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Remote Pen Tester Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Remote Pen Tester information

See Virginia salary details

$10

$47

$68

How much do remote pen tester jobs pay per hour?

As of Jul 29, 2026, the average hourly pay for remote pen tester in Virginia is $47.14, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $37.16 and $55.53 per hour, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Remote Pen Tester job?

A Remote Pen Tester is a cybersecurity professional who assesses the security of systems, networks, and applications by simulating cyberattacks from an external location. They identify vulnerabilities, exploit weaknesses, and provide recommendations to strengthen security. This role requires expertise in ethical hacking, penetration testing tools, and security frameworks. Remote Pen Testers often work for cybersecurity firms, as freelancers, or in-house for organizations needing security assessments.

What does a typical day look like for a Remote Pen Tester?

A typical day for a Remote Pen Tester involves conducting security assessments of networks, websites, or applications, identifying vulnerabilities, and documenting findings in detailed reports. You’ll often collaborate with IT teams or clients via video calls and chat platforms to discuss scope, methodologies, and results. In addition to hands-on testing, you may spend time updating your knowledge on the latest security threats and tools. The role offers autonomy and flexibility but also requires strong self-management skills to meet project deadlines and maintain clear communication with distributed teams. Over time, successful pen testers can progress to lead roles or broaden their expertise in specialized areas such as red teaming or security consulting.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Remote Pen Tester position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Remote Pen Tester, you need expertise in network and application security, vulnerability assessment, and penetration testing, often supported by a degree in information security or computer science. Familiarity with tools like Metasploit, Burp Suite, Nmap, and relevant certifications such as OSCP or CEH is highly valued. Excellent written communication, analytical thinking, and self-motivation are crucial soft skills, especially when working independently and with distributed teams. These skills and qualities are vital for effectively identifying security weaknesses, creating actionable reports, and collaborating remotely with clients or technical teams.

What job categories do people searching Remote Pen Tester jobs in Virginia look for? The top searched job categories for Remote Pen Tester jobs in Virginia are:
What cities in Virginia are hiring for Remote Pen Tester jobs? Cities in Virginia with the most Remote Pen Tester job openings:
Infographic showing various Remote Pen Tester job openings in Virginia as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 42% Full Time, 31% Part Time, and 27% Contract. Highlights an 100% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $98,041 per year, or $47.1 per hour.
Penetration Tester (Part Time & Remote)

Penetration Tester (Part Time & Remote)

TestPros

Sterling, VA • On-site, Remote

$50 - $85/hr

Part-time

Posted 9 days ago


Job description

TestPros delivers innovative independent IT assessment solutions to critical challenges facing the nation and the world. We support the U.S. Federal Government and Commercial clients within the continental USA. TestPros is dedicated to making lives better, safer and more secure.
TestPros is looking for an experienced Penetration Testers to support our IT Security consulting work for various Commercial and Federal consulting services projects.
Start: Future projects late 2026 or 2027 (not an immediate job opening)
Type: Part-time consulting
Overview
This role is responsible for the successful delivery of penetration testing in both classic hosted and also in cloud hosted environments. In this role, the selected candidate will work with our client's product development teams to plan for, execute, and report on the results of penetration testing. You must be delivery and efficiency focused, with the ability to manage all aspects of a consulting project to include requirements analysis, bid and proposal development, resource planning, process improvement, and customer relationship management. The ideal candidate will thrive in a fast-paced environment where personal responsibility and open, direct, respectful communications are highly valued.
Responsibilities:
  • Conduct complete penetration tests, report on results, and provide improvement recommendations
  • Ensure customer satisfaction through the delivery of high-quality consulting services across a portfolio of commercial and federal government projects
  • Ability to elicit and understand customer requirements and covert those requirements into a technical services solution
  • Ability to accurately estimate time and cost for each project
  • Foster an environment of continuous learning, innovation and excellence
  • Work closely with development teams, product managers, and customer success teams to ensure successful delivery of consulting services or product implementation projects and remove roadblocks
  • Develop, review and approve formal statements of work, change requests, and proposals
  • Formulate timely reports and documentation to track progress
  • Effectively collaborate with peers and company leadership to accomplish team, corporate and client objectives
  • Answer developer, designer, and content contributor questions about IT Security requirements.
Experience Requirements:
  • Minimum of 5 years of experience in penetration testing
  • Desired certifications - Security+, CEH, GPEN, OSCP, AWS, or equivalent
  • Understanding of OWASP Top 10 and "industry best practices" for penetration testing
  • Understanding of all aspects of Penetration Testing with an emphasis on white box testing, black box testing, internal networks, external networks, web applications, and application/code review
  • Understanding of Pen Test methods such as Open Source Security Testing Methodology Manual (OSSTMM), Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP), Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES), FedRAMP Penetration Test Guide, NIST, etc.
  • Proficient with the command line interface of multiple operating systems - Windows, macOS, Linux, etc.
  • Solid understanding of manual scripting and scripting languages- ex. Python, Bash, PowerShell, C/C++, etc.
  • Proficient with using commercial and open source penetration testing tools - ex. Metasploit, Nikto, SQLMAP, Responder, Nessus, Netcat, Burp Suite, etc.
  • Conduct and document vulnerability scans and penetration testing on web-based applications and their underlying hosts
  • Proven ability to perform computer network vulnerability assessment and penetration testing
  • Understanding of risk planning and mitigation strategies
  • Ability to prepare and present documents and briefing materials
  • Advise on new threats to the technologies and environment and provide mitigation steps when applicable
  • Provide security guidance on design, deployment, and architecture of web-based and cloud hosted applications.
  • Participate in technical discussions and collaborate with team members
  • Exceptional communication skills - both orally and written
  • Strong customer service skills
  • Strong organizational and time-management skills with the ability to handle multiple tasks at once, while still paying attention to detail
  • A strong work ethic and self-starter attitude, with the ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment
  • Bachelor's degree in a related field or equivalent work experience and advance

Rate: $50-85/hr (1099 or Corp. To Corp.). This range represents a good-faith estimate and is not a guarantee; final compensation is determined by factors such as experience, qualifications, and government contract labor rate requirements and may fall outside the stated range.
Equal Opportunity Employer
TestPros is an equal-opportunity employer and does not discriminate in employment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or any other non-merit factor.
Offer Considerations
TestPros considers several factors when extending an offer, including but not limited to, Federal Government contract labor categories and contract wage rates, relevant prior work experience, specific skills and competencies, geographic location, education, and certifications.
Federal Compliance
As a federal contractor, TestPros is subject to all federal and state mandates and/or other customer requirements.