If you have a Top Secret Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS SCI) clearance, you’re at the top of the security clearance food chain among hiring managers. If you’re looking to capitalize on that, you’ll want to know who’s looking for you – and where the jobs are. No question, there’s great demand. But some of the specifics have changed.
Washington, D.C. takes the top spot in the nation for TS SCI clearance demands. The wealth of federal agencies and contractors doing business with the government extends throughout Northern Virginia from Springfield to Quantico and the Reston/Herndon area. In Maryland’s IT and defense sectors, there’s an active search for that clearance level in Baltimore, Hanover, Fort Meade and Columbia.
Outside the Capitol Beltway in most any direction you look, there are more pockets of opportunity. Places ranking in the top 10 for TS SCI demand include Charlottesville, Va., the Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia Beach corridor, and Baltimore, Md. In Florida, Tampa, Clearwater and St. Petersburg rank high. Those interested in heading west may want to check out San Antonio, Texas, which is now in the top 10, as is Denver, though demand has declined somewhat.
Outside the big 10 list, there are still thousands of opportunities across the country brimming with TS SCI clearance job ads. In short, they’re everywhere; from private sector firms in Fayetteville, N.C. and Las Vegas, to civilian jobs in military installations like Offutt, AFB in Nebraska. On average, the ads stay up about seven weeks, so the hiring process is generally considered a short one.
According to Wanted Analytics’ most recent survey on TS SCI clearance job demand, this clearance is the most requested certification for information technology jobs. Specific job titles that most commonly advertise for TS SCI include software and systems engineers, systems administrators, network engineers and senior systems engineers.
There are a few new job titles that have emerged of late. A TS SCI clearance is now one of the most highly-coveted certifications for jobs as senior network engineer, technical lead and social scientist human terrain. That last one is a rising star in some sectors, requiring both a PhD and specialized skills such as the ability to conduct complex research projects related to socio-cultural environments.
As for pay, great is the operative word. TS SCI cleared candidates in IT fields, from systems to software to network, can command six figure incomes.
