While the employment rate for veterans is up, the numbers aren’t quite so good for younger veterans.  Many of those who served after 9/11 are transitioning out at ages 30-years and younger.  So where does youth and a clearance come together in the job market?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau and the American Community Survey, some cities have an exceptionally high number of younger workers.  When those cities also have a strong defense industry presence, they’re good bets for younger, cleared veterans looking for jobs.

Seattle, Washington

It may have built its reputation on good coffee and grunge music, but Seattle now has one of the highest populations of younger workers.  It also ranks as one of the highest-educated cities. In all, high pay and fast advancement are the chief reasons younger workers choose this region.

A major IT and aerospace hub, Seattle ranks seventh in the nation for military population.  Together, Fort Lewis-McChord, Naval Base Kitsap, Naval Station Everett and National Guard and Coast Guard facilities support more than 93,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual payroll. It is also home base for Boeing Commercial Airlines.

In terms of defense jobs, Seattle’s aerospace industry is backed by an increase in markets that include cyber security and cloud computing. These fields are widening the net for new software, engineering, cloud services and cyber security talent.

Big employers include BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman, Booz Allen Hamilton and Consultnet. As for salaries, software engineers earn between $91,000 and $97,000.  Program managers average six figures. On the lower end, technology analysts earn about $73,000.

Norfolk, Newport News, Virginia Beach, Virginia

As one of the largest military and defense clusters in the U.S., cleared job opportunities include federal and contractor positions.  The Army, Navy, Defense Department and contractors offer careers in aerospace, aircraft carrier construction and overhaul, modeling/simulation and defense IT.

Currently, Centrum is on a hiring binge to fill jobs in electronics technical fields, extremely high frequency (EHF) satellite systems, plant engineers, engineer technicians and plant logistics.  CACI is also looking for cleared software engineers logistics engineers and logistics analysts.

On average, engineers earn $80,000 to $100,000.  With housing prices averaging $190,000, the economy is the primary factor for younger employees with families.

Denver, Colorado

According to the Denver Chamber of Commerce, the draw is an equal mix of landscape and job opportunity.  Skiing, mounting climbing, hiking and other outdoor attractions serve as a magnet for motivated, adventurous workers.  So does the job market.

Overall, Colorado ranks first in the nation for aerospace employment, much of which is centered in the Denver region.  The geography alone makes it a standout, with “one-bounce” satellite communications to Europe and Asia.  Cleared career opportunities extend from command and control software to navigation and sensors and jobs related to space.

About 19,000 employees work in Denver’s aerospace sector, earning average salaries of $120,000.  Other major employers include Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora, Spaceport at Front Range Airport, Raytheon, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Boeing.

Tucson, Arizona

“Next Generation” ranks Tucson one of the best places for young professionals for reasons that include an outdoor lifestyle, affordability and the Fourth Avenue District.  It also has a wealth of cleared career opportunities.

A leader in defense and aerospace, Tucson’s job market includes Raytheon Missile Systems, which employs 12,000 people, Texas Instruments, Intuit, Honeywell and Davis Monthan AFB’s Army Intelligence Center.  There are openings in a range of positions: Cleared engineers, compliance managers, analysts, diagnostics developers and program managers.  Outside aerospace, career opportunities exist in radar equipment, ammunitions, weapons management and defense electronics and communications.

Electrical design engineers and software engineers earn $80,000 to $110,000. Computer programmers average $64,000.  Not bad when apartment rental prices average $669 a month and the average asking price for houses is around $200,000.

Washington, D.C.

D.C. dominates the security clearance job market, with opportunities for systems analysts, web developers, network administrators, software engineers, program/project managers, cyber security and cloud professionals.

Those with a clearance but little experience generally start at $65,000 to $75,000.  Those in IT management earn about $122,000.  Engineers and web developers also earn six figure salaries.

D.C.’s reputation may be all about politics and power, but younger workers go for the high salaries and the culture.  Reasons most often cited by younger professionals: It’s pedestrian-friendly, subway travel trumps cars, it boasts an international culture – and it’s on the east coast.

Related News

Tranette Ledford is a writer and owner of Ledford, LLC, which provides writing, editorial and public relations consulting for defense, military and private sector businesses. You can contact her at: Tranette@Ledfordllc.com.