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Overview
Ethical hacker work is about testing systems, networks and applications for security weaknesses through authorised vulnerability assessments, penetration tests and analysis of attack paths.
In job descriptions, look for ICT security risks, penetration testing, code review, social engineering tests, system configuration checks, vulnerability reports, risk management and communication with stakeholders.
Explore this occupation
Open in Job ExplorerWhat the work can involve
Ethical hackers work inside authorised test scopes. They examine networks, applications, code and configurations, run penetration tests or social-engineering exercises, then turn findings into reports that security teams can fix and retest. The scope should show authorisation, evidence handling, severity rating and how remediation is verified.
Skills and specializations
The role draws on ICT infrastructure, network security risks, attack vectors, code review, computer forensics and risk management. Specializations can lean toward web applications, cloud platforms, red-team exercises, audit support or exploit development, but the work still depends on permission, evidence and clear reporting.
Salary context
Pay comparison should focus on test complexity, depth of technical exploitation, responsibility for client communication, audit exposure and whether the post owns remediation advice. A role covering critical infrastructure or advanced red-team planning normally has a different scope from routine scanning.
Career paths
Progress can lead to senior penetration testing, red-team lead, security architecture, incident response, forensic analysis or ICT audit. Strong development comes from repeatable methods, careful notes, responsible disclosure and the ability to explain risk to non-specialists.
Good to know
Check the rules of engagement in adverts: authorised scope, reporting format, tooling, access to production systems, handling of sensitive data and expectations after vulnerabilities are found. Titles such as pentester and vulnerability analyst may overlap.
Editorial note
This guide is editorial career context. It is not official labour-market statistics or role-specific salary data.
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O*NET relationships
See occupations connected to this ESCO occupation in the official O*NET–ESCO mapping. The relationship type comes from the source and is not a ranking or recommendation.
O*NET relationships: 1
Penetration Testers
15-1299.04
Exact relationship
The official mapping treats the O*NET and ESCO occupations as closely equivalent.
Open in O*NETSource and method
These relationships come from the official European Commission O*NET–ESCO crosswalk.
Relationship direction: O*NET occupation to ESCO occupation.
Several O*NET occupations can point to the same ESCO occupation, and one O*NET occupation can point to several ESCO occupations.
AltoTrail preserves the source relationship type. The order is technical and does not show which occupation is best, most relevant or recommended.
AltoTrail validates and presents the source relationships without adding ranking or recommendation semantics.
Alternative labels
Occupation group
Database and network professionals not elsewhere classified (2529)
Source facts
| ESCO URI | http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/76ef0a87-6afe-4560-b5d0-9a086abe45c5 |
|---|---|
| ESCO code | 2529.4 |
| ISCO group | 2529 |
| Concept type | Occupation |