GIAC Penetration Tester (GPEN)
UK
The table below provides summary statistics for permanent job vacancies with a requirement for GPEN qualifications. It includes a benchmarking guide to the salaries offered over the 6 months leading up to 18 August 2025, comparing them to the same period in the previous two years.
| 6 months to 18 Aug 2025 |
Same period 2024 | Same period 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | 717 | 811 | 836 |
| Rank change year-on-year | +94 | +25 | +402 |
| Permanent jobs citing GPEN | 4 | 10 | 8 |
| As % of all permanent jobs advertised in the UK | 0.006% | 0.012% | 0.011% |
| As % of the Qualifications category | 0.016% | 0.042% | 0.032% |
| Number of salaries quoted | 1 | 5 | 2 |
| 10th Percentile | - | £54,000 | £48,000 |
| 25th Percentile | - | £56,250 | £48,750 |
| Median annual salary (50th Percentile) | £46,000 | £57,500 | £52,500 |
| Median % change year-on-year | -20.00% | +9.52% | -12.50% |
| 75th Percentile | - | £58,750 | £56,250 |
| 90th Percentile | - | £67,750 | £57,000 |
| UK excluding London median annual salary | £46,000 | £63,750 | - |
| % change year-on-year | -27.84% | - | - |
All Academic and Professional Certifications
UK
GPEN falls under the Academic Qualifications and Professional Certifications category. For comparison with the information above, the following table provides summary statistics for all permanent job vacancies requiring academic qualifications or professional certifications.
| Permanent vacancies requiring academic qualifications or professional certifications | 24,939 | 23,881 | 24,920 |
| As % of all permanent jobs advertised in the UK | 40.46% | 27.56% | 34.00% |
| Number of salaries quoted | 10,531 | 11,821 | 13,164 |
| 10th Percentile | £31,250 | £31,250 | £32,200 |
| 25th Percentile | £41,250 | £41,250 | £42,500 |
| Median annual salary (50th Percentile) | £55,565 | £55,000 | £60,000 |
| Median % change year-on-year | +1.03% | -8.33% | +9.09% |
| 75th Percentile | £73,000 | £72,500 | £76,250 |
| 90th Percentile | £87,500 | £90,000 | £93,750 |
| UK excluding London median annual salary | £53,000 | £51,600 | £52,500 |
| % change year-on-year | +2.71% | -1.71% | +5.00% |
GPEN
Job Vacancy Trend
Job postings citing GPEN as a proportion of all IT jobs advertised.
GPEN
Salary Trend
3-month moving average salary quoted in jobs citing GPEN.
GPEN
Top 4 Job Locations
The table below looks at the demand and provides a guide to the median salaries quoted in IT jobs citing GPEN within the UK over the 6 months to 18 August 2025. The 'Rank Change' column provides an indication of the change in demand within each location based on the same 6 month period last year.
| Location | Rank Change on Same Period Last Year |
Matching Permanent IT Job Ads |
Median Salary Past 6 Months |
Median Salary % Change on Same Period Last Year |
Live Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK excluding London | +92 | 4 | £46,000 | -27.84% | |
| Northern Ireland | - | 3 | - | - | |
| England | +73 | 1 | £46,000 | -20.00% | 2 |
| South East | +19 | 1 | £46,000 | -27.84% |
GPEN
Co-occurring Skills and Capabilities by Category
The follow tables expand on the table above by listing co-occurrences grouped by category. The same employment type, locality and period is covered with up to 20 co-occurrences shown in each of the following categories: