What is the value of a Secret security clearance in the software engineering job market?

July 3, 2006 6:58 AM

What is the value of a Secret security clearance in the software engineering job market?

For a software engineer near Washington DC, from entry-level to about 5 years of experience, what would you estimate the value of Secret security clearance? For example if two equally qualified candidates apply for a job, except one has the clearance, what difference in pay could that person expect?

posted by bangitliketmac to work & money (9 comments total)

Does the position require any clearnace? If not, I'd expect there's little to no value. If the company would have to obtain clearance for any hires, then already having it would definately be a benefit, though I'm not sure how much that would be worth. Figure the cost of the application process, and maybe salary over the waiting time (not sure if new hires can actaully do the work they were hired for until the clearance is approved)
posted by blind.wombat at 7:06 AM on July 3, 2006

Working in the private sector, I wouldn't think there'd be a lot of value there. I would imagine if you got work with the gubmint or a contractor (Raytheon, etc) there would be some value there, but unless the company you work for does anything that requires you to use that security clearance, I wouldn't expect there to be a big pay differential.

I'm neither an employment expert nor an employer, though, so YMMV.
posted by pdb at 7:07 AM on July 3, 2006

My first job out of University involved weapons research, and Secret clearance was available simply by filling out an application. It was pretty straightforward as far as I recall, as long as you had passable credit / no convictions I believe that is almost a rubber stamp (problems, of course, would arise if you lied on the application).

Based on my experience I wouldn't expect a large difference in pay as Secret was fairly easy to get (it might have changed though). Now levels above Secret were a different matter with more involved clearance processes sometimes involving multiple interviews with yourself, family and neighbours (as an aside, if you've got a clearance above Secret you're not supposed to tell anyone).
posted by Mutant at 7:13 AM on July 3, 2006

If the job doesn't require secret clearance? Nothing.
posted by blag at 7:48 AM on July 3, 2006

I have several govt clearances, and I'm not sure it's correct to try and apply a monetary value to it. Think of it in terms of a skill:

If you have it, you may be considered for a job that requires it over others who do not.

As blag said, for a job that doesn't require it, it will not be of any value, monetary or otherwise, unless perhaps it's a consulting type gig where they may want to make use of that in the future for other contracts.

That being said, a clearance does open up your job seeking opportunities in DC, and that is of some value by itself, IMO.
posted by poppo at 8:25 AM on July 3, 2006

I would think there is some value simply as a kind of recommendation. I once sublet a room on craigslist and one of the applicants had high security clearance, with a special passport even, and I took him because I figured he wouldn't cause any problems.
posted by StickyCarpet at 8:56 AM on July 3, 2006

What is the value of a Secret security clearance in the software engineering job market?

Huge. There's more jobs that require clearances than there are people with them, meaning it's a seller's market. I could do exactly what I do now for 40% more if I had an active clearance. I could make what I make now for sitting in front of a monitor and watching a scroll if I had... etc.

For example if two equally qualified candidates apply for a job, except one has the clearance, what difference in pay could that person expect?

In this context it's no benefit, or perhaps a negative one. If someone applied for a no-clearance-required job with us and they had an active clearance they would likely be viewed with skepticism. Why do you want this lower paying job, buddy? We certainly wouldn't pay someone clearance wages for a non-clearance jobs.

Or more accurately, we'd push them into one of our clearance jobs.
posted by phearlez at 12:18 PM on July 3, 2006

http://www.clearancejobs.com/
posted by BillsR100 at 5:04 PM on July 3, 2006

Surely it has some sort of cool value, which we would all agree is quiet invaluable.
posted by oxford blue at 5:28 PM on July 3, 2006