Heading full steam into the holiday season, there’s only an eight-week window before a new year and new job prospects for cleared veterans. If you’re preparing to launch your civilian career in 2014, the projections are already out and the market looks good. Here’s what you need to know.
The Bureau of Labor statistics points to health care and technology as the leaders in job opportunities, the latter being packed with prospects for cleared veterans. Technology jobs are projected to increase a little more than five percent in 2014. And among the top 10 fastest-growing occupations are technical jobs, many of which are in defense.
Analysts
Network systems and data communications analysts are projected to be a little more sought after than they were in 2013. The demand for security cleared technical analysts in the defense industry will continue to grow, with a range of jobs that extends from developer analysts to programmer analysts, as well as those in business and intelligence. Analysts are among the highest earning occupations because of the increasing need for companies to manage, evaluate and optimize their networks.
The east coast is lined with clusters of hiring managers looking to fill these positions. And while major contractors and military installations are always good bets for cleared job seekers, don’t discount smaller and midsize firms doing business with the government. A good example is MYMIC, LLC, which specializes in modeling and simulation IT. The company works with the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and Transportation, and has locations in the D.C. region, Portsmouth, Va. and Florida.
Recent salary surveys indicate that hiring managers and recruiters project gains in starting salaries – anywhere between seven and eight percent over last year. That means cleared technical analysts can expect offers in the range of $74,000, up to six figures, depending on skill and geographic location.
Engineers
This is where money and opportunity come together for cleared job seekers. Computer software engineers take the top spot for engineering professions due to the increasing need for professions skilled in designing and testing applications software and operating systems, also writing code.
Ongoing contracts with federal defense agencies ensure that prime contractors like Boeing, CACI, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon consistently hire cleared software and network engineers. But again, industry prospects are good in companies like Oceus Networks in Plano, Tex. The company provides broadband services and works with NASA and other federal agencies.
Software and network engineers both are projected to have higher starting salaries than those in 2013. For example, starting salaries for software engineers will average $93,000 to $114,000, and network engineers will average $78,000 to $95,000.
According to Bloomberg Rankings, the west coast, Boston, Baltimore and New York pay the highest average wages for software engineers, at $116,000. Miami and Detroit pay the lowest, about $70,000. By industry, software engineers in aerospace typically earn the highest salaries, averaging $117,000.
Salaries aren’t the only thing on the rise. Expect more high tech companies to push their boundaries, offering creative compensation packages and other lures to attract the best of the talent pool. That won’t likely be the case in the federal sector, which is traditionally more limited when it comes to incentives.
