Mobile Penetration Tester
Part of the Cybersecurity Career Guide — This article is one deep-dive in our complete guide series.
By HADESS Team | February 28, 2026 | Updated: February 28, 2026 | 5 min read
You test mobile applications for security vulnerabilities on iOS and Android. You decompile APKs, bypass certificate pinning, intercept API traffic, and find the flaws that put user data at risk. Mobile apps handle banking, healthcare, authentication — and most of them have serious security gaps.
What You Will Do
Mobile pentesting combines reverse engineering, API testing, and platform-specific exploitation. You work with compiled applications, not source code, and you need to understand how both iOS and Android handle security at the OS level.
Your typical engagement includes:
- Decompiling Android APKs with JADX, apktool, or similar tools
- Analyzing iOS binaries using class-dump, Hopper, or Ghidra
- Bypassing SSL/TLS certificate pinning to intercept HTTPS traffic
- Testing API endpoints the mobile app communicates with
- Checking for insecure local data storage — SQLite databases, shared preferences, Keychain misuse
- Analyzing inter-process communication (IPC) — intents, URL schemes, deep links
- Testing authentication flows — biometrics bypass, token handling, session management
- Hooking into running applications with Frida or Objection for runtime analysis
- Assessing root/jailbreak detection and tampering protections
- Evaluating third-party SDK security and data collection practices
You need physical devices, emulators, and a setup that lets you proxy traffic and manipulate the runtime environment. The tooling is different from web testing, and each platform has its own quirks.
Skills You Need
Mobile pentesting requires platform-specific knowledge on top of general application security skills.
Key areas to build:
- Android security architecture — permissions, intents, content providers, activities
- iOS security model — sandboxing, Keychain, App Transport Security, entitlements
- Reverse engineering — decompilation, disassembly, dynamic instrumentation
- Frida and Objection — runtime hooking and manipulation
- API security testing — the backend is half the attack surface
- Cryptography assessment — identifying weak implementations in mobile apps
- Network traffic analysis — intercepting and modifying mobile API calls
- OWASP Mobile Top 10 — structured methodology for mobile testing
Start building these in the skills library and map them to roles in the career path explorer.
Certifications
Mobile-focused certifications are niche but valuable:
- eMAPT — eLearnSecurity Mobile Application Penetration Tester, practical exam
- SEC542 — SANS Web App Penetration Testing (includes mobile API testing)
- SEC575 — SANS Mobile Device Security and Ethical Hacking, the gold standard for mobile
Plan your path with the certification roadmap planner.
Salary Range
Mobile penetration testers earn between $45K and $102K. Specialists who can test on both platforms and combine mobile testing with API and backend assessment earn more. The demand for mobile security skills continues to grow as more business logic moves to mobile-first applications.
Check current rates with the salary calculator.
How to Get Started
1. Build a mobile testing lab — get an Android device you can root and an older jailbroken iPhone 2. Learn the OWASP Mobile Testing Guide — it is the most complete free resource available 3. Take the skills assessment to see where you stand 4. Practice with intentionally vulnerable apps — DIVA, InsecureBankv2, OWASP iGoat in the labs 5. Master Frida — it is the single most important tool for mobile testing 6. Learn Burp Suite for mobile traffic interception — set up proxy certificates on both platforms 7. Get eMAPT as your first mobile-specific cert — plan it with the certification planner 8. Build your profile with the resume builder highlighting mobile security projects 9. Search for mobile security roles on the job board
If you are coming from web pentesting and want to add mobile to your skill set, the career coach can help you plan the transition.
Related Guides in This Series
Take the Next Step
Start your career assessment. Go to the start your career assessment on HADESS.
Explore career paths. Check out the explore career paths.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What certifications do I need for this role?
Certification requirements vary by employer and seniority level. Use the certification roadmap planner to build a sequence based on your target role and current qualifications.
What is the salary range for this role?
Salaries vary significantly by location, experience, and employer type. Use the salary calculator for your specific market rate.
How do I transition into this career path?
Take the skills assessment to identify your current strengths and gaps relative to this role. The assessment generates a personalized learning plan to close the gap.
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HADESS Team consists of cybersecurity practitioners, hiring managers, and career strategists who have collectively spent 50+ years in the field.
