Penetration Testers

Penetration Testers score 80 out of 100, which is very high exposure to AI. That ranks #28 of 923 US occupations, where #1 is the most exposed. Of the 22 tasks in this job, AI could speed up 14 on its own and 7 more with extra software built on top of it. In April–May 2026, 10 of these tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant.

80/ 100

Very high

Rank: #28of 923 jobs
US workers: 435,370for Computer Occupations, All Other
Median pay: $116,580a year
In real AI use: 10 of 22tasks, April–May 2026

Free report

Follow how AI is changing penetration testers work.

Subscribe to the weekly report and get The AI Job Exposure Report (PDF) right away: the most and least exposed jobs, exposure by field, and the AI-resilient jobs that pay well.

Free · one email a week · unsubscribe anytime

Task by task

Each task this job involves, as listed by O*NET, rated on whether a large language model like GPT-4 could cut the time it takes by at least half at the same quality. Tasks marked Seen in real AI use appeared in conversations with Claude in April–May 2026 (Anthropic Economic Index).

AI can speed this up on its own: 14 (64%)
AI can speed this up with extra software: 7 (32%)
Little or no AI speed-up: 1 (5%)

Conduct network and security system audits, using established criteria.AI can speed this up on its own · Seen in real AI use
Configure information systems to incorporate principles of least functionality and least access.AI can speed this up on its own · Seen in real AI use
Design security solutions to address known device vulnerabilities.AI can speed this up on its own
Develop and execute tests that simulate the techniques of known cyber threat actors.AI can speed this up on its own
Develop infiltration tests that exploit device vulnerabilities.AI can speed this up on its own
Develop security penetration testing processes, such as wireless, data networks, and telecommunication security tests.AI can speed this up on its own
Document penetration test findings.AI can speed this up on its own · Seen in real AI use
Evaluate vulnerability assessments of local computing environments, networks, infrastructures, or enclave boundaries.AI can speed this up on its own
Gather cyber intelligence to identify vulnerabilities.AI can speed this up on its own · Seen in real AI use
Identify security system weaknesses, using penetration tests.AI can speed this up on its own · Seen in real AI use
Keep up with new penetration testing tools and methods.AI can speed this up on its own
Prepare and submit reports describing the results of security fixes.AI can speed this up on its own
Test the security of systems by attempting to gain access to networks, Web-based applications, or computers.AI can speed this up on its own · Seen in real AI use
Write audit reports to communicate technical and procedural findings and recommend solutions.AI can speed this up on its own · Seen in real AI use
Collect stakeholder data to evaluate risk and to develop mitigation strategies.AI can speed this up with extra software
Develop presentations on threat intelligence.AI can speed this up with extra software
Discuss security solutions with information technology teams or management.AI can speed this up with extra software
Identify new threat tactics, techniques, or procedures used by cyber threat actors.AI can speed this up with extra software · Seen in real AI use
Investigate security incidents, using computer forensics, network forensics, root cause analysis, or malware analysis.AI can speed this up with extra software · Seen in real AI use
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of hacking trends.AI can speed this up with extra software
Update corporate policies to improve cyber security.AI can speed this up with extra software
Assess the physical security of servers, systems, or network devices to identify vulnerability to temperature, vandalism, or natural disasters.Little or no AI speed-up · Seen in real AI use

What you can do about it

Get a personal plan for what to learn next.

Skill Half Life turns this score into a 90-day plan for your situation: your realistic options, the skills that carry over, and training that fits your time and budget. Coming soon.

See your options

Similar jobs, lower exposure

Related occupations that score at least 10 points lower.

Other jobs in this field

Computer and Mathematical occupations close to this one.

All computer and mathematical jobs and AI

Questions about penetration testers and AI

Will AI replace penetration testers?

Probably not entirely, but the job is likely to change a lot. Penetration Testers score 80 out of 100 (very high exposure), #28 of 923 US jobs. AI could speed up 21 of the job's 22 tasks, 14 of them on its own, while 1 see little or no speed-up. Exposure means the work is likely to change, not that the job will disappear.

Which penetration testers tasks can AI do?

The most exposed tasks include "Conduct network and security system audits, using established criteria"; "Configure information systems to incorporate principles of least functionality and least access"; "Design security solutions to address known device vulnerabilities".

Which penetration testers tasks are hardest for AI?

Tasks with little or no AI speed-up include "Assess the physical security of servers, systems, or network devices to identify vulnerability to temperature, vandalism, or natural disasters".

Are people already using AI for this work?

Yes. In April–May 2026, 10 of the 22 tasks showed up in real conversations with Claude, according to the Anthropic Economic Index.

How many people work as penetration testers, and what do they earn?

About 435,370 people in the US (figure for Computer Occupations, All Other), with median pay of $116,580 a year (BLS, May 2025).

How to read this score. Exposure measures how much of the work AI could speed up, not whether the job will disappear. A highly exposed job can change shape, with people spending less time on routine tasks and more on the rest. The score counts tasks AI can speed up on its own in full, and tasks that need extra software at half weight.

The ratings come from published research based on GPT-4 (2023). To show what's happening now, each task is also checked against the latest Anthropic Economic Index, which records which tasks people actually use AI for. That data is refreshed automatically when Anthropic publishes a new release. Read the full method.