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SPECIALIST QA · 7-DAY SHORTLIST

Hire a Security / Penetration Tester

PassRidge sends a first shortlist for a Security / Penetration Tester in about 7 working days from a complete brief. Each candidate has completed a role-specific assignment that we review. A mid-level hire in the US has a market median of $180k a year; the placement fee is 15-22% of first-year pay, due after the start date.

Request a Security / Penetration Tester Cost calculator

Reply within one working day. Candidates stay anonymous until they agree to an introduction.

Hiring models

Four ways to hire a Security / Penetration Tester.

The same vetted candidates under four contracts. Figures are for a mid-level hire, from the market median for this role.

Pricing by region

Permanent hire

A one-time placement fee after the start date. The engineer joins your payroll.

US, mid-level: $180k median pay, fee $32,400 (18%)

Pricing

Contract

An engineer on a fixed term, billed monthly at pay rate plus 22%.

US, mid-level: $147 an hour to you, $120 an hour to the engineer

Pricing

Outsourced team

Augmentation, a dedicated team, project work or managed QA from one hourly rate.

Mid-level from $38 an hour, $162 in the US

Models

Flex capacity

Vetted testers for 3-4 hours a day on a scoped task, for one to three weeks.

Task rate plus a 30% fee, billed on approved hours

Pricing
Cost calculator

What would your Security / Penetration Tester team cost?

Compare a permanent hire, a contractor and each outsourcing model for this role. Change the inputs and the figures update. It is the same calculator as on the pricing page.

Pricing page

Your team

Used for permanent and contract hire.
Used for the five outsourcing models.

The calculator needs JavaScript. The tables below list the same figures for Security / Penetration Tester by region and level.

Estimates for planning, not a quote. Permanent hire includes employer on-costs (15-32% by region), the placement fee and $3,600 a year for equipment and software. Outsourcing models bill 150 hours a month on average (1,800 a year after leave and public holidays). Management time, severance and exchange-rate movements are not included.

Rates by region

Security / Penetration Tester pay and rates, published.

Pay is the market median for the role and level. Every rate below sits on top of it; none is lower.

Security / Penetration Tester salary guide

Permanent

US dollars a year: market median pay by region and level, and the placement fee under it. Ranges span the countries in each region.

Security / Penetration Tester permanent rates by region and level
RegionJuniorMidSeniorLead
United StatesNew York, Austin, San Francisco$140kfee $21k$180kfee $33k$230kfee $46k$280kfee $62k
United KingdomLondon, Manchester, Edinburgh$83kfee $13k$107kfee $20k$140kfee $28k$165kfee $37k
Western EuropeBerlin, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Barcelona$47–85kfee $8–13k$61–109kfee $11–20k$78–142kfee $16–29k$94–174kfee $21–39k
Central & Eastern EuropeWarsaw, Krakow, Prague, Bucharest$42–57kfee $7–9k$54–74kfee $10–14k$67–93kfee $14–19k$84–114kfee $19–25k
Latin AmericaSao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Bogota$57–67kfee $9–10k$73–85kfee $14–16k$93–108kfee $19–22k$110–131kfee $25–29k
AsiaBengaluru, Pune, Manila, Kuala Lumpur$23–32kfee $4–5k$30–40kfee $6–8k$37–54kfee $8–11k$44–65kfee $10–15k

Swipe the table sideways to see every level.

Contract

US dollars an hour. The large figure is what you pay PassRidge. The small figure is the engineer's pay rate.

Security / Penetration Tester contract rates by region and level
RegionJuniorMidSeniorLead
United StatesNew York, Austin, San Francisco$114pay $94$147pay $120$188pay $154$228pay $187
United KingdomLondon, Manchester, Edinburgh$67pay $55$87pay $71$114pay $93$134pay $110
Western EuropeBerlin, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Barcelona$39–69pay $32–57$50–89pay $41–73$63–115pay $52–95$77–142pay $63–116
Central & Eastern EuropeWarsaw, Krakow, Prague, Bucharest$34–46pay $28–38$44–61pay $36–50$55–76pay $45–62$68–92pay $56–76
Latin AmericaSao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Bogota$47–55pay $38–45$59–69pay $49–57$76–88pay $62–72$90–107pay $74–88
AsiaBengaluru, Pune, Manila, Kuala Lumpur$19–26pay $15–21$24–33pay $20–27$30–44pay $25–36$36–53pay $30–43

Swipe the table sideways to see every level.

Outsourced

US dollars an hour for staff augmentation. Dedicated teams and managed QA are on the pricing page.

Security / Penetration Tester outsourced rates by region and level
RegionJuniorMidSeniorLead
United StatesNew York, Austin, San Francisco$126$162$206$251
United KingdomLondon, Manchester, Edinburgh$72$93$121$143
Western EuropeBerlin, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Barcelona$45–81$59–104$74–135$90–166
Central & Eastern EuropeWarsaw, Krakow, Prague, Bucharest$37–51$48–66$60–83$74–101
Latin AmericaSao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Bogota$56–65$71–82$90–105$107–127
AsiaBengaluru, Pune, Manila, Kuala Lumpur$33$38$50$59

Swipe the table sideways to see every level.

Contract and outsourced rates include on-costs and margin; the method is on the pricing page. Prices in US dollars.

Selection stages

How we select a Security / Penetration Tester.

Six stages, with the assignment written for this role. We describe the stages instead of quoting pass rates: they change with the market and the brief.

  1. Brief

    A 15-minute call or the request form: role, level, stack, time zone, budget range. We tell you the same day whether the range fits the market.

  2. Source

    We search our network of QA professionals by stack and evidence, not keyword. Recruiters who have tested software read the profiles.

  3. Technical assignment

    Each candidate completes a short, role-specific assignment. We review the output ourselves, and you get the results with the profile.

    For this role: A time-boxed test of a deliberately vulnerable app, then a written finding with severity, impact and remediation, as a client would receive it.

  4. Recruiter interview

    Motivation, availability, pay expectations and right to work are confirmed, and the candidate agrees to the introduction.

  5. Shortlist

    Up to three profiles, anonymised until the candidate consents, each with assignment results, expected pay and notice period.

  6. Offer and start

    We coordinate interviews, references and the offer. For contract roles we handle onboarding and contracts. The fee is due after the start date.

Tip for your brief: State the scope, the compliance driver (PCI, SOC 2, a customer demand) and whether you need a report an auditor will read.

Profile

What a shortlisted profile looks like.

An anonymised profile typical for this role. Real profiles carry the same four parts, and the name and employer stay hidden until the candidate agrees to an introduction.

  • Assignment results. The reviewed output of the role-specific exercise, not a self-rated skill list.
  • Evidence from past work. Three concrete facts about products, volumes and outcomes, confirmed in the recruiter interview.
  • Pay expectation and notice. What the candidate expects to earn and when they can start, so budget fit is known before you meet.
  • Consent to introduction. Identity and employer stay anonymised until the candidate agrees to be introduced.
AnonymisedCandidate A

Senior Security Tester

Experience
8 years in QA
Based in
Berlin, Germany
Notice period
3 months
Stack
Burp SuiteOWASP ZAPPostmanDocker

Evidence

  • Led web and API penetration tests for payment platforms under PCI scope
  • Wrote findings that developers fixed without a follow-up call
  • Holds a recognised offensive-security qualification and has presented at a regional security meetup

Assignment: A time-boxed test of a deliberately vulnerable app, then a written finding with severity, impact and remediation, as a client would receive it.

Job description

A Security / Penetration Tester job description you can copy.

Choose a level and a country. The pay line starts at the market median for that level, so candidates see an honest range. Edit the team line to fit your product.

Security / Penetration Tester (mid level)
Location: Remote, based in United States
Pay: $180k–$220k a year
Experience: 3-5 years in software testing

About the role
We are hiring a Security / Penetration Tester (mid level) to join our product engineering team. Attacks applications before someone else does, then helps fix what breaks.

What you will do
- Run web, API and mobile penetration tests against agreed scope
- Triage scanner output and remove false positives
- Write findings with proof of exploit and a fix recommendation
- Add security checks to CI
- Retest fixes and track remediation

What we are looking for
- 3-5 years in software testing
- OWASP Top 10
- Burp Suite
- Scripting
- Threat modelling
- Reporting
- Hands-on with Burp Suite, OWASP ZAP, Postman, Docker, or tools like them
- Clear written English: bug reports and test notes others can act on

How we hire
1. A conversation with a recruiter about the role, your pay expectations and your start date
2. Role-specific exercise. A time-boxed test of a deliberately vulnerable app, then a written finding with severity, impact and remediation, as a client would receive it.
3. An interview with the engineers you will work with
4. An offer, with the pay range stated above

FAQ

Hiring a Security / Penetration Tester: your questions.

Do I need a penetration tester or an application security engineer?

A tester finds weaknesses in a running system at a point in time. An application security engineer builds security into the pipeline. If you need one test before an audit, hire a tester. If you want to prevent findings, hire the engineer.

Can a contractor test our production system?

Only with written authorisation and rules of engagement. We require that for every security engagement.

How fast can you send a first shortlist for a Security / Penetration Tester?

The median for this role is 7 working days from a complete brief. The assignment review is the longest step, and a brief with a clear stack and pay range shortens it. If your requirements are unusual we say so on the first call.

How much does it cost to hire a Security / Penetration Tester?

Permanent placement is 15-22% of first-year base salary by level, paid after the hire starts. For a mid-level hire in the US that is $32,400 on a market median of $180k. Contract engineers are billed at the pay rate plus 22%. Use the calculator above for your country and team size.

What if the hire does not work out?

If a permanent hire leaves, or is dismissed for performance, within 90 days of starting, we run a replacement search at no extra fee. This is a clause in the client agreement, not a marketing promise.

Do you only send CVs?

No. Every shortlisted candidate has completed a role-specific technical assignment that we review, and a recruiter who has worked in testing has spoken to them. You get the assignment results with the profile.

Can I hire outside my country?

Yes. We recruit in 53 countries. For permanent hires abroad we can act as employer of record where you have no local entity. Contract engineers invoice through our local entity.

Request

Request a Security / Penetration Tester.

Send level, country and a budget range. A recruiter confirms within one working day whether the range fits the market, and the first shortlist follows in about 7 working days.

JuniorMidSeniorLead

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