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Junior Red Team Jobs (NOW HIRING)

The Principal Red Team Operator is a senior technical role who conducts advanced ... As a senior member of the team, you'll also help shape testing strategy, mentor junior operators ...

Our Red Team is a high-impact security group that simulates real-world cyber threats to help the ... As a senior member of the team, you'll also help shape testing strategy, mentor junior operators ...

The Principal Red Team Operator is a senior technical role who conducts advanced ... As a senior member of the team, you'll also help shape testing strategy, mentor junior operators ...

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Junior Red Team information

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$19K

$52.5K

$88K

How much do junior red team jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 13, 2026, the average yearly pay for junior red team in the United States is $52,462.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $36,000.00 and $57,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Junior Red Team position, and why are they important?

A Junior Red Team member should possess a solid understanding of networking, operating systems, and cybersecurity concepts, often supported by a degree in computer science or cybersecurity. Familiarity with penetration testing tools like Metasploit, Burp Suite, or Kali Linux, and certifications such as CEH or Security+ are commonly expected. Strong analytical thinking, attention to detail, and effective communication skills help individuals excel in this collaborative and investigative role. These qualifications ensure the Junior Red Team member can effectively identify and report security vulnerabilities while working effectively with others to enhance organizational defenses.

What is a Junior Red Team job?

A Junior Red Team job is an entry-level role in cybersecurity focused on simulating real-world attacks to test and improve an organization's security. Junior Red Teamers assist in conducting penetration tests, vulnerability assessments, and developing attack strategies under senior team members' guidance. They use tools like Metasploit, Burp Suite, and Kali Linux to exploit weaknesses in systems, networks, and applications. This role requires foundational knowledge of ethical hacking, scripting, and security principles. It's a great starting point for those looking to advance into senior Red Team or offensive security positions.

What are the typical responsibilities and challenges faced by a Junior Red Team member?

As a Junior Red Team member, your daily responsibilities often include assisting with simulated cyberattacks, documenting findings, and helping senior team members analyze security vulnerabilities in networks and applications. You will also support red team exercises by researching emerging threats and learning to use automated and manual testing tools under supervision. A common challenge is keeping up with rapidly evolving cybersecurity threats and mastering a broad range of tools and techniques. However, this role offers valuable hands-on experience and close mentorship, preparing you for more advanced security positions in the future.

More about Junior Red Team jobs
What cities are hiring for Junior Red Team jobs? Cities with the most Junior Red Team job openings:
What are the most commonly searched types of Red Team jobs? The most popular types of Red Team jobs are:
What states have the most Junior Red Team jobs? States with the most job openings for Junior Red Team jobs include:
Infographic showing various Junior Red Team job openings in the United States as of June 2026, with employment types broken down into 2% As Needed, 60% Full Time, 17% Part Time, 18% Temporary, 2% Contract, and 1% Summer. Highlights an 97% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 2% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $52,462 per year, or $25.2 per hour.
Penetration Tester /Red Team

Penetration Tester /Red Team

Cyber Defense Technologies

Chantilly, VA โ€ข On-site

Full-time

Posted 2 days ago


Job description

Overview: CDT is looking for an experienced Penetration Tester/Red Team Security Engineer to support a government customer in Chantilly, VA. As a senior member of the Red Team, you will be responsible to lead in the design and execution of adversarial based security testing of various targets. Successful candidates must be capable of evaluating environments, applications, systems or processes to discover weaknesses, and subsequently leverage those discoveries into actionable real world attack strategies. Will provide leadership and guidance to advance the operational capabilities of the team and its subsequent ability to evaluate risk to the enterprise. Candidates with OSCP certification are highly recommended to apply.
Clearance: An active Top Secret/SCI or TS/SCI with CI Poly is required. Candidates who do not meet these requirements will not be considered.
Responsibilities:
  • Demonstrate an ability to structure a Red Team and optimize it for execution, including programmatic improvements to fill in gaps with the existing team.
  • Perform and lead a full scope of Red Team testing; including network penetration, web application testing, threat analysis, wireless network assessments, social-engineering testing, and IDS/IPS/Antivirus evasion techniques.
  • Utilize knowledge of operating systems, networking protocols, firewalls, databases, firmware, middleware, applications, forensic analysis, scripting, and programming to perform adversarial based security engagements.
  • Develop comprehensive and accurate reports and presentations for both technical and executive audiences.
  • Mentor and lead junior technical operators and clearly translate highly technical information to senior management in a way that supports mission goals.
  • Help define the Red Team strategy to further enhance the organization's security posture.
  • Effectively communicate findings and strategy to client stakeholders including technical staff, executive leadership, and legal counsel.
  • Provide risk-appropriate and pragmatic recommendations to correct vulnerabilities found.
  • Configure and safely utilize attacker tools, tactics, and procedures to improve the security posture of mission systems.
  • Develop scripts, tools, or methodologies to enhance the Red Team processes.
Qualifications:
  • Bachelor's degree and 15 years of work experience or Master's Degree and 10 years of work experience.
  • Experience in network penetration testing and manipulation of network infrastructure.
  • Experience in shell scripting or automation of simple tasks using Perl, Python, or Ruby.
  • Experience developing, extending, or modifying exploits, shellcode or exploit tools.
  • Experience with Red, Blue, or Purple teaming exercises.
  • Working knowledge of exfiltration and lateral movement tradecraft.
  • Working knowledge of OSINT collection/ reconnaissance techniques for target selection.
  • Strong attention to detail with analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • Knowledge of tools used for web application and network security testing, such as Kali Linux, Metasploit, Burp suite, Cobalt Strike, Bloodhound, Powershell Empire, Nessus, Web Inspect, NMAP, Nikto, Sqlmap, etc.
  • 8570 Level 3 IA certification.
Desired:
  • A degree in a technical field (Computer Science, IT Engineering, etc).
  • Solid understanding of common hosting environments such as containerization platforms (e.g., Docker and Kubernetes) and virtual machines running under hypervisors.
  • Experience with source code review for control flow and security flaws.
  • An implementation level familiarity with all common classes of modern exploitation such as: XSS, XMLi, SQLi, Deserialization Attacks, etc.
  • Thorough understanding of network protocols, data on the wire, and covert channels.
  • Mastery of Unix/Linux/Mac/Windows operating systems, including bash and Powershell.
  • Experience in mobile and/or web application assessments.
  • Experience in email, phone, or physical social-engineering assessments.
  • Programming skills as well as the ability to read and assess applications written in multiple languages, such as JAVA, .NET, C#, or others.
  • Emulate ransomware and advanced persistent threats (APT) in support of Threat Hunt.
  • Industry certifications such as OSCP/OSCE, OSWE, GPEN, GCIH, GWAPT, or GXPN.
CDT is committed to hiring and retaining a diverse workforce. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer, making decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, or any other protected class