Model Vulnerability Analyst.
Indianapolis.
$147,000
median salary, 8% below the national average
$110,000 to $193,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
The median Model Vulnerability Analyst salary in Indianapolis is $147,000, 8% below the national average. Entry level starts near $110,000. Experienced professionals push past $193,000. Indianapolis has a diversified economy led by healthcare, life sciences, and motorsports engineering. That spread is your negotiation window.
Salary range
Where do you fall?
Salary by experience
The gap between entry and lead level is typically $132,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$96,000
to $118,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$125,000
to $154,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$162,000
to $191,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$184,000
to $228,000
Salary trend
+4% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $33,000 to the total package.
Base
$147,000
Equity
$18,000
Bonus
$12,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $180,000
How Indianapolis compares
Indianapolis, IN
$147,000
Cost of living: 9% below average
National Average
$160,000
Indianapolis is $13,000 below
Model Vulnerability Analyst salary by city
Salary by role in Indianapolis
What you should know
If you are interviewing for Model Vulnerability Analyst roles in Indianapolis, here is what you are walking into. Indianapolis has a diversified economy led by healthcare, life sciences, and motorsports engineering. Eli Lilly's headquarters drives a major pharmaceutical and biotech cluster. The city's extremely affordable cost of living means that even moderate salaries deliver strong purchasing power, making it an underrated destination for professionals seeking financial stability. 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 Indianapolis, 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: indiana has a flat 3.05% state income tax, one of the lowest in the country. Marion County adds about 2.02% in local taxes. The combined rate remains well below most major metros. When someone quotes you $147,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Benchmark against pharmaceutical industry pay scales. Eli Lilly and the biotech cluster set high compensation floors that ripple across all professional roles in Indianapolis. The range for Model Vulnerability Analysts in Indianapolis runs from $110,000 to $193,000. 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 Legal Tech Specialist in Indianapolis earns $146,000 (1% less)
- The highest-paying role in Indianapolis is Chief AI Officer at $293,000
Common questions.
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