What is a hacker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
There is more than meets the eye when it comes to being a hacker. For example, did you know that they make an average of $42.65 an hour? That's $88,716 a year! Between 2018 and 2028, the career is expected to grow 32% and produce 35,500 job opportunities across the U.S.
ScoreHackerUS Average
Salary
6.9

Avg. Salary $88,716

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
6.5

Growth Rate 32%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
4.8
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.43%

Asian 9.64%

Black or African American 9.15%

Hispanic or Latino 8.99%

Unknown 6.09%

White 65.70%

Gender

female 8.51%

male 91.49%

Age - 42
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 42
Stress Level
6.5

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity Level
8.4

Complexity Level is challenging

7 - challenging

Work Life Balance
6.9

Work Life balance is good

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a hacker

  1. Explore hacker education requirements

    Most common hacker degrees

    Bachelor's

    43.8 %

    High School Diploma

    27.5 %

    Associate

    8.8 %
  2. Start to develop specific hacker skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Python21.32%
    Web Application11.62%
    A/B10.31%
    SEO8.96%
    B Testing8.91%
  3. Complete relevant hacker training and internships

    Accountants spend an average of 6-12 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New hackers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a hacker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real hacker resumes.
  4. Research hacker duties and responsibilities

    • Manage and create updates to company website including graphics, animation and overall functionality.
    • Hire a hacker to hack facebook account!
    • Hack, grade, & stack brick.
    • Pitch low-cost advertising strategies such as Adwords and SEO to generate revenue
  5. Apply for hacker jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a hacker job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Hacker Job

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Average hacker salary

The average Hacker salary in the United States is $88,716 per year or $43 per hour. Hacker salaries range between $56,000 and $139,000 per year.

Average Hacker Salary
$88,716 Yearly
$42.65 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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