Hands typing on a mechanical keyboard in a dark room with green terminal code reflecting on a focused laptop screen.

Penetration Tester

Get paid to legally hack into systems and find vulnerabilities before criminals do.

This UK penetration tester career guide covers what the role involves day to day, typical salary at each stage, the usual entry route, the skills employers expect, and related careers worth comparing.

Quick facts

Starting salary
£30,000 - £45,000
Mid-career salary
£50,000 - £80,000
Senior salary
£85,000 - £130,000+
Work environment
Office, remote, or client-site engagements
Time to entry
1 - 3 years (often via certifications + home lab)
Degree required
Not required - OSCP and similar certs matter most
Category
Technology

What a Penetration Tester does

Get paid to legally hack into systems and find vulnerabilities before criminals do.

  • Web App Pen Tester - Find bugs in web applications and APIs.
  • Red Team Operator - Simulate full attacker campaigns against an organisation.

How to become a Penetration Tester

  1. Look up Penetration Tester roles on LinkedIn or Indeed and read 5 real job ads
  2. Talk to someone already working as a Penetration Tester - even a 15-minute call helps
  3. Find one beginner course or qualification used by people in this role
  4. Build one small piece of evidence you've explored this (project, shadowing, short course)
  5. Apply to one entry-level role or related opportunity within the next month

Key skills

  • Networking
  • Linux
  • Web app security
  • Scripting (Python, Bash)
  • Report writing

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