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Vulnerability Research Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Drive the planning, task prioritization, and technical execution for vulnerability research projects on complex, undocumented embedded and wireless systems supporting government customers and ...

Vulnerability Researcher

Herndon, VA · On-site

$150K - $300K/yr

In this role, you will apply advanced vulnerability research (VR), reverse engineering (RE), and vulnerability exploitation (VE) skills to support a variety of defensive and offensive cyber ...

Vulnerability Researcher

Herndon, VA · On-site

$150K - $300K/yr

In this role, you will apply advanced vulnerability research (VR), reverse engineering (RE), and vulnerability exploitation (VE) skills to support a variety of defensive and offensive cyber ...

Showing results 21-40

Vulnerability Research information

See Virginia salary details

$36.7K

$105.1K

$141.3K

How much do vulnerability research jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 20, 2026, the average yearly pay for vulnerability research in Virginia is $105,103.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $103,100.00 and $103,100.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a vulnerability research?

A Vulnerability Research job involves identifying, analyzing, and reporting security weaknesses in software, hardware, or networks. Researchers use reverse engineering, fuzz testing, and other techniques to discover exploitable flaws before malicious actors can exploit them. Their findings help improve security by enabling developers and organizations to patch vulnerabilities and strengthen defenses. This role requires a deep understanding of cybersecurity, programming, and exploit development.

What are some common challenges faced in a vulnerability research role?

One of the main challenges in Vulnerability Research is keeping up with constantly evolving threat landscapes and security technologies, which requires continuous learning and adaptability. Researchers often encounter complex and undocumented systems, making analysis and exploitation both technically demanding and time-consuming. You may collaborate closely with other cybersecurity professionals, developers, and incident response teams to verify findings, replicate vulnerabilities, and share remediation strategies. Successfully navigating these challenges is rewarding and allows you to make a tangible impact on organizational security.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in a vulnerability research position?

To thrive in Vulnerability Research, you need a strong background in cybersecurity principles, programming, reverse engineering, and deep knowledge of common operating systems and network protocols, often supported by a relevant degree in computer science or similar fields. Familiarity with tools such as IDA Pro, Ghidra, Wireshark, Metasploit, and certifications like OSCP or CEH is highly valuable. Analytical thinking, persistence, attention to detail, and effective written communication are critical soft skills in this field. These capabilities ensure you can effectively discover, analyze, and document security vulnerabilities, contributing to safer software and systems.

What are popular job titles related to Vulnerability Research jobs in Virginia?

For Vulnerability Research jobs in Virginia, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What job categories do people searching Vulnerability Research jobs in Virginia look for?

The top searched job categories for Vulnerability Research jobs in Virginia are:

What cities in Virginia are hiring for Vulnerability Research jobs?

Cities in Virginia with the most Vulnerability Research job openings:

Infographic showing various Vulnerability Research job openings in Virginia as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 1% As Needed, 77% Full Time, 19% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 83% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $105,103 per year, or $50.5 per hour.

Principal Reverse Engineering/Vulnerability Research Engineer

Clarity Innovations

Herndon, VA • On-site

Full-time

Posted 3 days ago

New


Job description

Position Summary

As a member of the Security Research team, you will imagine weaknesses in multiple types of systems and then find, demonstrate/document, and exploit those weaknesses. You will be joining a team of mature and extremely competent Security Researchers to breakdown and fully understand how a host of different systems function. You will need to leverage extensive experience performing static and dynamic analysis and must be familiar with multiple classes of vulnerabilities. Additionally, you must be extremely comfortable communicating with team members, technical partners, and non-technical partners alike. The ideal candidate will be comfortable and confident operating at the early phases of a vulnerability research project and have the mettle to see the project through to multiple phases and iterations.

Role Expectations 

  • Perform vulnerability research and reverse engineering for customer tasks
  • Perform advanced static and dynamic analysis using disassemblers, debuggers, emulators, tracers, and fuzzers
  • Develop reliable proof-of-concept and operational exploit capabilities leveraging discovered vulnerabilities 
  • Research and bypass modern exploit mitigations security mechanisms 
  • Build internal tooling, automation, and research infrastructure to accelerate vulnerability discovery and analysis
  • Perform root-cause analysis on vulnerabilities and communicate findings to technical and non-technical stakeholders
  • Communicate security research findings internally and, when and where appropriate, externally Mentor fellow security researchers
  • Lead small to medium sized teams of Security Researchers for full project lifecycle to include: project design, kickoff, execution and delivery