ML/AI Engineer | Vast Data Global Negotiation Guide

Negotiation DNA: Pre-IPO Equity + Secondary Liquidity + Base | AI Data Platform | $1B Secondary at $25B Valuation | +15-25% AI Premium

Region	Base Salary	Equity (Options/RSU est.)	Bonus	Total Comp
New York	$175K–$225K	$40K–$75K	10–15%	$235K–$328K
Tel Aviv	₪575K–₪735K	$35K–$65K	10–15%	$218K–$305K
Remote US	$165K–$215K	$40K–$75K	10–15%	$225K–$315K

Negotiation DNA

ML/AI Engineers at Vast Data are at the intersection of the company's core product and the AI revolution it enables. You build the machine learning infrastructure, optimization algorithms, and AI-native features that make Vast Data's universal storage platform intelligent — automatically optimizing data placement, access patterns, and performance for AI training workloads. At a $25B valuation, Vast Data commands a +15-25% AI Premium for ML/AI engineers because your work directly differentiates the platform from generic storage solutions. The talent market for ML/AI engineers is the most competitive in tech, and Vast Data must pay accordingly.

Level Mapping:

• Vast Data ML/AI Engineer = Google L4–L5 ML Engineer / Meta ML Engineer (IC4–IC5) / Amazon Applied Scientist II–III / Microsoft ML Engineer 63–65 / OpenAI Research Engineer / Databricks ML Engineer

$1B Secondary at $25B — The Liquid Wealth Premium

Vast Data's February 2026 raise of $1B at a $25B valuation included a significant secondary component, allowing employees to sell shares for real cash before any IPO. For ML/AI Engineers, the secondary market is especially significant because your talent commands the highest premiums in the industry. You have competing offers from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and Meta FAIR — all offering substantial liquid or near-liquid compensation. The Vast Data secondary market must compete with that liquidity.

Use this script in negotiations: "My equity isn't paper money — the $1B secondary at $25B proves there's a liquid market for Vast Data shares. I should negotiate for share count, not just paper value, because these shares can be converted to cash through secondary sales. As an ML/AI Engineer, I have offers from [AI Lab/Big Tech] with fully liquid comp at $300K+. Vast Data's equity needs to not only match that baseline but also provide upside — and the secondary market gives me confidence it can. I expect the +15-25% AI Premium reflected in both my base and equity."

ML/AI Engineers should push aggressively on equity because the intersection of your skills and Vast Data's mission creates outsized value. Your work makes the platform smarter, which drives customer adoption, which drives revenue, which drives valuation. The causal chain from your code to the $25B valuation is short and direct.

Global Levers

1. AI Premium on Base and Equity: "The market for ML/AI engineers commands a 15–25% premium over general software engineering. I expect both my base and equity to reflect this premium. I'm targeting a base of $215K+ and a share grant of [X shares] at the $25B valuation."
2. Competing AI Lab Offer: "I have an offer from [OpenAI/Anthropic/Google DeepMind] at $310K total comp with liquid or near-liquid equity. Vast Data's AI data platform mission is uniquely compelling, but the share count needs to make the math work: [X shares] at $25B to reach $315K–$328K total comp."
3. GPU and Compute Access: "I need access to significant GPU compute for research and development — at least [X] A100/H100 GPU hours per month. This is essential for my work and should be guaranteed in the offer discussion."
4. Research Publication Rights: "I'd like the ability to publish research at top ML venues (NeurIPS, ICML, ICLR) based on non-proprietary aspects of my work. This is a significant non-monetary benefit and helps Vast Data recruit additional ML talent."

Negotiate Up Strategy: "As an ML/AI Engineer with the +15-25% AI Premium, I'm targeting $310K–$328K total comp at Vast Data. I'd like the base at $220K, a share grant of [X shares] at the $25B valuation, a 12% bonus target, and a $35K signing bonus to bridge the gap from my competing offer at [AI Lab] for $310K liquid comp. The secondary market at $25B gives me confidence to weight the equity seriously — I'm not discounting it like standard startup paper. My accept-at floor is $275K total comp with [Y shares] minimum. Below that, the liquid comp at [AI Lab] is too compelling to leave on the table."

Evidence & Sources

• Levels.fyi 2025–2026 ML/AI Engineer compensation at AI labs and infrastructure companies
• Vast Data $1B secondary round at $25B valuation (February 2026)
• Glassdoor, Blind, and AI salary surveys for ML/AI engineering roles
• AI premium benchmarks from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and Databricks