Side-by-side distribution
Penetration Tester
$160,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 40.5%
- Live roles
- 158
SOC Analyst
$101,450
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 27.2%
- Live roles
- 169
Highest-paying jobs
Member of Technical Staff (Offensive Security Engineer)
Security Engineer, Offensive Security
Security Engineer, Level 5, Offensive Security
Senior Offensive Security Engineer
Senior Offensive Security Engineer
Staff Security Engineer (Penetration Tester)
Senior Information Security Engineer, Offensive Security
Sr. Staff Security Engineer – AI, VMR, Offensive Security
Offensive Security Engineer
Staff Offensive Security Engineer
Highest-paying jobs
Cybersecurity SOC Analyst II
SOC Analyst
Cybersecurity Operations Analyst (CSOC Analyst)
Security Operations Analyst
Security Operations Analyst
Security Operations Analyst
Security Operations Analyst
Senior Security Operations Analyst III
Threat Intelligence Analyst, Associate - Security Operations
Senior Sailpoint Security Operations Analyst - Identity & Access Management
Samsara
GDIT
CACI
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Anduril Industries
|
$150,000 | 4 |
Booz Allen Hamilton
|
$101,450 | 4 |
| KS Knox Systems | $117,500 | 3 |
|
Leidos
|
$97,638 | 3 |
Palantir
|
$97,500 | 2 |
Esri
|
$92,352 | 2 |
Logicalis
|
$81,280 | 2 |
|
CHAOS Industries
|
$208,000 | 1 |
Penetration Tester salary by location
| Location | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | $257,500 | 4 |
| New York | $225,000 | 7 |
| Denver | $198,088 | 8 |
| Seattle | $194,044 | 6 |
Penetration Tester vs SOC Analyst: which pays more?
The median for Penetration Tester is $160,000 per year (typically $139,950–$202,522), versus $101,450 for SOC Analyst ($93,676–$131,950). That puts Penetration Tester about 58% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Penetration Tester and SOC Analyst 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.