Side-by-side distribution
Kotlin
$196,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 8.8%
- Live roles
- 68
Penetration Tester
$180,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 32.9%
- Live roles
- 70
Highest-paying jobs
Software Engineer 3- Python/Kotlin/Java/Terraform/ElasticSearch/OpenSearch/AWS
Kotlin Multiplatform Engineer (Senior-Staff Levels)
Staff Android (Kotlin) Engineer — Digital Signage / Embedded Media Platform
Senior Software Engineer, Android (Kotlin)
Backend Customer Success Engineer (Kotlin Ecosystem)
Software Engineer II (Mobile Developer - Android/Kotlin) - Mobile App Growth
Highest-paying jobs
Offensive Security Engineer, Agent Products
Offensive Hardware Security Engineer, Platform Security
Member of Technical Staff (Offensive Security Engineer)
Principal Offensive Security Engineer
Senior Information Security Engineer, Offensive Security
Staff Offensive Security Engineer
Senior Information Security Engineer, Offensive Security
Penetration Tester
WebApp Offensive Security Software Engineer
Offensive Security Engineer
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Grocery TV
|
$212,500 | 1 |
|
Cantina
|
$205,000 | 1 |
|
Captivation Software
|
$200,000 | 1 |
| DO Doximity | $192,000 | 1 |
|
Klaviyo
|
$145,000 | 1 |
|
JetBrains
|
$138,000 | 1 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| GR GRVTY | $215,000 | 2 |
|
Robinhood
|
$191,444 | 2 |
|
Accenture Federal Services
|
$174,200 | 2 |
M9 Solutions
|
$120,000 | 2 |
TP-Link Systems Inc.
|
$106,000 | 2 |
|
OpenAI
|
$418,500 | 1 |
|
Anthropic
|
$362,500 | 1 |
|
Perplexity
|
$312,500 | 1 |
Penetration Tester salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle | $362,500 | 3 |
| San Francisco | $312,500 | 5 |
| New York | $236,000 | 7 |
Kotlin vs Penetration Tester: which pays more?
The median for Kotlin is $196,000 per year (typically $156,750–$203,750), versus $180,000 for Penetration Tester ($136,250–$218,250). That puts Kotlin about 9% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Kotlin and Penetration Tester are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.