Is the OSCP / OffSec worth it? What 280 job postings say
280 open job postings from 192 employers name OSCP / OffSec. Most list it as a nice-to-have: only 18% require it. It's asked for most in security jobs, where 6% of postings name it.
18% of the 280 postings that name it require it. It signals experience: 95% of the postings that state a level are senior or above.
- Employers name it
- 19213th of 40 we track
- Require it
- 18%of postings that name it
- Level
- Associateour classification
- Exam fee
- $1,749 with courseofficial price
- Valid for
- No expirythen renew
Who should take it?
Built from what the 280 postings ask for, not from opinions.
Take it if you…
- aim at security jobsNamed in 6% of security postings
- already have years in the field95% of these postings are senior or above
Skip it (for now) if you…
- want it to land your first jobOnly 1% of the postings that name it are junior or intern roles
- expect it to open doors on its own83% of the postings that name it don't require it
Recognition: recognised by a narrower set of employers, 13th of 40 by the number of employers that name it (192). We can't yet measure whether OSCP / OffSec gets a particular person hired: that needs outcomes from people who earned it.
How much it counts in each kind of job
Share of each job family's postings that name OSCP / OffSec, and how many of those require it.
Job titles
OSCP / OffSec shows up most in Security Engineer, Application Security Engineer and Product Security Engineer postings. Ranked by the number of different employers, so one big hirer can't fill the list.
| Job (level and location removed) | Employers | Postings |
|---|---|---|
| Security Engineer | 57 | 64 |
| Application Security Engineer | 18 | 19 |
| Product Security Engineer | 7 | 8 |
| Penetration Tester | 6 | 9 |
| Offensive Security Engineer | 6 | 6 |
| Security Architect | 5 | 5 |
| Software Engineer | 5 | 5 |
| Cybersecurity Engineer | 5 | 5 |
Required or a plus?
How the 280 postings that name OSCP / OffSec ask for it.
Who it's for: seniority
Level stated in the job title, 174 postings.
Who asks for it
Employers with the most postings
- Horizon3 AI · 15
- SpaceX · 9
- GovTech · 7
- SentinelLabs · 6
- Accenture Federal Services · 5
- 10a Labs · 4
- Agile Defense · 4
- Coupang · 4
- Dark Wolf Solutions · 4
- Doppel · 4
Where the jobs are
64% are fully remote (of 164 postings that say).
62% of the postings are in the United States: the job boards we read lean towards US tech companies, so other markets are under-represented.
What these jobs pay
Advertised US base pay in postings that name OSCP / OffSec and publish a salary range (115 postings).
Often asked for together
Other certifications named in the same postings as OSCP / OffSec.
Share of the postings that name OSCP / OffSec. Postings often list several certifications as alternatives (“CISSP, CISM or equivalent”).
Compared with similar certifications
CISSP, CompTIA Security+ and CISM are named by more employers.
| Certification | Level | Exam fee | Employers | Required | Senior or above | Junior or intern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CISSP | Professional | $749 | 594 | 35% | 97% | 2% |
| CompTIA Security+ | – | – | 356 | 51% | 76% | 13% |
| CISM | Professional | $575–$760 | 353 | 31% | 96% | 2% |
| GIAC (any) | – | – | 302 | 34% | 90% | 5% |
| CompTIA A+ / Network+ / CySA+ / CASP+ | – | – | 296 | 41% | 68% | 18% |
| CISA (auditor) | Professional | $575–$760 | 231 | 31% | 96% | 3% |
| CCSP | Professional | $599 | 196 | 39% | 98% | 1% |
| OSCP / OffSec | Associate | $1,749 with course | 192 | 18% | 95% | 1% |
| Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) | Associate | – | 118 | 28% | 91% | 5% |
Exam and requirements
OSCP+ (PEN-200 course). From the official OffSec pages, checked 14 November 2026. Formats change: confirm before you book.
What it costs
- Exam
- $1,749 for the course and one exam attempt (90 days of lab access)
Official prices only. Courses, practice tests and retakes come on top; their prices vary too much between providers to average.
Sources: OffSec: OSCP+ scoring update, OffSec: PEN-200.
How we count
- Source. 199,799 unique open postings from company job boards on Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, crawled November 2026.
- Named only. A posting counts when it names OSCP / OffSec, not the bare word “certified”. Certifications offered as a benefit (“we pay for your exam”) don't count.
- Required or a plus. Read from the section and the sentence the mention sits in.
- Checked by hand. In 150 random matches the extractor had never seen, 148 named the right certification and 147 had the right type.
- Minimum sample. Seniority, locations and pay are shown only with at least 30 postings behind them.
- Limits. A posting is what an employer asks for, not who they hire. The boards lean towards tech companies and the US.
FAQ
Is OSCP / OffSec worth it in 2026?
It depends on the job you're aiming at. 192 employers name it in 280 open postings, most often in security (6% of that family's postings). 18% require it. For most of those jobs it strengthens an application rather than unlocking it: experience in the role matters more.
Will OSCP / OffSec help me get an entry-level job?
Rarely on its own. Only 1% of the postings that name it and state a level are junior or intern roles; 95% are senior, lead or staff. Employers treat it as a mark of experience, not a way in.
How much do jobs that ask for OSCP / OffSec pay?
US postings that name it and publish a salary advertise a median base pay of $195K (middle half $158K–$238K, 115 postings). Compared with a job without a certification at the same company, same job family and level, they advertise 1% more. That's what the job pays, not what the certificate adds.
Which certifications are asked for together with OSCP / OffSec?
Most often GIAC (any) (named in 53% of the same postings), CISSP (named in 39% of the same postings) and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) (named in 20% of the same postings).
What is on the OSCP / OffSec exam, and what is the pass mark?
Pass mark: 70 of 100 points for exams taken until 30 November 2026; from 1 December 2026, a scaled score with no fixed number of points.
Does OSCP / OffSec expire?
The “+” lapses after 3 years; the base OSCP does not expire.
How much does OSCP / OffSec cost?
OSCP+ (PEN-200 course): $1,749 for the course and one exam attempt (90 days of lab access), according to the official page as of 14 November 2026. Prices change, so check before you pay.
Not sure a certification is your gap?
See all 40 certifications side by side, or check the skills employers in your target role ask for.