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Offensive Analyst Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Roblox

Senior Offensive Security Engineer

San Mateo, CA

$130K - $178K/yr

As an Offensive Security Engineer within the Detection and Response team (DART), you'll engage in ... Organizational skills: strong analytical and problem-solving abilities; excellent technical writing ...

Roblox

Senior Offensive Security Engineer

San Mateo, CA · On-site

$130K - $178K/yr

As an Offensive Security Engineer within the Detection and Response team (DART), you'll engage in ... Organizational skills: strong analytical and problem-solving abilities; excellent technical writing ...

Sandisk

Adversarial Security Test Engineer

Milpitas, CA · On-site

Exploitability Analysis & Offensive Research * Assess exploitability of discovered vulnerabilities and determine realistic product risk. * Develop proof-of-concept exploits and attack simulations to ...

Sandisk

Adversarial Security Test Engineer

Milpitas, CA · On-site

$159K - $271K/yr

Exploitability Analysis & Offensive Research * Assess exploitability of discovered vulnerabilities and determine realistic product risk. * Develop proof-of-concept exploits and attack simulations to ...

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All JobsOffensive Analyst JobsOffensive Analyst Jobs in California

Offensive Analyst information

See California salary details

$36K

$96.4K

$225.5K

How much do offensive analyst jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 31, 2026, the average yearly pay for offensive analyst in California is $96,381.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $54,300.00 and $109,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is an offensive analyst?

An Offensive Analyst is a member of a football coaching staff who specializes in analyzing the team's offensive strategies and the opponents' defenses. They break down game film, identify patterns, and provide detailed reports to help coaches and players improve performance. Offensive Analysts often assist in game planning, scout upcoming opponents, and suggest tactical adjustments. While they typically do not coach players directly during games, their behind-the-scenes work is vital for a team's offensive success.

What are some common challenges faced by offensive analysts when conducting penetration tests within organizations?

Offensive Analysts often encounter challenges such as limited access to systems due to strict internal controls, time constraints imposed by project schedules, and the need to maintain clear communication with stakeholders to avoid operational disruptions. Additionally, they must stay updated on the latest attack techniques and tools to effectively identify vulnerabilities while ensuring all testing activities comply with legal and ethical guidelines. Collaborating closely with IT and security teams is essential to interpret test results and recommend actionable remediation steps.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an offensive analyst, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Offensive Analyst, you need a deep understanding of football strategy, offensive play design, and data analysis, often supported by experience in coaching or playing football at a high level. Familiarity with video analysis software, playbook design tools, and statistical platforms is typically required. Strong communication, attention to detail, and adaptability help in effectively conveying insights to coaching staff and adjusting to fast-paced game situations. These skills are crucial for developing effective offensive strategies that give teams a competitive edge on the field.

What is the difference between Offensive Analyst vs Defensive Analyst?

AspectOffensive AnalystDefensive Analyst
CredentialsTypically requires cybersecurity certifications like OSCP, CEH, or GIAC certificationsSimilar certifications such as CISSP, GIAC certifications, or CEH are common
Work EnvironmentEngages in proactive testing, penetration testing, and simulating attacks to identify vulnerabilitiesFocuses on monitoring, threat detection, and defending against cyber threats
Employer & Industry UsageUsed by cybersecurity firms, IT departments, and government agencies to identify security gapsCommonly employed in security operations centers (SOCs) and enterprise security teams

While both roles require cybersecurity knowledge and certifications, Offensive Analysts focus on simulating attacks to find vulnerabilities, whereas Defensive Analysts work to detect and prevent cyber threats. Both are essential for comprehensive cybersecurity strategies.

How much do offensive analysts make?

Offensive analysts typically earn between $60,000 and $100,000 annually, depending on experience, certifications, and the industry sector. Entry-level positions may start lower, while experienced analysts with specialized skills can earn higher salaries, especially in cybersecurity or intelligence environments.

What are the most commonly searched types of Offensive Analyst jobs in California?

The most popular types of Offensive Analyst jobs in California are:

What are popular job titles related to Offensive Analyst jobs in California?

For Offensive Analyst jobs in California, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Offensive Analyst jobs in California look for?

The top searched job categories for Offensive Analyst jobs in California are:

Offensive Analyst jobs near you
Infographic showing various Offensive Analyst job openings in California as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 91% Full Time, 4% Part Time, and 5% Contract. Highlights an 80% Physical, 9% Hybrid, and 11% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $96,381 per year, or $46.3 per hour.

Senior Principal Engineer, Offensive Security

Astera Labs

San Jose, CA

$190K - $240K/yr

Full-time

Posted 29 days ago

Job description

Senior Principal Engineer, Offensive Security (2026-345)

Location: San Jose, CA

Role Overview

Astera Labs is building the connectivity fabric powering rack-scale AI, and securing that fabric is mission-critical. As Senior Principal Engineer, Offensive Security, you'll be our most senior technical authority on adversarial testing - proactively finding, exploiting, and helping remediate weaknesses across our silicon, firmware, systems, cloud, and corporate environments before adversaries can.

This is a hands-on, deeply technical role for a proven offensive security leader who wants outsized impact at a hyper-growth semiconductor company enabling the world's largest AI clusters. You'll set the technical direction for red teaming, penetration testing, and offensive research, partner closely with product and IT security teams, and help harden the platforms that hyperscalers rely on.

Key Responsibilities

  • Offensive Security Strategy & Execution

    • Define and lead Astera Labs' offensive security strategy across hardware, firmware, software, cloud, and enterprise IT

    • Plan and execute red team, penetration testing, and adversary emulation engagements against production and pre-production assets

    • Establish scope, rules of engagement, and success metrics for offensive programs in partnership with security leadership

  • Technical Depth & Research

    • Conduct advanced vulnerability research and exploit development across hardware/firmware, embedded systems, and cloud/SaaS environments

    • Drive threat modeling, attack surface analysis, and adversary simulation aligned to real-world threat actors (e.g., MITRE ATT&CK)

    • Prototype tooling and automation to scale offensive testing and continuous validation of controls

  • Partnership & Remediation

    • Partner with product security, engineering, IT, and GRC teams to prioritize findings, drive remediation, and validate fixes

    • Communicate complex technical risk clearly to engineering leaders and executives, translating exploits into actionable business impact

    • Contribute to secure-by-design reviews, threat models, and architecture guidance for new products and platforms

  • Leadership & Culture

    • Mentor security engineers and elevate offensive security capability across the organization

    • Represent Astera Labs' security posture with customers, partners, and (as appropriate) the broader research community

    • Champion a builder mindset that pairs rigorous adversarial testing with pragmatic, engineering-friendly remediation

Basic Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related technical field

  • 12+ years of experience in offensive security, including red teaming, penetration testing, and/or vulnerability research

  • Demonstrated expertise in at least two of the following domains: hardware/firmware security, embedded systems, cloud (Azure preferred) and SaaS security, network and application penetration testing, or Active Directory / Microsoft enterprise environments

  • Proficiency with offensive tooling and exploit development in languages such as Python, C/C++, and assembly

  • Deep understanding of modern attacker tradecraft, TTPs, and frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK

  • Proven track record of driving remediation and measurable security improvements in partnership with engineering teams

Preferred Qualifications

  • Advanced degree (MS or PhD) in a security-related discipline

  • Industry certifications such as OSCP, OSEP, OSED, GXPN, GPEN, or equivalent demonstrated experience

  • Experience in the semiconductor, hardware, or hyperscale infrastructure industry, including exposure to PCIe, CXL, or high-speed connectivity technologies

  • Published research, CVEs, conference talks (Black Hat, DEF CON, etc.), or notable open-source contributions

  • Familiarity with secure development lifecycle, threat modeling methodologies, and product security programs

    Salary range is $190,000 to $240,000 depending on experience, level, and business need. This role may be eligible for discretionary bonus, incentives and benefits.

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