Analyst landscape in North Charleston is not what most salary sites will tell you. North Charleston is the industrial and manufacturing heart of the Lowcountry, home to Boeing's 787 Dreamliner assembly facility and the Charleston Naval Complex. The area has attracted significant defense, aerospace, and advanced manufacturing investment. Growth in logistics driven by the expanding port continues to drive employment. Compensation scales with the breadth of vulnerability classes analyzed and depth of model architecture knowledge. Analysts who can identify weaknesses in transformer, diffusion, and reinforcement learning models earn premiums. Experience with automated vulnerability scanning for ML models and ability to communicate risk to non-technical stakeholders drives top salary offers.
Junior vulnerability analysts begin at $100,000 to $120,000 running standard model evaluations. Mid-level analysts conducting deep architecture analysis earn $140,000 to $160,000. Senior analysts leading vulnerability research programs reach $185,000 to $210,000, with principal researchers exceeding $240,000. In North Charleston, 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. Bonuses of 12 to 20% are standard, with some organizations offering discovery bonuses for novel vulnerability classes. Equity at AI security companies adds meaningful value, typically 15 to 25% of base salary in vesting grants. And on the tax side: south Carolina's top income tax rate is 6.4%. North Charleston has no city income tax. The moderate state rate is offset by affordable housing and strong employer demand. When someone quotes you $156,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight aerospace manufacturing experience. Boeing and defense contractors in North Charleston pay nationally competitive rates for specialized engineering skills. The range for Model Vulnerability Analysts in North Charleston runs from $117,000 to $205,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Sources: SEC filings, H-1B LCA (DOL), BLS OES, 50+ job posting platforms. COL: BEA Regional Price Parities (2025). Data verified by Justin Bartak, Founder & Chief AI Officer. Last verified April 8, 2026. Full methodology
Considering a related role?
- A AI Ethics Officer in North Charleston earns $155,000 (1% less)
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Common questions.
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