For engineers, a Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information, or TS/SCI, clearance is more than just a background check — it is a high-value career credential. This represents the highest level of federal security vetting, combining a Top Secret background investigation with authorization to access highly restricted data known as Sensitive Compartmented Information. This credential confirms an individual’s reliability to handle intelligence that is vital to national security. In a landscape where technology and national security are inextricably linked, holding this level of clearance places professionals in an elite tier of the workforce. Because the vetting process is both time-consuming and expensive for employers to sponsor, cleared engineers are in perpetual demand.
As private companies increasingly handle critical infrastructure and sensitive government data, the cleared job market has diversified, expanding beyond defense contractors and government agencies into nearly every major industry. TS/SCI clearance can serve as a “golden ticket” that offers unparalleled job security for a software developer, systems architect or hardware specialist. Companies are no longer just looking for technical skills; they are looking for trusted experts who can step into high-stakes environments on day one.
The following list highlights the top companies currently hiring engineers with TS/SCI clearance, offering a glimpse into where technical expertise and security clearance can take professionals next.
Companies Hiring Engineers With TS/SCI Clearance
- Lockheed Martin
- Northrop Grumman
- Boeing
- SpaceX
- Leidos
- Sierra Space
- True Anomaly
Companies Hiring Engineers With TS/SCI Clearance
STR is a research-intensive technology company that specializes in sensing, data science and cybersecurity solutions for the national security community. Its engineers bridge the gap between academic research and practical application, building advanced algorithms and prototypes for signal processing, automated decision-making and other use cases.
True Anomaly focuses on building hardware and software tools designed to protect interests in the orbital domain. Its engineers develop autonomous spacecraft and tactical software that provide maritime-style domain awareness for space-based assets. Holding a TS/SCI clearance at True Anomaly allows engineers to work on the front lines of space defense, creating systems that identify and respond to orbital threats in real time.
Lockheed Martin is a security and aerospace firm known for developing many of the world’s most advanced defense systems, including the F-35 Lightning II. The company’s engineers specialize in aeronautics, missiles and fire control, often working within the Skunk Works division on highly classified aerospace innovations. Engineers with top-level clearances are essential for the firm’s work in hypersonic technology, directed energy and integrated multi-domain operations.
Sierra Space is a commercial space company dedicated to building the infrastructure required for the future of the orbital economy. Its developments include the Dream Chaser spaceplane and fuel-efficient propulsion systems. Engineers here are responsible for working on end-to-end space applications, ranging from habitation modules to satellite systems that support national security.
Northrop Grumman, a fixture in the defense industry, delivers innovative systems for undersea, outer space and everywhere in between. Engineers at the company tackle massive projects like the B-21 Raider and the James Webb Space Telescope and enable advancements in stealth technology and multifunction sensors. Roles requiring TS/SCI clearance typically involve cyber engineering, signals intelligence and the maintenance of secure data links for global reconnaissance missions.
SpaceX aims to revolutionize space travel through its Starship and Falcon rocket programs, with an increasing focus on national security via its Starshield business unit. Engineers at SpaceX build and maintain vertically integrated launch systems and satellite constellations designed for secure government communications. Cleared personnel work at the intersection of rapid commercial innovation and sensitive defense requirements, ensuring reliable orbital access for critical payloads.
Aerospace and defense company Boeing develops commercial aircraft, defense platforms and space systems. Engineers at Boeing work on high-stakes projects ranging from autonomous systems and military rotorcraft to the next generation of satellite communications. Those with TS/SCI clearance are often integrated into Phantom Works, the company’s advanced prototyping arm that focuses on designing and testing classified technologies.
Leidos is a Fortune 500 information technology and engineering firm that solves complex challenges across defense, intelligence, health and other markets. For engineers with TS/SCI clearance, work frequently centers on mission-critical intelligence analysis tools, cybersecurity operations and the modernization of legacy government systems.
Turion Space is a startup focused on developing space infrastructure solutions, with an emphasis on enabling innovation across space domain awareness, in-space servicing and debris mitigation. Engineers with high-level clearances at Turion work on advancing space situational awareness and contribute to missions involving the protection and maintenance of government satellites.
Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Colorado, Caliola Engineering employs systems, security and software engineers who aim to address mission-critical challenges for the U.S. government. Its TS/SCI-cleared engineers are vital for developing the secure architectures that ensure military leaders can communicate effectively, even in highly contested electronic environments.
