Model Vulnerability Analyst.
Wichita.
$134,000
median salary, 16% below the national average
$100,000 to $176,000. Last updated April 2026.
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Data points to own the conversation.
A Model Vulnerability Analyst in Wichita earns a median of $134,000 in 2026. That is 16% below the national average. The range runs from $100,000 to $176,000, 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 $121,000. Where you land depends on years of experience and what you bring to the table.
Entry (0-2 yrs)
$87,000
to $107,000
Mid (3-5 yrs)
$114,000
to $141,000
Senior (6-9 yrs)
$147,000
to $174,000
Lead (10+ yrs)
$168,000
to $208,000
Salary trend
+4% YoYTotal compensation
Base salary is not the full picture. Equity, bonus, and signing can add $30,000 to the total package.
Base
$134,000
Equity
$16,000
Bonus
$11,000
Signing
$3,000
Estimated total: $164,000
How Wichita compares
Wichita, KS
$134,000
Cost of living: 18% below average
National Average
$160,000
Wichita is $26,000 below
Model Vulnerability Analyst salary by city
Salary by role in Wichita
What you should know
The Model Vulnerability Analyst landscape in Wichita is not what most salary sites will tell you. Wichita is the air capital of the world, home to major aerospace manufacturers including Spirit AeroSystems, Textron Aviation, and Airbus. The city's engineering talent pool is deep, and the extremely low cost of living means aerospace salaries deliver exceptional purchasing power. 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 Wichita, your dollars stretch further. Cost of living runs 18% below the national average, which means even a median salary buys a stronger lifestyle.
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: kansas has a top income tax rate of 5.7%. Wichita has no city income tax. The moderate state rate combined with very low housing costs creates strong net pay. When someone quotes you $134,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Highlight aerospace engineering expertise. Wichita manufacturers pay competitive national rates for specialized aviation and defense engineering talent. The range for Model Vulnerability Analysts in Wichita runs from $100,000 to $176,000. 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
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Common questions.
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