Military Careers, Second Careers - Army Times

Survey shows pay up 6 percent for security clearance jobs

Average salaries for security-cleared civilians working in the defense industry rose about 6 percent over those reported in a previous survey, according to data published March 27 by the Web site ClearanceJobs.com.

The fourth annual survey gathered data from 4,200 government and private-sector employees registered on the job-search site between March 20, 2007, and Feb. 20, 2008.

“It’s the highest increase seen yet from survey to survey,” ClearanceJobs.com director Evan Lesser said. Salaries could be going up because the pool of security-cleared candidates is getting smaller.

“Baby boomers are retiring in significant numbers and taking their security clearances with them,” Lesser said.

The survey also found that people in the top 20 highest-paid job categories earned an average 22 percent more with a security clearance than people doing the same job without one — the same figure separating private-sector government contractors from government employees with the same levels of clearance.

Massachusetts, Ohio and Hawaii joined the study’s top 10 states with the highest pay for people with a security clearance, replacing Arizona, Pennsylvania and New York.

“Attracting candidates to places like Ohio or Omaha, Neb., you have to pay candidates more,” Lesser said.

The Washington, D.C., metro area held its No. 1 spot among states. The Crystal City, Va., neighborhood showed the greatest increase in salaries in metro D.C., at nearly 19 percent over the previous year.

Further findings show salaries differ by:

Clearance level

• Department of Energy

Average salary: $100,600

Percentage increase over the previous survey: None

• NSA or CIA issued

Average salary: $94,677

Percentage increase over the previous survey: 6 percent

• Top secret

Average salary: $76,414

Percentage increase over the previous survey: 8 percent

• Secret

Average salary: $65,425

Percentage increase over the previous survey: 6 percent

• Confidential

Average salary: $64,375

Percentage increase over the previous survey: 12 percent

Polygraph level

• Lifestyle or full scope:

Average salary: $87,863

Percentage increase over the previous survey: 6 percent

• Counterintelligence

Average salary: $80,162

Percentage increase over the previous survey: 10 percent

• No polygraph

Average salary: $71,110

Percentage increase over the previous survey: 6 percent

Gender

• Male

Average salary: $74,033

•Female

Average salary: $65,228