Penetration tester Salary

slinuxuzer

So, I've been in the field for 12+ years, I'm fairly high up the food chain in Enterprise Architecture, I lead a team of principals and we focus primarily on data center, infra. and cloud. I originally entered the field wanting to focus on Cyber, but the local job market didn't allow that back then, and remote jobs just weren't that prevalent, I'm curious about the pay grades in the security field.

Currently, I'm about to finish a credential that I have no doubt will place me in the 200K range. And that's great, but I feel like I've done infra. etc to death, I still love it, but just curious about a change.

So my question is this. Are there security jobs, in this pay range that are primarily technical focused? Pen-tester? Security Architect or maybe even architecture manager, Director seems a little too removed from technology and I'm not sure I'm ready to totally walk away from technology yet.

TheFORCE

Plenty of jobs with those titles in the 200k range.

beads

Not seeing it TheForce, much the opposite. Rates are down 10-40k per year across the board. I am getting more pitches to sell contacts to me than for work itself. Just saw one client clear 6 of 7 security people over the course of a couple of months this year. Frightening. I know alot of unemployed security people asking me for a job.

- b/eads

slinuxuzer

Seems like with all the high profile compromises people wouldn't be pruning cyber staff.

TheFORCE

Not sure where you are beads and slinuxuzer but my LinkedIn feed constantly has posts like this picture. This is directly from my feed, if anyone is interested i can send you the recruiter that is posting this.

636-555-3226

Yeah sure NYC, big CA cities, etc you're looking at 200k+. Most normal cities & large towns you're not going to get anywhere near 200k, however. What location are you interested in, that will help determine the range per the title

slinuxuzer

Damn, that top one looks NICE!

TheFORCE

There's a senior pen tester in the list for Texas at 200k, you interested?

slinuxuzer

I'm not qualified for that role, yet, I'm thinking over what I want to do after VCDX:NV certification, I have my design written and am hopefully defending in August, I'm looking at a few masters programs in cyber, WGU, SANs, CMU, etc.

gespenstern

TheFORCE wrote: »

Not sure where you are beads and slinuxuzer but my LinkedIn feed constantly has posts like this picture.

Saw that post, this guy posts such things all the time. Are they real or not who knows. I submitted AFAIR 1 time for something I'm certainly qualified for -- never heard back.

Also, just wanted to share my observations, this guy sticks out from everybody else and posts only VERY good positions, always with pay specified upfront and it's high. So, to beads point, the rest recruiters in my feed post regular BS contract or contract-2-hire JOAT positions for peanuts.

dmoore44

TheFORCE wrote: »

There's a senior pen tester in the list for Texas at 200k, you interested?

What?! Where?

TheFORCE

gespenstern wrote: »

Saw that post, this guy posts such things all the time. Are they real or not who knows. I submitted AFAIR 1 time for something I'm certainly qualified for -- never heard back.

Also, just wanted to share my observations, this guy sticks out from everybody else and posts only VERY good positions, always with pay specified upfront and it's high. So, to beads point, the rest recruiters in my feed post regular BS contract or contract-2-hire JOAT positions for peanuts.

Yeah that is true, all his posts are job title- salary and they are all over 150k, I too wonder which companies he is recruiting for.

TheFORCE

dmoore44 wrote: »

What?! Where?

I sent you the info.

packetphilter

beads wrote: »

Not seeing it TheForce, much the opposite. Rates are down 10-40k per year across the board. I am getting more pitches to sell contacts to me than for work itself. Just saw one client clear 6 of 7 security people over the course of a couple of months this year. Frightening. I know alot of unemployed security people asking me for a job.

- b/eads

This sounds like the more common experience. I get the feeling the demand, or shortage of skilled workers, is only for very top senior level people. Everyone else struggles to find employment.