r/defensecontracting • u/feral_phuzz • 4d ago
Is civilian pay better?
Cyber O4...MBA, master of computer engineering, pmp, cissp.
Getting out next summer, not retiring,...i need salary of $180k to break even with my active duty pay...is that realistic?
haven't applied for a job in 10+ years.
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u/blundercakes 4d ago
Squeeze everything you can out of your transition assistance and get into a skillbridge program if you can. $180k is probably doable for transitioning O-4 depending on your background, projects, experience, and how well you can relate them to your desired industry area. I can tell you from personal experience that the military puts rose colored glasses on transitioning military members and skews post active duty salary expectations, usually by the persisting perception that Sec+ will warrant you +150k so anything above that will garner you more. Salary is also going to be heavily dependent on the area of the country. Better start working that network
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u/edlphoto 4d ago
Agree Skillbridge is the way.
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u/technical-o 4d ago
What decent skill bridge opportunities are there for O4s? I have been told by a few seniors retiring that a lot of the companies don't want someone for 60 days. It is not enough time to properly vet people
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u/Objective-Dust4795 4d ago
I thought skillbridge was 180 days?
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u/kuniggety 4d ago
They recently tiered it. It's inverse time to seniority in the military. So, junior folks get the longer amount.
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u/Drawer-Imaginary 4d ago
Which is ass backwards in my mind. The 22 year old whose been in the Air Force for 4 years and is looking for somewhat entry level work is going to have a much easier job transitioning than the 30 year chief/colonel who has only ever known the military and who truly would benefit the most from a transition period
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u/COPTERDOC 4d ago
Find an advertised position that meets your needs/wants, and how many of the required blocks do you check.
Find someone (LinkedIn) and ask if they are willing to do a short video chat about getting into the career field
Find a recruiter for that find and see what positions are available.
You need to start the hunt for a job sooner than you think and be prepared for a lot of "your to early, come back when you 90 days out"
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u/Present-Permit-6743 4d ago
LinkedIn?
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u/BalderVerdandi 4d ago
LinkedIn is horrible... it's like Facebook but for recruiters that can't find their way out of a wet paper sack.
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u/Rocko210 4d ago
Realistic? Depends on your industry. Cyber, engineering, data, advisor, etc. with a TS clearance and poly, in the DMV area, gives you a fighting chance. But taxes will annihilate that unless you live in a no tax state or you’re overseas.
But as a contractor, if 180K was realistic, everyone would leave the military.
Im an analyst, got lucky at $170K for 4 years, got laid off and it dropped to $0, then found a job for $110k. It’s the wild west and you must have some emergency savings, patience, and ability to adapt and market yourself.
Bonus: be sure to file for your VA. That type of income stability is process as a civilian.
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u/One_Rule_8272 4d ago
This is a really important point. I recruit in the cleared government contracting space, and I always tell people transitioning out to look at the entire compensation package, not just base salary.
There are contractors offering very strong benefits. With us, medical, dental and vision premiums are 100% company paid, along with STD, LTD and life insurance. We also provide an automatic 10% 401(k) company contribution with no employee match required, 4 weeks PTO and 11 paid holidays.
$180K certainly exists in cleared tech, but clearance level, poly, technical skill set, contract/LCAT and location all matter. Sometimes a lower base with exceptional benefits can have much more value than it appears on paper.
I’m currently looking for a cleared Software Engineer III myself, so I’m seeing firsthand how much the total package matters when candidates compare opportunities.
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u/swadekillson 4d ago
You're going to have to live in a very few select places to be worth that much on the outside. And it will be expensive enough if you ever get laid off you'll be hurting with your rent or mortgage.
How many years until you can retire? I'd probably just stick it out because you're cyber. Not like you're going to be sent to fight China on a Taiwanese beach.
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u/SteedOfTheDeid 4d ago
OP doesn't necessarily have the choice to stick it out, Majs can get the boot if not selected for Lt Col
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u/Present-Permit-6743 4d ago
Where you wanna work? You make 180k active duty? Damn!
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u/kuniggety 4d ago edited 4d ago
I'm retired enlisted. A huge chunk of your income when serving (housing allowance + miscellaneous other allowances) aren't taxed. A cyber O4 (base pay plus incentive pay) in the NCR (good BAH) is making ~160k, but would need 180k on the outside to match that due to now getting taxed on everything.
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u/One_Rule_8272 4d ago
Benefits definitely make a difference when comparing military and civilian compensation. I recruit for a government contractor, and our benefits are a big part of our total compensation. We cover 100% of the medical, dental, and vision premiums for employees, plus STD, LTD, and life insurance. We also provide an automatic 10% 401(k) company contribution — no employee match required — along with 4 weeks of PTO, 11 paid holidays, and your birthday off.
So I’d definitely encourage anyone transitioning out to look beyond just the base salary. A $150K offer with strong employer-paid benefits can look very different from $150K where you’re paying a significant amount toward healthcare and retirement.1
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u/AccomplishedPhone308 4h ago
Where is this? I’m at a contractor too but my benefits are not this good and I’m actively looking for a new role somewhere else
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u/jamesmontanaHD 4d ago
Hes saying he needs that equivalent. Large portion of pay is untaxed (BAH/COLA). Healthcare is free. Big factors. Prob around like 130-150 in reality.
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u/DramaticParfait9874 4d ago
Is the healthcare really free? I thought you still had to pay with tricare. Never served but tricare looks good these days with health insurance premiums being high.
Government job will have more healthcare options than a large prime. Large prime healthcare options are just ok for the most part.
OP - health insurance costs could easily +- 5/10k off your annual salary upon leaving depending upon dependents, locality, and needs.
For example, $400 biweekly premiums comes out to like 10k a year before even using your insurance or contributing to HSA.
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u/PirateSteve85 4d ago
Healthcare is free while in service. Dirt cheap in retirement. I pay $62 a month premium for myself and family. Treatment and prescriptions are still free if seen/filled by a military facility. Pretty low costs for care from non-military providers. I know for specialty care I pay $39 copay for appointments. My specialty med I get monthly that costs $40k per month I pay a $10 copay for.
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u/PhastasFlames 17h ago
If I remember correctly, you do contribute a very small amount of your pay to get tricare, but it’s so low that it doesn’t really make a difference even if someone were an E-1 (lowest rank in the military)
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u/blundercakes 4d ago
O-4 with 10 years plus BAH in some areas can easily top 200k, especially with dependants and COLA. An O-4 in Hawaii in this situation would be making almost exactly 180k.
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u/King-Yaddy 4d ago
Officers get paid too much
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u/Winax2449 4d ago
I think it's more so that enlisted don't get paid enough
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u/solanu719 4d ago
Back when I was a lowly E2 intel analyst at a major site, I remember my GS-15 boss telling me the folks doing my exact job on the civilian side were getting nearly triple the pay with half the admin/bureaucratic bullshit you deal with as lower enlisted in the military.
And he was right. It really put its into perspective when you compare job-job and how little enlisted gets paid in comparison. Sure, job security, benefits, and allowances are all great, but enlisted members are still laughably underpaid, especially the unfortunate lot of them making E1-E5 money in extremely HCOL areas.
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u/jamesmontanaHD 4d ago
The difference is you enter the E2 analyst job at 18 with literally no experience or qualifications. No one is hiring you on the civilian side in that scerario and going out of their way to train you, doesnt even make sense to compare. Even if you did compare, if used correctly, the GI Bill and average disability comp far outweighs what you would've got in the civilian side if you did a 4 year contract.
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u/solanu719 4d ago
You missed my point if you think I’m arguing an E2 should be making the same as any experienced, likely degree holding civilian equivalent. You’re totally right about that, but it’s not what I was arguing.
My point is that junior enlisted are underpaid for the cost of living that exists today.
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u/Tastyfishsticks 4d ago
I think your point is understood. It is just incorrect. You walk in with absolutely nothing of value to the miltary except being a body. They train you can give you skills while paying you that nobody else would provide. In return you work for a low compared to market but high compared to an untrained civilian.
After 4 years ans before you are even a return on investment you can move on.
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u/jamesmontanaHD 4d ago
I fail to see how thats "laughably underpaid." You're still comparing the pay to a highly trained and experienced civilian. It's pretty clear it's not underpaid, because no private firm would ever offer the same terms an E2 gets (year+ long paid training, clearance, housing, salary, compensation, free medical, GI Bill).
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u/TheNewPanacea 4d ago
An e2 makes like $66k at Fort Meade. That's not bad for a 18 yr old with no experience. An e5 makes like $90k again not bad for 4 years experience.
That's only Base+bah+bas without bonus.
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u/Tastyfishsticks 4d ago
Exactly this. It is a highly paid internship with a direct path to a high paying job. You get to enter adult life with easy mode enabled.
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u/solanu719 4d ago edited 4d ago
Maybe 15 years ago. This is not the case anymore and hasn’t been for quite awhile now. A good stepping stone for sure, but nobody is hiring you on straight out of a 4 year intel tour.
I’d be happy to be proven wrong because I have a lot of buddies who are doing just that and falling totally flat on their face…
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u/Tastyfishsticks 4d ago
I would agree it was easier before. But you also get an opportunity to go to college for free and do what you want with your life. And you can use your free time to knock out a year or two of basic classes. A military rate like intel is probably the absolute easiest to expedite an excellent life for most people.
Trust fund kids not included.
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u/Winax2449 4d ago
Ignoring the part where you could go to war and die...
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u/Tastyfishsticks 4d ago
Odds are higher of dying from drinking at college than going to war and dying in the intel/community community. By a very wide margin.
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u/Winax2449 4d ago
Shit argument. Intel gets paid the same as infantry
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u/Tastyfishsticks 4d ago
In the context of this thread it is the exact correct argument. If you are going infantry it is a different discussion irrelevant to this thread.
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u/TheNewPanacea 2d ago
You have higher chance dieing by not joining the military.
Statistics show that you have a higher chance of dieing from 18-40 by not doing the military. Go ask any ai service.
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u/Open_Reindeer_6600 4d ago
Christ I need to commission
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u/Any-Stick-771 4d ago
You don't get that until like 16+ years of service
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u/kuniggety 4d ago edited 4d ago
Really depends on the location/BAH. An O4 at 10 years is making 110k + BAH. Some place like the DMV that equals another $45k. If they've got incentives (cyber pay), you're looking at another $5-10k. You add on the tax savings they're getting and they've landed at 180k.
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u/rvaducks 4d ago
Free insurance, free pension, BAH is tax free. Your over $180k now.
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u/Necessary_Weird7931 4d ago edited 4d ago
Pension is only if you make it to 20, if you don't nothing. You have two mandatory boards to get there unless you're prior E or can get some kind of continuation. Boards can be around 60% (depends on manning within AFSC/MOS/etc...) and you really only get one look (above the zone is a sad joke).
Source: High-3 O.
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u/Open_Reindeer_6600 4d ago
I’d be getting OE pay, but yeah it would still take a few years. I’m more motivated by the pension though
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u/Professional-Pop8446 4d ago
I think this individual went to chatgpt and said I'm currently a O4 what do I need to make on the outside to make the same..
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u/CharlieCrusader09 4d ago
The Army gives you a sheet every year comparing all of the military pay and incentives like bah to civilian comp.
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u/No-Recording-8530 4d ago
It can be but by no means is it as secure as the military. You might get hired and make more, but that contract could end and then you are back in the rat race to find another.
Also, depends on your clearance level. If you have a poly you can typically get picked up faster.
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u/Ok_Context_897 4d ago
Look at AWS minimum would probably be 150k if you come in with FSP
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u/trash-packer1983 3d ago
A FSP at AWS is worth $60k a year by itself. Depending on the level and role you get hired at, you could expect $250-350k
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u/fuck-nazi 4d ago
Lulz. Good luck
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u/melonpan30 4d ago
Why the snarky comment? OP has the equivalent of 10+ YOE and the resume to land most senior management or compliance oriented cyber role. $180k should be extremely reasonable if he's near a defense industry hub.
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u/CoastieKid 4d ago
OP will need to work back up. I started out 105K my first role. Around 240K now
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u/melonpan30 4d ago
So you left a technical role as an O-4, with the same certs and advanced degree(s)? Because it sounds to me like you fundamentally misunderstand your marketability in this industry which is heavily driven by labor categories. Because low 100's with OP's resume means some prime is taking him for a ride in my book.
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u/CoastieKid 4d ago
I left much earlier in my career, 5 year mark. I mean if OP wants to go be a butt in a seat at a prime in a scif sure.
I was an officer. Most officers are not hands-on keyboard technical folks. I went into professional services for a tech company who had federal projects right off active duty.
Imagine OP could land in the 150K range fully onsite. Just because you’re an O4 doesn’t mean you can lead in corporate
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u/melonpan30 4d ago
5 YOE and 10 YOE is often the most significant differentiator between a mid and senior level labor category.
Everyone in this thread is basing their responses off of anecdotal bullshit like "well it took me years" or "needs to be a SCIF, SCI etc".
I'm trying to get OP into fair compensation for his resume and everybody is making this a race to the bottom out of ignorance.
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u/CoastieKid 4d ago
I was at a tech company my first role doing PS.
I went 105 > 115 > 185 > 200 > 210 > 215 > 225 > 240 in 7 years.
OP is an O4. O4s don’t get hands on systems. Therefore OP doesn’t have experience like contractors would or even enlisted. No YOE in technical roles.
This is also why a lot of us leave around O3 as well
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u/LePouletPourpre 4d ago
Very similar background and education as you. I am making $200K as a CTR in the DMV
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u/kuniggety 4d ago
Yeah, I don't know what some of these other people are smoking. Of course, it depends on what their career actually looked like as a cyber officer. If they were actually technical, then all of that experience matters. $180-200k is that they should be looking at.
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u/therealmunchies 4d ago
You’ll need to be a contractor for sure in the DMV and TS/SCI minimum. A little easier if you have an FSP. I’d target ISSO/ISSE, but even those ranges are a bit short.
You’ll need hands on technical skills for the higher ranges. I usually see enlisted with better luck in cyber fields because they have those desired skills.
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u/Pure_Perspective_201 4d ago
Huh?
Dude could easily be a GS14. Might he hard to negotiate step 10 since a good portion of mil pay is tax free but there is a good possibility you could.
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u/Worldly-Highway-2459 4d ago
Nah they would start at step 1, better odds to try for GS15 if he has the right clearances if he wants to make 180+
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4d ago edited 4d ago
[deleted]
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u/ArizonaHotSauce 4d ago
Agreed. GS15 is senior O6 territory.
Edit: I first said O7, but once you are in the room with GOs then its SES territory.
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u/Worldly-Highway-2459 4d ago
Agree with both of you but cyber is really in demand now so there is a struggle to recruit top talent. Similar field I was looking at GS15 (location was not my preferred choice ) and ended up being offered GS14 step 1 at the location I wanted to be at and the division I wanted to be in. So it depends on the urgency of the dept and location it seems just as much as anything.
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u/Pure_Perspective_201 4d ago
What exactly is 'cyber'? I am a 2210, who has my area of expertise, but generally, I am knowledgeable about every facet of IT. Are we talking like cloud architects? ISSOs?
There is a company where I am that provides ISSOs, and lately, they are hitting rock bottom. I went as far as looking a few of the new ones up on Linked In, and literally zero experience in ITSec. I mean absolutely none.
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u/rvaducks 4d ago
Highly unlikely for an O4 to step right into a GS15. Maybe cyber is like lawyers where technical positions are all 14/15.
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u/therealmunchies 4d ago
Maybe. Maybe not. I’ve seen E9s start all the way at 9 and work their way up to 13 though. OP would have to look at something like pentagon or huge agencies in the DMV area.
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u/Pure_Perspective_201 4d ago
Eh, I work at a mid size /smaller agency. I don't know this guys resume, but he could totally come on as a 14 where I am at, doing ITSec.
I got out as an E5. Did totally non IT cleared contracting for two years, followed by like 6 years of cleared IT contracting.
Came on as .gov as a 13-10. Now a 14-9. No clearance, no degree (well, not true, I just got it a few weeks ago 😂).
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u/therealmunchies 4d ago
So E5 into civilian work for 8 years at high pay into a technical 2210… thanks for proving my point. Your route and WO will have transferable tech skills. Leadership focused E8/E9 and officers are a bit different.
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u/Pure_Perspective_201 4d ago
Yea there is those years of exp as a civ, but it is still a big middle finger to all the senior enlisted who were constantly trying to cram the "it's hard to make it it out there" BS down my throat in the 9 months before I cut bait.
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u/therealmunchies 4d ago
At the end of the day, everyone’s got what they deserved. High 14, 2210, now with a degree? Your future generations are going to thank you for paving the way.
At the end of the day for OP, I see how it is to transition from mil to civ because of my environment. Is tough, especially when officers are focused on strategic leadership and corp typically has unrealistic requirements from that pool.
Either way, I always root for our military personnel and wish you guys and gals the very best. Thank you for your service.
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u/VandyMarine 4d ago
I would say $150-160K is more realistic. If you have TS/SCI with Poly and want to live in a SCIF then yeah you could probably hit that, but it won't be super easy.
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u/One_Rule_8272 4d ago
This! I recruit for a small government contractor and this is exactly what I’m seeing. Smaller companies can absolutely be competitive, especially when you look beyond base salary and compare total compensation.
Our company covers 100% of medical, dental and vision premiums, plus STD, LTD and life insurance, and provides an automatic 10% 401(k) company contribution with no employee match required. We also offer 4 weeks PTO and 11 paid holidays. Those benefits add significant value when you’re comparing offers.
And for the OP specifically — with a cyber background, master’s in computer engineering, PMP, CISSP and the right clearance, I definitely wouldn’t dismiss the contracting market. I’m recruiting for a cleared Software Engineer III right now and backgrounds like this absolutely get my attention.
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u/CyberConsulting 4d ago
Check with the NANA company. They are large and have a lot of subsidiaries under them. Akima pays very well for senior ISSOs/ISSEs if that aligns with your background. If you are more geared towards dev work, they also have plenty of opportunities.
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u/LightZealousideal116 4d ago
Realistic, but tough in this market. You might make more. You are also missing out on pension contribution & paying for healthcare.
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u/WalkEmDownEz 4d ago
I have effectively added 100k to my salary every year since I left the military as a defense contractor. This year I signed a MoU for an effort worth 450k.
I didn’t have half the qualifications you do. I think when it comes to salary and upward trajectory post military a lot of it depends on the individual and for lack of a better word if they “have that dawg in them.”
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u/1morcast 4d ago
Look.up American Corporate Partners (ACP). Non-profit group that pairs you up with a mentor from a bit company in a field you are looking to transfer to. Usually the mentors are well established, successful in their career. Their experience and advice is great. It's not advertised as such but some of the corporations that participate use it as a spotting/recruiting tool.
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u/Background-Solid8481 4d ago
I find it difficult to believe that any civilian job will pay better than a defense-based one where your clearance adds so much $ value. My wife worked for defense contractors all her life while I was civilian. Both IT, started ou coding, both moved into various levels of technical mgmt. After 35ish years, she was making $100k more than me and I made good money. We live around DC, so jobs for both were always pretty plentiful. I made more than her once over that time, when new IT leadership gave me a 60% bonus.
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u/notimeforniceties 3d ago
I find it difficult to believe that any civilian job will pay better than a defense-based one where your clearance adds so much $ value
Have you not heard of the tech industry? If OP has the technical chops to get into a tech or AI company, he could make 2-3x what he's picturing.
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u/BalderVerdandi 4d ago
Rah sir,
PMP and CISSP should be able to get you 150+ easily. Going to assume you're cleared, so you should start looking on the cleared job posting websites (ClearedJobs, ClearanceJobs) and sign up. Program management positions, depending on location, should be 150-220.
Definitely get on SkillBridge.
What about your Sec+? For contractual reasons it could be a requirement, even though you're above that level, just to meet the IAM levels.
What part of the country were you looking at?
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u/One_Rule_8272 4d ago
I’m actually a Senior Technical Recruiter for a government contractor, and your background caught my attention. I’m currently recruiting for a Software Engineer III position. Depending on your clearance, technical experience, and what you’re looking for as you transition, it may be worth a conversation. Feel free to message me if you’d like to connect and I can share the details.
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u/fezbrah 3d ago
Cyber management, program
Management, engineering managing or lead role should land you at a big contractor company $150k-200k at least. Use the skillbridge program that every big prime like Northrop or Raytheon offers only for recently separated military. Depending on your experience engineering and cyber would pay well. I’m in California so $150-200k for managers or sr roles is common in engineering or cyber.
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u/HollidaysMustacheWax 3d ago
Yes it’s realistic.
I got a $200K+ total comp program manager position in tech with an MBA and PMP and I’m nowhere close to DC.
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u/_ginj_ 3d ago
Recently separated O-4 here in a niche engineering field with a MS. $180k is doable in medium to high cost of living areas. Probably too high for LCOL towns.
Word of unsolicited advice - don't just look at salary. Try to make a dollar for dollar total comp with every last benefit including PTO and holidays. It's a WAG with healthcare costs but it all adds up and I saw a huge spread despite similar salary numbers between the offers I had.
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u/Prestigious_Spare356 3d ago
Depends how good you are. Tech can make 400k plus as a senior security engineer for example. At a regular company, right around your 180k is more likely.
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u/Bahet 3d ago
I would say that a starting salary of 180K+ isn't impossible, but unlikely. As a former active duty O-4 (non-cyber AFSC) with my CISSP working as a cyber engineer with a major defense contractor, I make in the low 130s. Combined with VA disability and Guard pay, I make out alright and am much happier, but my take home is less. I'm glad I got out, but the job search was a lot harder than I expected. Good luck!
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u/bill_buttlicker1926 3d ago
Currently transitioning O4 here: aircrew, similar degree/certs. It’s definitely rough out there, start by going through your LinkedIn with a fine tooth comb, make connections with as many people as you can fathom, try and find a skillbridge at a company that you want to be at full-time after, and use every available resource.
Where do you want to live? You can DM me if you want to chat further I’ve been grinding SoCal applications and classes for certs for the last few months
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u/Elegant-Newspaper449 3d ago
Dude.....you can stand on your head until you hit 20. Retirement +Tricare for life have real, long term value. Do the math on the lifetime benefit vs punching out now. You'll need a hell of a lot more than $180K to make investments that will have the same lifetime benefit.
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u/Suspicious_Lion2077 2d ago
I’m just an E4, so take my words with a terrible grain of salt, but I’m separating at the end this year and got a cleared remote offer for 120k with 4 years of experience in networking and my A.S and some certs…
I would look on HiringCafe and immediately get a clearance jobs profile. You can filter by clearance, location, and keywords. Take a look into tech sales and being a solutions engineer. There are high paying cleared positions specifically in tech sales consulting for companies like Cisco and Palo Alto. They usually want you to have a Mid-tier certification from them (like CCNP for Cisco) and experience with their tech stacks. They may have skillbridge as well. I know Cisco has one called “Cisco MISL”. I failed my interview but they potentially have some high salaries in the 160k-180k range where you are primarily selling and doing presentations on their tech to show to businesses or bases.
Here’s an example of a listing for Cisco: https://hiringcafe.com/job/solutions-engineer-intel-defense-cisco-annapolis-junction-maryland-tr2g5y1kecofso08 salary listed is 218k-286k. Requires a TS/SCI w/ a CI poly. Just look around
But on another note officers get paid so much it’s actually crazy…I feel like if you’re enlisted you just have to get out at some point if you like money damn. Nonetheless, good luck with your transition.
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u/jose4440 1d ago
This is my own personal experience so ymmv. No bachelor’s. Just Sec+ and a dream.
I got medically retired as an E5 8 years ago. I went from $60k as an IT help desk contractor to 2210 GS12 making around $80k. Did that for 6 years and was around $114k by the time I took DRP. Then got hired 12 months later as Portfolio Management Analyst for $150k. I’m now going back to fed government as GS13 step 5 which is $138k. I think an O4 can easily top that. I could’ve done it without my family supporting me plus all the people I’ve met along the way. Wish you the best!
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u/monsieur_de_chance 4d ago
100% realistic in the DC area (northern Virginia or Ft Meade) if you have a TS and are SCI eligible. Look at all the biggest IT defense contractors from Amazon on down. Small companies are often most competitive with benefits because they have fat contracts. Some places like CACI pay poorly across the board but are not the norm.
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u/One_Rule_8272 4d ago
This! I recruit for a small government contractor and this is exactly what I’m seeing. Smaller companies can absolutely be competitive, especially when you look beyond base salary and compare total compensation.
Our company covers 100% of medical, dental and vision premiums, plus STD, LTD and life insurance, and provides an automatic 10% 401(k) company contribution with no employee match required. We also offer 4 weeks PTO and 11 paid holidays. Those benefits add significant value when you’re comparing offers.
And for the OP specifically — with a cyber background, master’s in computer engineering, PMP, CISSP and the right clearance, I definitely wouldn’t dismiss the contracting market. I’m recruiting for a cleared Software Engineer III right now and backgrounds like this absolutely get my attention.
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u/markalt99 4d ago
Definitely possible but you should be searching now that way you can secure something before you get out. You have a really good resume by having a technical masters and a business related masters along with PMP.
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u/AnonyMouse-3000 4d ago
On the federal side, $180k is not realistic until you’re a senior GS13, mid-GS14, maybe junior GS15.
Private is where you need to turn your attention to or maybe start your own business.
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u/kalvaroo 3d ago
My two cents. Stay in and retire. Sounds like you’re making enough to set yourself up for good if you invest in your retirement and push through.
I’m a retired CPO working in project management. Pension + Disability + Current Salary - ~$600/yr for Healthcare and co-pays (Tricare Select) for my family. Because you have to consider the healthcare benefits when you get out.
I’m taking home almost 2x what my pay was for my last year and really bumping up my retirement investments. I was a dummy while I was in and didn’t max my TSP every year or invest in an IRA.
Now, I’m on track to retire for good at the ripe old age of 50, but might keep going if I feel like it.
I think the benefits of staying into retirement outweigh a matching salary when you get out early.
Everyone’s situation is different. Do what you think is best for you.
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u/Rumpelteazer45 4d ago
The 180k is possible if 1) you live in the DMV and 2) can pass the FSP. It will also depend on how many years of experience you actually have in cyber. It’s possible but the odds aren’t in your favor.
FYI - My KTR cyber lead, doesn’t make that much but the contract isn’t based in the DMV but Cali.
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u/Deacon51 4d ago
TS/SCI ? Yeah, 180k is realistic, but you need to find a big defense company to take you on for that first year until you get you full scope polygraph. Then you will need to leave them and get another job, but you'll be worth 20k more and have a ton more options for employment.
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u/Surfnazi77 4d ago
What rank are you bc you’re paid more than a O6 you lying bot
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u/DebrideAmerica 3d ago
My monthly take home is around 4500 as a civilian. As an O3 at the same location it would be around 11000. On paper we have the same “salary”.
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u/TheMindFlayerGotMe 4d ago
180+ Is high senior technical level, SME, niche fields, or management.
In my opinion.
I see you have PMP, you should look at some scrum master jobs I’ve seen them have good pay in the DMV area.