Also called: Reverse Engineer, Threat Researcher
Takes apart viruses and ransomware to understand how they work and how to stop them.
You load a new piece of ransomware into a locked-down virtual lab and step through its code instruction by instruction. Finding the flaw that lets victims decrypt their files is a huge win.
Estimate.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 5 years after high school. Bachelor's in CS; deep knowledge of assembly language and operating systems.
Ways in: 4-year college, Self-taught, Certification. Training cost: $15k – $60k.
Majors to look at: Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity.
Growing faster than average. Specialized, steady demand at security firms and government.
Medium risk for 10 years. AI tools decompile and explain malware faster, trimming routine analysis; novel attacks still need expert reverse engineers.
Classes: AP Computer Science A, AP Calculus, Physics.
Official data: O*NET occupation 15-1212.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.