Network Engineer / Principal Network Engineer (AHT) at Northrop Grumman
Aurora, CO
$83,400–$155,400from the description
Aug 14, 2026
Aurora, CO
Sep 25, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A network engineering role at Northrop Grumman's Aurora, CO facility focused on designing, planning, and maintaining large-scale LAN/WAN communication systems for government programs. Day-to-day work involves specifying network architecture, troubleshooting faults, evaluating hardware and software, and managing routers, switches, firewalls, and COMSEC equipment. The position requires an active TS clearance with Full Scope Polygraph and up to 30% travel.
Mid level · 2+ years · Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO · Bachelor's required · TS/SCI clearance · Full-time
Advertised as Principal, but the requirements read as Mid.
We read this from the posting text with AI. Skim the description below before ruling yourself out.
How this req sits in the market our data
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $107,401 (middle half $89,864–$133,850). This posting is about at that midpoint.
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Aug 18, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (6)
This posting covers two levels simultaneously: Level 2 (Network Engineer, 2+ years with a Bachelor's or 0 years with a Master's) and Level 3 (Principal Network Engineer, 5+ years with a Bachelor's or 3+ years with a Master's). The salary ranges reflect both tiers: $83,400–$125,200 for Level 2 and $103,600–$155,400 for Level 3. The minimum experience and salary figures are used here to represent the lower bound of the combined posting.
A Full Scope Polygraph is required at time of application in addition to an active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility. This is an unusually strict gate and will significantly constrain the candidate pool.
Firewall hardware/software knowledge, administration, and management appear under 'Preferred Qualifications' — listed as preferred despite firewalls also being mentioned in the required section in a general context. The preferred entry is treated as the more specific administration/management capability.
The advertised title includes 'Principal Network Engineer' but the role can be staffed at Level 2 (mid-level), so the actual seniority supported by the minimum qualifications is Mid, not Principal.
Ignored 1 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): firewall administration.
Requires a TS/SCI clearance — the cleared population is a small fraction of this occupation, so the real candidate pool is materially smaller than the estimate below, which does not model clearance.
Read the full posting
The employer publishes the full description on their own site — read it there ↗. Or sign in to read it here — it's free, and it also lets you track this application.