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AI Job Risk

Occupation baseline · Research consensus

Will AI replace Penetration Testers?

Transitioning

Baseline AI displacement risk for Penetration Testers, aggregated from 4 research sources.

What this score means

Penetration Testers sits in the middle of the exposure range for Technology. Routine parts of the job are starting to automate, but much of it still depends on judgment, relationships, and context that today's models handle poorly. At 51 out of 100 it scores 4 points below the Technology average of 55. Across the 4 sources behind this baseline, individual estimates run from 30 to 60, so the score is a weighted consensus rather than any single figure.

The number is a consensus estimate for the typical version of the role, built from published academic and industry research scored occupation by occupation. It is not a prediction about any individual. How scoring works

What this job actually involves

Exposure follows the work itself rather than the job title, so it is worth seeing what the role is made of. These are the tasks O*NET records for Penetration Testers, most central first, showing 12 of 22.

  • 01Assess the physical security of servers, systems, or network devices to identify vulnerability to temperature, vandalism, or natural disasters.
  • 02Collect stakeholder data to evaluate risk and to develop mitigation strategies.
  • 03Conduct network and security system audits, using established criteria.
  • 04Configure information systems to incorporate principles of least functionality and least access.
  • 05Design security solutions to address known device vulnerabilities.
  • 06Develop and execute tests that simulate the techniques of known cyber threat actors.
  • 07Develop infiltration tests that exploit device vulnerabilities.
  • 08Develop presentations on threat intelligence.
  • 09Develop security penetration testing processes, such as wireless, data networks, and telecommunication security tests.
  • 10Discuss security solutions with information technology teams or management.
  • 11Document penetration test findings.
  • 12Evaluate vulnerability assessments of local computing environments, networks, infrastructures, or enclave boundaries.

Task statements from O*NET by the National Center for O*NET Development, used under CC BY 4.0. The tasks are descriptive; the exposure score above is ours.

The research behind this score

This baseline aggregates 4 research sources that scored Penetration Testers for AI and automation exposure. More recent, higher confidence studies carry more weight in the final number.

Common questions

How likely is AI to replace Penetration Testers?
Published research puts Penetration Testers at 51 out of 100 for AI displacement risk, in the transitioning band. The number is a weighted consensus of 4 research sources and describes the typical version of the role, not any individual.
Do researchers agree on the risk for Penetration Testers?
Only partly. Individual estimates for Penetration Testers run from 30 to 60 out of 100 across the 4 sources behind this score, so the single number smooths over real disagreement. More recent and higher confidence studies carry more weight in it.
Which technology roles face similar AI exposure?
The closest published technology roles to Penetration Testers by score are Information Security Analysts (51/100), Telecommunications Engineering Specialists (51/100), and Blockchain Engineers (52/100). Each has its own page with the research behind its number.

Also covers

Application Security Assessor · Application Security Hacker · Application Security Tester · Certified Hacker · Certified Tester · Consulting Advisory Tester · Cyber Assessment Tester · Cyber Assessor and related titles

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Informational guidance based on published research, not professional career or financial advice. Scores update as new research is ingested.