Threat Hunter

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 proactively search for threats that are already inside your network but have not triggered any alerts. While SOC analysts wait for detections to fire, you form hypotheses about attacker behavior and go looking for evidence. You find the adversaries that automated tools miss.

What You Will Do

Threat hunting is hypothesis-driven investigation. You take intelligence about adversary techniques, translate it into data queries, and search through massive datasets looking for signs of compromise that flew under the radar.

Your typical work includes:

• Developing threat hunting hypotheses based on threat intelligence, ATT&CK TTPs, and environmental risk
• Querying large datasets — SIEM logs, EDR telemetry, network metadata, DNS logs
• Analyzing endpoint behavior for signs of living-off-the-land attacks (LOLBins)
• Searching for persistence mechanisms — scheduled tasks, registry modifications, WMI subscriptions
• Identifying lateral movement patterns — unusual authentication events, RDP usage, SMB connections
• Hunting for data staging and exfiltration indicators
• Investigating anomalous PowerShell, WMI, and command-line activity
• Using statistical analysis to identify outliers in normal behavior baselines
• Converting successful hunts into automated detection rules
• Documenting hunt methodologies and findings for knowledge sharing
• Collaborating with threat intelligence teams to prioritize hunting targets

When you find something, you do not just report it — you build a detection so the SOC can catch it automatically next time. Every successful hunt should result in a new or improved detection rule.

Skills You Need

Threat hunting sits at the intersection of threat intelligence, detection engineering, and data analysis.

Key skills to build:

• SIEM query languages — SPL, KQL, Lucene for deep data exploration
• EDR investigation — CrowdStrike, SentinelOne, Carbon Black for endpoint analysis
• MITRE ATT&CK — mapping techniques to data sources and hunt hypotheses
• Network traffic analysis — Zeek logs, NetFlow, DNS analytics
• Data analytics and statistics — identifying anomalies in large datasets
• Windows internals — understanding process behavior, authentication, and persistence
• PowerShell and scripting — automating hunt workflows and data processing
• Detection engineering — turning findings into SIGMA rules and SIEM detections

Build these in the skills library and see how threat hunting connects to other roles in the career path explorer.

Certifications

Threat hunter certifications blend detection, forensics, and intelligence skills:

• GCIH — incident handling skills that form the foundation of hunting
• CySA+ — defensive analysis certification, good starting point
• GCTI — threat intelligence expertise for hypothesis development
• GNFA — GIAC Network Forensic Analyst, for network-level hunting

Plan your certification strategy with the certification roadmap planner.

Salary Range

Threat hunters earn between $60K and $140K. This is a mid-to-senior role, and compensation reflects that. Hunters with strong data science skills, custom tooling ability, and a track record of finding real threats command the highest pay. Financial services and tech companies tend to pay at the top of the range.

See where you stand using the salary calculator.

How to Get Started

1. Spend time in a SOC first — you need to understand alert workflows and detection gaps before you can hunt effectively 2. Master SIEM query languages — you will write hundreds of queries during every hunt 3. Take the skills assessment to measure your investigation and analysis capabilities 4. Practice hunting exercises in the labs — scenario-based threat hunting challenges 5. Study ATT&CK deeply — map each technique to the data sources available in your environment 6. Learn statistical analysis basics — frequency analysis, stacking, and outlier detection 7. Get GCIH and work toward GCTI — plan your path with the certification planner 8. Document your hunting methodology and findings for your resume 9. Search for threat hunter or detection engineer roles on the job board

Threat hunting is not an entry-level position. If you are wondering how to build the right background, the career coach can help you plan a path from your current role.

Related Guides in This Series

• Malware Analyst: Reverse Engineer the Weapons Attackers Use — HADESS | 2026
• Threat Intelligence Analyst: Know the Enemy Before They Strike

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.