With defense spending and the economy flying high, unemployment is low. That means it’s a tough marketplace for recruiters looking to hire security-cleared professionals. The 2018 ClearanceJobs Compensation Survey asked cleared candidates state by state about their pay – for all clearance levels and polygraph statuses. These articles not only break down salaries in states with the largest cleared workforces, but give a comprehensive view of the wider jobs landscape of each state. They are meant to offer insight to both the cleared recruiter and cleared professional.
The reports not only discuss the current hiring environment, but upcoming challenges and opportunities for the future. For example:
- Which states show the biggest salary growth for security-cleared professionals?
- The Army has chosen Austin, TX for the site of the new Army Futures Command headquarters. How will this impact cleared salaries and job opportunities in Texas?
- Will Colorado’s university aerospace education programs build out a dependable pipeline of cleared employees?
- What worrisome trend should recruiters in Maryland be aware of as they’re trying to fill positions?
- Despite the end of the Cold War and Obama-era cuts in defense spending, is the California aerospace industry poised for a renaissance?
- Virginia has the highest mean base salary for security-cleared employees – but why are the booming salary statistics for the Old Dominion a little misleading?
All these topics and more can be found in these thorough survey summaries. See how your state stacks up in the reports below.
This survey was administered online between October 30, 2017 and February 9, 2018. Participants had to have a current, active federal security clearance and be currently employed to be included in the results, which included 20,883 usable responses.
Aerospace and Defense Is Growing Steady in the Heart of Dixie
Today, Alabama is home to more than 300 companies, including industry giants such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, GE Aviation, Raytheon, and GKN Aerospace. But like most other states across the nation, it’s a struggle to find enough cleared talent.
Cleared Salaries on the Rise in the California
California has the greatest overall salary growth in the nation for security-cleared professionals. With increasing defense budgets and the expansion of the aerospace industry, the future is looking bright for the Golden State.
Low Unemployment Presents Challenges in the Rocky Mountain State
In 2017, the Centennial State ranked number one in the nation for private aerospace employment. The Denver-metro area now has the highest concentration of private-sector aerospace employment in the country. This is just part of the reason that Colorado is one of the fastest growing economies in the country.
Security Cleared Salaries Are Flattening in D.C.
Cleared salaries in the nation’s capital are in a lull. Job growth is steady, but not great. Salaries are being driven up by intense competition for talent, but not excessively. But in all, it’s a good life for security-cleared professionals in D.C.
Mostly Sunny with a Chance of Clouds for Cleared Workers in Florida
With spiking job opportunities expected to continue into the next several years, there may just be one problem with cleared professionals in Florida: there aren’t enough of them.
Clearance Salaries in Maryland Show Slowing Salary Growth
Though investment in Maryland aerospace hasn’t disappeared, cleared workers in Maryland are not seeing much in the way of salary growth – despite all-time lows in unemployment.
Texas Offers Diverse Options for the Cleared Employee
With a relatively low cost of living, bustling tech and aerospace industries, as well as the future home of U.S. Army Futures Command, Texas is a good place to be a cleared professional.
A Tale of Two Virginias
Virginia boasts the highest salaries in the nation for security-cleared workers. But while salaries are large and jobs abound in Northern Virginia, that’s not the whole story.