Software Engineer-Developer 3 at PDS Defense
Oklahoma City, OK
—
Jul 20, 2026
Oklahoma City, OK
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A mid-to-senior non-embedded software engineering role supporting defense systems in Oklahoma City, requiring a Secret clearance. Day-to-day work spans the full development lifecycle — translating requirements into designs, writing and optimizing code (C++, Ada 95, Java among the listed languages), debugging, systems integration, and contributing to software process improvement. Suits engineers with five or more years of experience comfortable working in an agile environment.
Mid level · 5+ years · Oklahoma City, OK · Secret clearance · Contract
“or” means any one of them counts — you don't need all of them.
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
What the occupation pays Median $125,081 (middle half $98,643–$157,264).
Estimated from BLS employment for this occupation and area, per-skill prevalence across our listing corpus, and published wage benchmarks — as of Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (9)
The posting lists C++, Ada 95, and Java together as a single 'experience or interest in' cluster under the Required skill sets section, framed as interchangeable interests rather than hard gates on any one language. C++ is listed first and is the most common in defense/embedded-adjacent contexts; Ada 95 and Java are captured as alternatives. All three are marked preferred individually, but the cluster as a whole is treated as a required capability signal.
The role is a W2 contract (staffing/associate engagement) with a stated 52-week duration, placed by PDS Defense, Inc. — classified as Contract accordingly.
The 'Developer 3' level combined with '5 or more years' related work experience' maps to Mid on the standard career ladder; the title suffix '3' is treated as a numeric level indicator equivalent to Mid.
A minimum Secret clearance is explicitly required. The posting notes military-connected talent is encouraged to apply and the company is a VEVRAA Federal Contractor.
No compensation figures are provided in the posting.
Degree is listed as preferred (Bachelor's or equivalent experience accepted), so the degree requirement is set to None.
22 positions are available for this role, suggesting a large-scale staffing engagement.
Requires a Secret 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.
Posting is for a contract engagement — the market benchmarks below price full-time roles, so read the comp comparison with that in mind.
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.