Inside the dark web job market

A Securelist report published on 20 November 2025 profiles the dark web job market for 2023–2025, drawing on 2,225 job-related posts collected from shadow forums between January 2023 and June 2025. The analysis shows the dark web continuing to function as a parallel labour market with its own norms, recruitment practices and salary expectations, while mirroring broader global economic shifts.

Notably, 69% of job seekers express willingness to take any available work, and the market features a range of IT roles, with developers, penetration testers and money launderers among the most in-demand; reverse engineers command the highest average salaries. There is also a significant presence of teenagers seeking small, fast earnings, often already familiar with fraudulent schemes.

While the shadow market differs from legal employment in contract formality and hiring speed, it increasingly shares parallels such as prioritising practical skills over formal education and conducting background checks. Looking ahead, the report suggests the average age and qualifications of dark web job seekers may rise, driven in part by global layoffs.