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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
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