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Freelance Offensive Security Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Praetorian

Offensive Security Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

Who We Are Looking For We are looking for an Offensive Security Engineer who operates with clear ownership. You're not just filling a seat. You're setting the standard. You believe great execution ...

CoreWeave

Offensive Security Engineer

Bellevue, WA · On-site

As an Offensive Security Engineer, you will lead efforts to identify and mitigate security risks, perform penetration testing, and guide engineering teams on secure practices while developing ...

Astranis

Senior Offensive Security Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$134K - $185K/yr

Senior Offensive Security Engineer As a Senior Offensive Security Engineer, you will lead penetration testing and adversarial simulation efforts targeting our applications, cloud infrastructure, and ...

CoreWeave

Offensive Security Engineer

Livingston, NJ · On-site

As an Offensive Security Engineer, you will lead efforts to identify and mitigate security risks, perform penetration testing, conduct threat modeling, and develop security tooling to enhance the ...

CoreWeave

Offensive Security Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

As an Offensive Security Engineer, you will lead efforts to identify and mitigate security risks, perform penetration testing, and provide guidance on secure design practices. Responsibilities : • ...

CoreWeave

Offensive Security Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA · On-site

As an Offensive Security Engineer, you will lead efforts to identify and mitigate security risks, perform penetration testing, and develop security tooling to enhance the company's overall security ...

Hp

Senior Offensive Security Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$180K - $250K/yr

Senior Offensive Security Engineer Description - Who We Are HP IQ is HP's new AI innovation lab. Combining startup agility with HP's global scale, we're building intelligent technologies that ...

CoreWeave

Offensive Security Engineer

Manhattan, NY · On-site

As an Offensive Security Engineer, you will lead efforts to identify and mitigate security risks, perform penetration testing, and develop security tooling to enhance the overall security posture of ...

Staris AI

Offensive Security Engineer

Seattle, WA · Remote

$150K - $200K/yr

As an Offensive Security Engineer at Staris AI, you'll be at the vanguard of the application security profession. This role goes beyond conventional application security and penetration testing; you ...

HP IQ

Senior Offensive Security Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$180K - $250K/yr

About The Role As an Offensive Security Engineer within HP IQ's Product Security team, you will partner closely with engineering teams to identify, validate, and mitigate security risks across the ...

Replit

Offensive Security Engineer

Foster City, CA · On-site

$188K - $313K/yr

About the role We are looking for a senior-level Offensive Security Engineer to serve as a high-impact "adversary-in-residence" for Replit's cloud-native platform. At Replit, security isn't just ...

CoreWeave

Offensive Security Engineer

Livingston, NJ · On-site

$165K - $242K/yr

As an Offensive Security Engineer at CoreWeave, you will lead efforts to identify and mitigate security risks across internal and external systems. You'll perform penetration testing, conduct threat ...

eBay, Inc.

AI Offensive Security Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

$136K - $228K/yr

Role Overview eBay seeks an AI Offensive Security Engineer to proactively identify and exploit vulnerabilities in AI/ML systems before adversaries do. This is a hands-on technical role focused on ...

Ivanti

Senior Offensive Security Engineer

OR · On-site +1

$114K - $156K/yr

Are you an experienced Senior Offensive Security Engineer that wants to work with cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies and contribute to enhancing our overall security posture? At Ivanti, we work ...

CoreWeave

Offensive Security Engineer

Sunnyvale, CA

$165K - $242K/yr

As an Offensive Security Engineer at CoreWeave, you will lead efforts to identify and mitigate security risks across internal and external systems. You'll perform penetration testing, conduct threat ...

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Freelance Offensive Security Engineer information

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How much do freelance offensive security engineer jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 11, 2026, the average hourly pay for freelance offensive security engineer in the United States is $47.71, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $24.28 and $61.78 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Freelance Offensive Security Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Freelance Offensive Security Engineer, you need deep expertise in penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, and cybersecurity best practices, often backed by certifications like OSCP or CEH. Familiarity with tools such as Metasploit, Burp Suite, Nmap, and scripting languages like Python is typically required. Strong problem-solving skills, self-motivation, and effective client communication set standout professionals apart in this field. These competencies are crucial for identifying and mitigating security risks while maintaining client trust and delivering high-value security assessments.

What are some common challenges faced by Freelance Offensive Security Engineers when working with multiple clients?

Freelance Offensive Security Engineers often juggle multiple projects for different clients, which can make time management and prioritization challenging. Each client may have unique security requirements, varying network environments, and distinct expectations for deliverables. Additionally, staying updated on the latest vulnerabilities and attack techniques is crucial, as clients rely on your expertise for thorough assessments. Clear communication and diligent documentation are essential to ensure that findings and recommendations are understood and actionable for each client.

What are Freelance Offensive Security Engineers?

Freelance Offensive Security Engineers are independent cybersecurity professionals who specialize in identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities within computer systems, networks, and applications. They are hired by organizations on a contract basis to conduct penetration testing, red teaming, and security assessments to help improve the organization's defenses. Unlike in-house employees, freelancers work for multiple clients and often bring a diverse range of experience from different industries. Their primary goal is to simulate real-world attacks and provide detailed reports with recommendations to enhance security posture.

What is the difference between Freelance Offensive Security Engineer vs Penetration Tester?

AspectFreelance Offensive Security EngineerPenetration Tester
CertificationsOSCP, CEH, OSWEOSCP, CEH, GPEN
Work EnvironmentProject-based, remote or on-site, client-specificTypically consulting, testing environments, often on-site or remote
Employer/Industry UsageFreelance, cybersecurity firms, consultingSecurity firms, internal security teams, consulting

Freelance Offensive Security Engineers and Penetration Testers both focus on identifying security vulnerabilities. However, Freelance Offensive Security Engineers often work on broader offensive security projects, including red teaming and security architecture, while Penetration Testers primarily conduct targeted vulnerability assessments. The roles overlap but differ in scope and depth of engagement.

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Freelance Offensive Security Engineer jobs near you
Offensive Security Engineer

Offensive Security Engineer

Praetorian

Austin, TX • On-site

Full-time

Posted 23 days ago

Job description

We Are Praetorian
Praetorian is defined by raw intensity, fearless candor, and a relentless drive. This is who we are.
We are looking for high-performing, mission-aligned individuals. We prioritize performance over politics and purpose over transaction. This environment is built for those who seek ownership and impact.
Is Praetorian the right fit for you? If you are someone who obsesses over the problem, defaults to open communication, and wants to work with a team that refuses to accept mediocrity-then you have found your home.
The Mission
Praetorian is an expert-driven offensive security company. Our mission is to prevent breaches before they occur. We help organizations shift from an "assume breach" mentality to adopting offensive security as a core strategy of prevention.
We don't just find bugs; we solve the root cause. We are building a future without compromise, and we need people who run toward the fire.
Who We Are Looking For
We are looking for an Offensive Security Engineer who operates with clear ownership. You're not just filling a seat. You're setting the standard. You believe great execution brings strategy to life.
How You Operate
You bring mission-driven grit to every challenge, running toward hard problems rather than away from it. You prioritize customer outcomes over internal processes and choose truth and clarity over performative politeness. We look for builders with a bias for action-people who own the fix when things break, share credit with the team, and possess the intellectual humility to care more about getting to the right answer than being right.
What You Will Own
  • Own the Outcome: Execute challenging security projects for our PS and MSP customers, ensuring technical precision and successfully resolving complex client needs.
  • Take Accountability: Be accountable for the success of unique engagements by developing custom methodologies, payloads, exploits, and tools when off-the-shelf solutions aren't enough.
  • Raise the Bar: Continuously improve the bridge between services and product by identifying vulnerability trends in the field and translating them into tangible improvements.
  • Drive Impact: Proactively develop new Chariot capabilities based on the specific security vulnerabilities identified during PS security projects.
  • Scale Expertise: Aggressively learn as much as possible about the industry and offensive security landscape to ensure the team remains on the bleeding edge of tradecraft.

What You Bring
  • The Foundation: A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics, backed by 0-2 years of experience or relevant internships in cybersecurity, startups, or high-tech environments.
  • Technical Fluency: You have experience writing software or scripts using common offensive security languages, specifically Go (Golang), Python, PowerShell, or Bash.
  • Domain Expertise: You have early experience or a demonstrated passion for Product Security (App/Mobile/LLM), Cloud Security (AWS/Azure/GCP), Web/Network Penetration Testing, Red Teaming, or IoT/Embedded Security.
  • Offensive Security Mindset: You don't just work 9-to-5; you compete. You have notable achievements in CTFs (CCDC, CPTC) or on testing platforms like Hack The Box, TryHackMe, or PortSwigger.
  • The "Plus One" Edge: You go beyond the basics with verifiable contributions to vulnerability research (CVEs), exploit development, or open-source offsec projects. Familiarity with AI prompt engineering for tool/payload generation is a strong plus.
  • Certifications: You hold or are actively pursuing industry-recognized certifications such as OSCP, OSEP, PNPT, BSCP, OSWE, or relevant cloud certifications.

If This Position Is Wildly Successful, In One Year You Will Have:
  • Delivered high-impact findings across multiple engagement types - red team operations, application security assessments, cloud security reviews - that materially improved clients' security posture and drove repeat engagements
  • Developed custom methodologies, payloads, exploits, and tools that solved problems off-the-shelf solutions couldn't, advancing the team's offensive capabilities and contributing to Praetorian's reputation for technical excellence
  • Produced clear, actionable reports that resonated with both technical practitioners and executive stakeholders - driving remediation, building client trust, and reinforcing Praetorian's credibility in the field
  • Contributed meaningfully to Guard's capabilities by identifying recurring vulnerability trends in the field and translating them into tangible platform improvements that scale your impact beyond individual engagements
  • Integrated AI tooling into your offensive workflows - using it to automate reconnaissance, accelerate payload development, and move faster through complex environments without sacrificing depth or precision
  • Demonstrated versatility across the threat landscape - from traditional infrastructure and web applications to cloud-native environments and AI/ML systems - reflecting the evolving nature of modern attack surfaces
  • Contributed research, blog posts, or conference presentations that elevated Praetorian's thought leadership in the offensive security community
  • Mentored junior engineers and contributed to a culture of continuous learning, raising the technical floor across the team through your example and your investment in the people around you

Why Praetorian?
We offer a culture built on high performance and deep ownership.
  • Elite Talent: Work alongside the top 1% of the industry-composed exclusively of high performers who raise the bar.
  • Our DNA: We are defined by action, grit, and uncompromising transparency. We move fast, take on hard problems, and choose clarity over comfort-because that's how meaningful work gets done.
  • Impact: Your work directly protects the world's most critical organizations.

Want to go deeper? Explore our New Hire Survival Guide to dive into Praetorian's mission, vision, values, and culture.

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