Principal Computer Systems Analyst - Windows/Linux at Northrop Grumman
Baltimore, MD
$98,900–$148,300from the description
Jul 13, 2026
Baltimore, MD
Jul 21, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A systems administration role supporting classified government contracts on-site in Linthicum, MD. Day-to-day work covers maintaining and securing Windows and Linux environments — including Active Directory, patching, configuration management, backup and recovery, and compliance enforcement — across multi-user networks. The role suits an experienced sysadmin who holds at least a Secret clearance and meets DoD 8140 requirements.
Senior level · 5+ years · Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD · Secret clearance · Full-time
Advertised as Principal, but the requirements read as Senior.
“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
Most people in this occupation already list these. Still required — just not what gets you shortlisted.
What the occupation pays Median $125,654 (middle half $96,394–$162,956). 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 Jul 28, 2026. It is a model, not a headcount.
Why we read it this way (11)
The job title is 'Principal Computer Systems Analyst' but the day-to-day responsibilities are primarily Windows/Linux systems administration and operations (patching, backup/recovery, monitoring, configuration management), making 15-1244 the best fit over 15-1211 (Computer Systems Analysts), which is the runner-up given the title.
The 'Principal' advertised seniority reflects Northrop Grumman's internal job family naming convention rather than the industry-standard Staff/Principal band; the actual scope and experience requirements (5–9 years depending on degree) align with a Senior-level role.
Degree requirement is set to None because the JD explicitly accepts a High School diploma with 9 years of experience in lieu of any degree.
Total years minimum is set to 5, the lowest stated threshold (Bachelor's + 5 years); the JD also accepts Associate's + 7, Master's + 3, or HS diploma + 9.
Security+ (or higher) is a hard gate per the DoD 8140 requirement stated in Basic Qualifications.
A current U.S. Government Secret clearance (minimum) is a hard gate for this role; candidates must also meet continuous evaluation or a closed investigation within the last 6 years.
NISPOM, DCID 6/3-ICD 503, JAFAN, and JSIG are listed under Preferred Qualifications alongside RMF and STIG; all are treated as preferred.
Scripting appears only under Preferred Qualifications with no specific language named.
The role is explicitly on-site only at Linthicum, MD (Baltimore metro); no remote or telecommute options are offered.
Ignored 2 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): Windows Server Administration, Linux Server Administration.
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.
Read the full posting
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