There are a lot of good reasons to move to Florida. Great winter weather translates to year-round boating and outdoor activities. Financially, there is no state tax on income, Social Security benefits, pensions, IRAs, 401(k)s, inheritance, or estates. Food and medicine are not taxed either. Cities like Clearwater, Sarasota, Fort Meyer, and Destin frequently are among the top 10 best places to live.
Top 7 Cleared Hubs and Military Bases in the Sunshine State
Your best bet for a transitional job may be at one of the numerous military bases and joint facilities around the state. Regardless of your military experience, you can find a job in the Sunshine State. With beautiful white sand and emerald waters, Florida’s beaches make the top 10 list, every year. If you have been dreaming of the beach and living in vacation land, let’s talk about how you can get to Florida.
1. MacDill Air Force Bases (AFB) – Tampa
Don’t be fooled by the name. If you are affiliated with the Army or the Marine Corps, this may be your best bet in Florida. With two Combatant Commands and several component commands, you can find work here. The commands are constantly looking for contractors with backgrounds in IT, intelligence, operations, planning and finance. Many other openings within contract administration, R&D and logistics are constantly being listed. Booz Allen, Jacobs, and CACI are just a few of the contract organizations with openings listed on ClearanceJobs.com at U.S. Special Operations Command and Central Command.
2. The Emerald Coast
If you like the beaches, you will know why the Navy picked Pensacola and why the Air Force calls Fort Walton Beach home. The 100-mile Emerald Coast is created from small quartz particles forming the whitest beaches in the world. There are over 550 jobs available between Eglin AFB, Hurlburt Field, and Pensacola Naval Air Station (NAS), with all major contractors.
3. Jacksonville
The Navy infiltrated Jacksonville many years ago and has yet to leave. With the beautiful beaches and relatively inexpensive cost of living, bases like NAS Jacksonville and Mayport continue to be popular spots for contractors leaving the service. KBR, BAE, and Amentum all have openings in area, with offerings from contract administration to material handling to aviation maintenance. Jacksonville is known to be a top commercial logistics center, so finding a job as a contractor may be a great place to transition into a civilian career.
4. Orlando
This is a modeling and simulations haven. The Army’s Program Executive Office Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation (PEO STRI) is located here along with the Naval Air Warfare Center Training Systems Division (NAWCTSD) and other military organizations. These government entities have spawned tremendous R&D growth in Orlando from most major contract organizations. Beside tourism, health care and the University, the defense industry continues to be one of Orlando’s major employers, with over 650 current job offerings currently on ClearanceJobs.
5. Patrick AFB and Cape Canaveral
Have you dreamed of getting involved with the space program? You can do it here! You will be surprised how relevant you are. Also, many of the entry level positions offer on-the-job training. From aerospace engineers to aviation mechanics and technicians, Patrick AFB and the Cape are constantly hiring, and SpaceX currently offers hundreds of positions on job boards.
6. Homestead Air Force Base (AFB) – Miami
If you like Art Deco, beautiful water, lots of sun, and enjoy the Spanish culture, you will love living and working in Miami. This is home to U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM). This joint command along with associated component commands generally have openings with all branches of the service represented. Contract organizations such as Jacobs and General Dynamics have multiple current offerings in planning, operations, and IT.
7. Key West
Along with Naval Air Station Key West, on Boca Chica Key, you will also find the Joint Interagency Task Force South, a component of SOUTHCOM at the Truman Annex. This means if you have experience with another service, it is possible to get a position in the Keys. If you are interested in more than night life, you may very well find a job with GDIT or BTS on the island. Network engineers, help desk technicians, and software developers are all listed with ClearanceJobs currently. Remember when negotiating salary – Key West is expensive!
Word of Caution
I have lived in Florida for almost 20 years. It is a lovely place – but be advised, Florida is not for everyone. If you are willing to endure the alligators, spiders, pigmy rattlers, snowbirds, and hurricanes, you may come to love Florida, like so many other transplants.
