Model Vulnerability Analyst.
Houston.
$155,000
median salary, 3% below the national average
$116,000 to $204,000. Updated for 2026.
The numbers.
Everything you need to negotiate with confidence.
The median Model Vulnerability Analyst salary in Houston is $155,000, 3% below the national average. Entry level starts near $116,000. Experienced professionals push past $204,000. Houston's economy is deeply rooted in energy, with a growing presence in healthcare, aerospace, and technology. That spread is your negotiation window.
Salary range
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How Houston compares
Houston, TX
$155,000
Cost of living: 3% below average
National Average
$160,000
Houston is $5,000 below
What you should know
Before you negotiate a Model Vulnerability Analyst offer in Houston, understand the terrain. Houston's economy is deeply rooted in energy, with a growing presence in healthcare, aerospace, and technology. The Texas Medical Center is the world's largest, driving massive demand for clinical and research roles. Houston's low cost of living and no state income tax make it an attractive destination for professionals seeking strong 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 Houston, 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: texas has no state income tax, giving Houston workers strong take home pay. The city's overall cost of living is below the national average, further stretching your salary. When someone quotes you $155,000, ask what the total package looks like. The gap between base and total comp is where real money hides.
On negotiation: Emphasize industry specialization in energy or healthcare. Houston employers pay significant premiums for domain expertise in these sectors over generalist candidates. The range for Model Vulnerability Analysts in Houston runs from $116,000 to $204,000. That is not a narrow window. Where you land inside it depends almost entirely on whether you negotiate and how well you prepare.
Top industries in Houston
Negotiating in Houston
Emphasize industry specialization in energy or healthcare. Houston employers pay significant premiums for domain expertise in these sectors over generalist candidates.