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Offensive Security Internship Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Praetorian

Offensive Security Engineer

Austin, TX · On-site

... experience or relevant internships in cybersecurity, startups, or high-tech environments ... Offensive Security Mindset: You don't just work 9-to-5; you compete. You have notable achievements ...

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Offensive Security Internship information

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How much do offensive security internship jobs pay per hour?

As of Jun 9, 2026, the average hourly pay for offensive security internship in the United States is $20.34, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $16.11 and $22.36 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Offensive Security Internship vs Penetration Tester?

AspectOffensive Security InternshipPenetration Tester
CredentialsOften pursuing or holding certifications like OSCP, CEHTypically certified with OSCP, CEH, or similar
Work EnvironmentInternship programs, entry-level projects, supervised tasksProfessional security assessments, client engagements
Industry UsageInternship programs in cybersecurity firms, tech companiesSecurity consulting firms, corporate security teams
Search & Comparison IntentUnderstanding entry-level roles, training opportunitiesJob responsibilities, career progression

In summary, an Offensive Security Internship is an entry-level position designed for individuals gaining hands-on experience in offensive security, often as part of a training program. A Penetration Tester is a professional role focused on conducting security assessments for organizations. While both roles require similar certifications and work in the cybersecurity industry, internships are more educational and supervised, whereas penetration testers are responsible for executing security tests independently.

What is an Offensive Security Internship?

An Offensive Security Internship is a temporary position designed for students or entry-level professionals to gain hands-on experience in ethical hacking and penetration testing. Interns work under the guidance of experienced security professionals to identify vulnerabilities in systems, applications, or networks using real-world attack techniques. The goal is to help organizations strengthen their defenses while providing interns with practical, industry-relevant skills. These internships often involve tasks such as vulnerability assessments, security audits, and participation in red team exercises. It's an excellent opportunity for those interested in cybersecurity careers to build foundational knowledge and professional connections.

What types of projects and responsibilities can I expect during an Offensive Security Internship?

As an Offensive Security Intern, you'll typically participate in real-world security assessments, such as penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, and red team exercises under the guidance of senior professionals. Your daily tasks may include researching and exploiting vulnerabilities in web applications, networks, or systems, writing technical reports, and presenting findings to the security team. Interns often collaborate with other security analysts and engineers to simulate attack scenarios and help improve organizational defenses. This hands-on experience is valuable for building practical skills and understanding the workflow of professional security teams.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as an Offensive Security Intern, and why are they important?

To thrive as an Offensive Security Intern, you need a foundational understanding of cybersecurity principles, networking, and programming, often supported by coursework or relevant certifications like CompTIA Security+ or OSCP. Familiarity with penetration testing tools such as Metasploit, Burp Suite, and Kali Linux is typically required. Initiative, analytical thinking, and effective communication help interns collaborate with teams and document findings clearly. These skills and qualities are vital for identifying vulnerabilities, learning quickly, and contributing to organizational security in a fast-evolving threat landscape.
Infographic showing various Offensive Security Internship job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 9% Internship, 13% Full Time, 45% Part Time, 30% Contract, and 3% Nights. Highlights an 94% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 4% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $42,304 per year, or $20.3 per hour.
Offensive Security Engineer

Offensive Security Engineer

Praetorian

Austin, TX • On-site

Full-time

Posted 21 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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