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Penetration Testers in Illinois

Thinking about a career as a Penetration Testers in Illinois? Below are the key facts. All computer occupations not listed separately. Excludes “Computer and Information Systems Managers” (11-3021), “Computer Hardware Engineers” (17-2061), “Electrical and Electronics Engineers” (17-2070), “Computer Science Teachers, Postsecondary” (25-1021), “Special Effects Artists and Animators” (27-1014), “Graphic Designers” (27-1024), “Health Information Technologists and Medical Registrars” (29-9021), and “Computer, Automated Teller, and Office Machine Repairers” (49-2011).

What do Penetration Testers Make in Illinois?

For a penetration testers working in Illinois, the median annual wage is $100,310 per year (or roughly $48.23/hour).Earnings range from $48,190 at the 10th percentile to $164,440 at the 90th percentile.

Wage Statistic	Annual	Hourly
10th percentile	$48,190	$23.17
25th percentile	$65,380	$31.43
Median (50th)	$100,310	$48.23
75th percentile	$133,740	$64.30
90th percentile	$164,440	$79.06

Location quotient — how concentrated this career is in Illinois relative to the national average — is 0.66, indicating fewer penetration testers per worker than the national average.

National Wage Comparison

Nationally, penetration testers earn a median of $93,800 per year ($45.10/hour), exceeding the Illinois median.

Employment Outlook

Nationally, total employment in this occupation is 91,324 penetration testers in the U.S.. In Illinois alone, around 11,440 people work in this role. That’s more than the typical state, which employs around 3,420 penetration testers.

Top Illinois Metros for Penetration Testers

These are the Illinois metros with the most penetration testers in Illinois.

Metro Area	Number Employed	Annual Median Salary
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	8,390	$102,080
Peoria, IL	170	$81,280
Springfield, IL	170	$95,260
Champaign-Urbana, IL	140	$77,530
Bloomington, IL	100	$130,330
Rockford, IL	80	$66,040

Top States for Penetration Testers Employment

These states have the highest employment of penetration testers work.

State	Number Employed
California	85,270
Texas	59,680
Maryland	19,940
Georgia	18,590
Florida	18,320
Pennsylvania	17,710
District of Columbia	17,210
Virginia	14,020
North Carolina	13,660
Washington	13,620
Missouri	13,180
New Jersey	12,490
Illinois	11,440
Tennessee	11,190
New York	9,860
Colorado	8,690
Michigan	7,400
Massachusetts	6,100
South Carolina	5,840
Arizona	5,740

Highest-Paying States for Penetration Testers

These states pay the most for penetration testers.

State	Annual Median Salary
Virgin Islands	$179,830
Maryland	$141,540
District of Columbia	$137,610
Virginia	$132,810
Delaware	$132,670
Washington	$131,800
California	$128,750
Colorado	$119,560
West Virginia	$113,030
Hawaii	$112,050

Daily Tasks

Penetration Testers typically:

• Assess the physical security of servers, systems, or network devices to identify vulnerability to temperature, vandalism, or natural disasters.
• Collect stakeholder data to evaluate risk and to develop mitigation strategies.
• Conduct network and security system audits, using established criteria.
• Configure information systems to incorporate principles of least functionality and least access.
• Design security solutions to address known device vulnerabilities.
• Develop and execute tests that simulate the techniques of known cyber threat actors.
• Develop infiltration tests that exploit device vulnerabilities.
• Develop presentations on threat intelligence.
• Develop security penetration testing processes, such as wireless, data networks, and telecommunication security tests.
• Discuss security solutions with information technology teams or management.
• Document penetration test findings.
• Evaluate vulnerability assessments of local computing environments, networks, infrastructures, or enclave boundaries.

Tools & Technology

Software and systems commonly involved: Hot technologies: Amazon Web Services AWS software, Ansible software, Apple iOS, Apple macOS, Bash In-demand technologies: Amazon Web Services AWS software, Bash, C

What Major Will Prepare You For This Career?

Programs that train for this career include:

• Computer Science
• Computer Information Systems
• Information Science
• Information Technology
• Data Processing
• Computational Science
• Human Computer Interaction
• Mathematics & Computer Science
• Accounting & Computer Science
• Medical Illustration & Informatics
• Security Science and Technology
• Biomathematics & Bioinformatics
• Chemistry

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Related Careers

Related occupations to penetration testers include:

• Security Managers
• Computer and Information Systems Managers
• Security Management Specialists
• Computer Systems Analysts
• Information Security Analysts
• Computer Network Support Specialists

Also Known As

Application Security Assessor, Application Security Hacker, Application Security Tester, Certified Hacker, Certified Tester, Consulting Advisory Tester, Cyber Analyst, Cyber Assessment Tester, Cyber Assessor, Cyber Security Engineer, Cyber Security Tester, Cyber Tester, Cybersecurity Engineer (Cyber Engineer), Cybersecurity Specialist, Embedded Tester.

References

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics — https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• O*NET Online — https://www.onetonline.org/
• BLS Employment Projections — https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• O*NET-SOC code: 15-1299.04