Security Researcher
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 find new vulnerabilities, develop novel attack techniques, and advance the state of cybersecurity knowledge. Your work results in CVEs, published papers, conference talks, and tools that the rest of the industry uses. You push the boundary of what is known about how systems can be broken.
What You Will Do
Security research is open-ended investigation. You pick a target — a protocol, a piece of software, an operating system component, a hardware platform — and go deep until you find something nobody has found before.
Your work includes:
- Discovering zero-day vulnerabilities through fuzzing, reverse engineering, and manual analysis
- Performing deep reverse engineering of software, firmware, and protocols
- Writing proof-of-concept exploits to demonstrate vulnerability impact
- Publishing research through conference talks (Black Hat, DEF CON, CCC) and papers
- Developing fuzzing harnesses and coverage-guided fuzzers for specific targets
- Analyzing patches to find incomplete fixes and variant vulnerabilities
- Building and releasing open-source security tools for the community
- Studying emerging technologies for novel attack surface — AI/ML systems, hardware, IoT
- Coordinating responsible disclosure with vendors
- Mentoring junior researchers and reviewing their work
- Staying current with academic research and industry publications
- Contributing to or maintaining CVE databases and vulnerability tracking
Research can focus on many domains — browser security, operating system kernels, network protocols, embedded systems, cryptographic implementations, or cloud infrastructure. Most successful researchers develop deep expertise in one area before branching out.
Skills You Need
Security research demands the deepest technical skills in the field, combined with curiosity and persistence.
Key areas:
- Reverse engineering — advanced binary analysis with IDA Pro, Ghidra
- Exploit development — heap exploitation, kernel exploitation, browser exploitation
- Fuzzing — AFL++, libFuzzer, custom harness development
- Programming — C, C++, Python, Rust for tool development and PoC writing
- Assembly language — x86, ARM, MIPS for multi-architecture analysis
- Operating system internals — kernel structures, memory management, process isolation
- Academic research methods — structured investigation, paper writing, peer review
- Responsible disclosure practices — working with vendors and coordinating fixes
Build and track these in the skills library. See how research connects to other roles in the career path explorer.
Certifications
Traditional certifications are less relevant in research. What matters is published work and demonstrated skill:
- PhD or MS in Computer Science/Security — preferred by many research labs and academic positions
- Practical certifications (OSCP, OSEE) can demonstrate hands-on ability but are not required
- Your publication record, CVE list, and tool portfolio are your real credentials
If you do want formal credentials, plan them with the certification roadmap planner.
Salary Range
Security researchers earn between $70K and $180K in salaried positions. Top researchers at major tech companies, government labs, and security vendors earn above this range. Bug bounty rewards and consulting can add significantly. The zero-day market offers high payouts, though it comes with ethical considerations you need to think through carefully.
Check current rates with the salary calculator.
How to Get Started
1. Get strong in systems programming — C, C++, and assembly are non-negotiable 2. Learn reverse engineering — start with Ghidra on simple binaries and work up 3. Take the skills assessment to benchmark your low-level technical skills 4. Build a fuzzing setup and find bugs in open-source software — practice in the labs 5. Study published research — read papers from IEEE S&P, USENIX Security, CCS, NDSS 6. Pick a research area and go deep — browsers, kernels, IoT, crypto, or network protocols 7. Publish your findings — blog posts, conference talks, responsible disclosures 8. Consider a graduate degree if you want to work in an academic or government research lab 9. Build your resume around publications, CVEs, and tools you have released 10. Search for security researcher roles on the job board
Security research is not a role you break into quickly. If you want to know whether your skills are on track, talk to the career coach for an honest assessment and a plan.
Related Guides in This Series
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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.
