Source Code Auditor

Most weeks involve leading specific code audit work, mentoring junior auditors, and engaging with development teams. You'll often own SAST and DAST scans for assigned applications, perform manual code review on critical functions or sensitive components, lead findings discussions with development leads, contribute to AppSec policy or tooling decisions, and increasingly help shape what gets audited and how.

What's harder than people expect is the developer-relationship work at mid-level — engineers don't accept code findings from people they don't respect technically, and credibility takes years to build. Variance is significant between internal audit roles (broader, less technical), dedicated AppSec teams (deeper, more remediation-focused), and third-party code audit firms (M&A diligence, regulatory compliance, OSS license audits). OSCP, GWAPT, CSSLP, or specialty credentials accelerate the path.

People who tend to thrive here are technically deep about code, patient with audit discipline, and skilled at constructive technical conversations. If you want pure development, the audit posture continues to limit. If you find satisfaction in catching the vulnerabilities before someone exploits them, the work tends to be steady, in growing demand, and a path into senior AppSec roles, security engineering, or specialized consulting.