Anyone who has access to classified data requires a security clearance. While there are different levels of security clearances, there are also many different industries and specific jobs that require them. The kinds of cleared jobs for the U.S. federal government and government contractors run the gamut from counterintelligence analysts to janitorial workers and everything in between. More than half of all federal jobs require some level of security clearance, and in total, there are nearly 4.5 million Americans with jobs requiring clearance, according to a 2019 NPR story.
And a security clearance translates into big bucks. Having a security clearance can increase your salary – depending on your skill set, the type of job and the clearance level – by anywhere from 10 percent to 25 percent, compared to someone who does not have a clearance. Typically, the higher the clearance level, the higher the pay. According to a 2018 report from clearancejobs.com, the average annual compensation in cleared jobs by industry is as follows:
| Industry | Average Annual Compensation |
| Engineering | $102,012 |
| IT | $99,278 |
| Finance | $90,282 |
| Intel | $88,933 |
| Emergency Management | $87,970 |
| Construction | $87,676 |
| Health & Science | $84,130 |
| Business | $83,738 |
| Security (non-IT) | $82,622 |
| Visual and Creative | $82,109 |
| Logistics | $77,071 |
It is also true that salaries in some regions are higher than others. The U.S. Department of Labor and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics provides comprehensive hourly wage information at the national, state and local levels. Another resource is PayScale. This database, available at no charge, gives compensation information for specific job titles. Below are sample annual compensation figures that provide national and regional average salaries (from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2018 estimates):
| Industry | Occupation | National Average for Annual Compensation | Regional* Average for Annual Compensation |
| Engineering | Aerospace Engineers | $117,100 | $131,110 |
| Chemical Engineers | $114,470 | $119,610 | |
| Electrical Engineers | $101,600 | $110,310 | |
| Environmental Engineers | $92,640 | $96,960 | |
| Materials Engineers | $96,930 | $110,050 | |
| Mechanical Engineers | $92,800 | $107,200 | |
| Marine Engineers and Naval Architects | $98,970 | $111,370 | |
| IT | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $152,860 | $153,690 |
| Computer and Information Research Scientists | $123,850 | $124,320 | |
| Computer Systems Analyst | $93,610 | $97,690 | |
| Computer Programmers | $89,580 | $89,500 | |
| Software Developers, Systems Software | $114,000 | $121,190 | |
| Web Developers | $75,580 | $77,340 | |
| Network and Computer Systems Administrators | $87,070 | $111,490 | |
| Computer Network Architects | $111,130 | $130,900 | |
| Computer Network Support Specialists | $68,050 | $74,850 | |
| Finance | Accountants and Auditors | $78,820 | $83,160 |
| Cost Estimators | $69,710 | $73,180 | |
| Budget Analysts | $79,830 | $83,770 | |
| Financial Analysts | $100,090 | $90,020 | |
| Intel | Information Security Analysts | $102,470 | $110,340 |
| Emergency Management | Emergency Management Directors | $82,570 | $97,050 |
| Construction | Construction Managers | $103,110 | $107,580 |
| Brickmasons and Blockmasons | $54,430 | $48,780 | |
| Carpenters | $51,120 | $48,860 | |
| Construction Laborers | $40,350 | $34,910 | |
| Electricians | $59,190 | $53,000 | |
| Health & Science | Medical and Health Services Managers | $113,730 | $126,709 |
| Microbiologists | $81,150 | $84,160 | |
| Atmospheric and Space Scientists | $95,580 | $99,680 | |
| Business | Buyers and Purchasing Agents | $67,530 | $71,270 |
| Human Resource Specialists | $66,790 | $74,220 | |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | $70,960 | $64,690 | |
| Security (non-IT) | Security Guards | $32,050 | $33,300 |
| Police and Sheriff’s Patrol Officers | $65,400 | $68,230 | |
| Visual and Creative | Commercial and Industrial Designers | $71,430 | $60,670 |
| Graphic Designers | $54,680 | $55,180 | |
| Photographers | $42,770 | $40,170 | |
| Logistics | Logisticians | $78,730 | $89,330 |
| Industrial Production Managers | $113,370 | $126,910 | |
| Operations Research Analysts | $88,250 | $98,670 | |
| General and Operations Managers | $123,880 | $137,360 |
* Regional average includes the following Maryland counties: Anne Arundel, Baltimore County, Baltimore City, Carroll, Harford, Howard, Queen Anne’s
There are many other reasons why salaries vary:
One mistake job seekers make when looking at the amount of a salary is to not factor in other benefits they will receive, such as health care. Many positions have a benefits package that may contain:
It is important to find out the terms of benefits, such as who is covered, when coverage starts, which benefits are taxable, and if benefits that may not be wanted or needed now can be added at a later date. When evaluating a job offer, it is essential to understand the total salary package.
| Occupation | Average Salary |
| ENGINEERING – SYSTEMS Aerospace, Avionics, Geospatial, Modeling, Simulation, Management | $134,429 |
| IT – SOFTWARE Development, Web, Engineering, Management | $131,991 |
| MANAGEMENT Team Lead, project manager, Program Manager, Supervisor | $127,950 |
| BUSINESS – SALES Business Development, Account Management | $127,448 |
| ENGINEERING – CIVIL Architectural, Environmental, Control, Structural, Transportation, Water, Construction, Management | $125,143 |
