This is our second week of taking a deep dive into defense cities across the map. While the D.C. metro dominates when it comes to defense industry positions, there are hundreds of thousands of great cleared positions across the globe. One city that may not be on your radar but which has robust defense industry and a number of cleared positions is St. Louis. The city is home to two National Geospatial Intelligence-Agency campuses, and Scott Air Force Base is just 25 minutes away, just over the border in Illinois.

With major government and military facilities, it’s no surprise St. Louis is home to a number of defense contracting employers, including larger employers like BAE Systems, Boeing, and Leidos, and small and mid-sized employers like T-Rex Solutions, Marathon TS, Patriot Group International and Zachary Piper Solutions.

Benefits of Working in St. Louis

When it comes to perks of living in St. Louis, cost of living comes out near the top of the list. If you’re relocating from the coasts, you may faint at the average home or rental price – that’s how low it is. Low cost of living and a resurgence in cultural and civic activity in some of St. Louis’ historic neighborhoods has also seen it rank high on great cities for millennials. Whether you’re looking for a low-cost city to launch your career, or are ready to settle down and find a family-friendly city where you won’t spend hours commuting, St. Louis is for you.

And don’t worry that your career will stall – St. Louis has shown a commitment to career growth and skills expansion. The city is home to both leading universities and community colleges, and a partnership with LaunchCode is helping to give those without traditional IT training the chance to upskill and move into a technology position. St. Louis is a great city to launch a career, or to grow your skills into management or leadership positions.

If you’re looking for a city with all four seasons and an all-American feel, St. Louis is a great option. You can root for the St. Louis Cardinals while drinking a beer from the nearby Anheuser-Busch Brewery. If a Budweiser or Shock Top isn’t calling, USA Today named St. Louis the best city in the nation for craft beer.

St. Louis Industries and Employers to Watch

More than 3,000 employees work for the NGA in St. Louis, giving it one of the biggest concentrations of geospatial jobs outside of Washington, D.C. Working for the NGA in St. Louis is more than GIS analysts – the government and defense contractors in the region are looking for everything from cybersecurity specialists to geospatial linguists. In addition to government positions, a number of large, small and mid-sized government contractors help support the NGA mission.

“There is a significant geospatial hub in St. Louis and the demand for cleared IT talent continues to grow,” said Ted Marshall, Director, Professional Services Group, Marathon TS. “We are finding that candidates are excited about the missions occurring here. Industry partners like Marathon TS play a crucial role in delivering both IT solutions and talent to support the missions.”

Scott Air Force Base is the head of Air Mobility Command and U.S. Transportation Command. The base employs 13,000 people, including approximately 5,100 civilians. Boeing currently employs approximately 14,500 in the St. Louis region. In 2018 Boeing St. Louis was awarded a contract to build the F/A-18 Super Hornet.

St. Louis 411

Population 293,792 (69th largest city in the U.S.)
Housing Cost The median rentals about $810/ month, and the median house value is $131,900.
Typical Weather The weather starts getting into the 70s by May, peaking around 90°F in July and August, and then heading back into highs of 70s by October. November to February have average highs in the 40s, with the early spring already headed back into the 50-60s for the average highs. Summer months are hot and humid, but the winter months are cooler with  an occasional snow in the winter.
Cleared Employer to Watch Boeing, Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, CACI, BAE Systems
Highlighted Job Next Generation IT (NGIT) with T-Rex Solutions – Cloud DevOpps engineers, enterprise architects, and even more – they’re all in demand for contracts in St. Louis.

 

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Lindy Kyzer is the director of content at ClearanceJobs.com. Have a conference, tip, or story idea to share? Email lindy.kyzer@clearancejobs.com. Interested in writing for ClearanceJobs.com? Learn more here.. @LindyKyzer