tavarich
02-11-06, 12:30 AM
DES MOINES, Iowa, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- The leading Internet-based job board for professionals with U.S. government security clearances, today announced the results of a new Security Clearance Jobs Salary Survey. A first of its kind, this unique survey found that security- cleared professionals can expect to earn approximately 24% more than their non-cleared counterparts with similar skills, with an average salary of $65,684.
Key findings of the survey include:
-- A candidate's earning potential directly correlates to their level of security clearance, with higher cleared candidates earning more
-- Metro Washington, D.C. dominates the top ten highest paid locations for security clearance jobs
-- Security-cleared professionals with polygraphs earn approximately $10,000 more per year than cleared candidates without one
-- The salary gender gap is smaller between male and female security-cleared professionals as compared to the gender gap for uncleared men
and women
-- Security-cleared IT and engineering professionals make up most of the top twenty highest paid careers
Salaries for candidates with security clearances have been on the rise since September 11th, 2001. "New initiatives in homeland security and defense and wars on multiple fronts, coupled with the newly proposed $439.3 billion government defense budget, have fueled the marketability for U.S. workers with active security clearances. Additionally security clearance jobs have defied the country's slow employment trend, and currently there are more available jobs than cleared candidates to fill them."
The salary survey found that a candidate's earning power increases in direct correlation to his or her security clearance level. Professionals holding the highest level active clearances issued by the National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Department of Energy are also the highest paid, earning a national average salary of $92,500 and $102,500 respectively.
As the primary location for most defense industry employers and home of the Federal government, the metro Washington D.C. area represents a significant portion of the survey's highest paying locations. Surveyed candidates in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia reported average yearly salaries of $89,111, $77,108, and $70,072 respectively. Other top earning states included Ohio ($86,111), New Mexico ($83,888) and New York ($80,937).
Internationally, candidates willing to work in Iraq reported a yearly average salary of $92,142, an amount signaling that high pay comes with high risk.
The survey also found that a security clearance has a leveling effect on the salary gap between men and women. Polled women with security clearances earn .85 cents to every one dollar cleared men earn. In comparison, uncleared women earn .77 cents to every one dollar uncleared men earn.
Security-cleared professionals in management roles earned the highest salaries, with IT Management-Executives receiving an average of $105,000 and IT Management-Project Manager earning $92,750. Following closely behind were Software Development positions ($91,666) and Engineering-Telecommunications ($88,750).
Key findings of the survey include:
-- A candidate's earning potential directly correlates to their level of security clearance, with higher cleared candidates earning more
-- Metro Washington, D.C. dominates the top ten highest paid locations for security clearance jobs
-- Security-cleared professionals with polygraphs earn approximately $10,000 more per year than cleared candidates without one
-- The salary gender gap is smaller between male and female security-cleared professionals as compared to the gender gap for uncleared men
and women
-- Security-cleared IT and engineering professionals make up most of the top twenty highest paid careers
Salaries for candidates with security clearances have been on the rise since September 11th, 2001. "New initiatives in homeland security and defense and wars on multiple fronts, coupled with the newly proposed $439.3 billion government defense budget, have fueled the marketability for U.S. workers with active security clearances. Additionally security clearance jobs have defied the country's slow employment trend, and currently there are more available jobs than cleared candidates to fill them."
The salary survey found that a candidate's earning power increases in direct correlation to his or her security clearance level. Professionals holding the highest level active clearances issued by the National Security Agency, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Department of Energy are also the highest paid, earning a national average salary of $92,500 and $102,500 respectively.
As the primary location for most defense industry employers and home of the Federal government, the metro Washington D.C. area represents a significant portion of the survey's highest paying locations. Surveyed candidates in Maryland, D.C., and Virginia reported average yearly salaries of $89,111, $77,108, and $70,072 respectively. Other top earning states included Ohio ($86,111), New Mexico ($83,888) and New York ($80,937).
Internationally, candidates willing to work in Iraq reported a yearly average salary of $92,142, an amount signaling that high pay comes with high risk.
The survey also found that a security clearance has a leveling effect on the salary gap between men and women. Polled women with security clearances earn .85 cents to every one dollar cleared men earn. In comparison, uncleared women earn .77 cents to every one dollar uncleared men earn.
Security-cleared professionals in management roles earned the highest salaries, with IT Management-Executives receiving an average of $105,000 and IT Management-Project Manager earning $92,750. Following closely behind were Software Development positions ($91,666) and Engineering-Telecommunications ($88,750).