Principal/Sr. Principal Virtualization Systems Administrator
Northrop Grumman · Baltimore, MD
$98,900–$185,000from the description
Jul 14, 2026
Baltimore, MD
Jul 20, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A full-time, on-site systems administrator role supporting classified government networks at a defense contractor's Linthicum, MD campus. Day-to-day work centers on managing Windows and Linux servers in a VMware-virtualized, Active Directory environment — covering account management, security compliance under NISPOM and related frameworks, backup and recovery, patching, and vendor coordination. The role suits experienced infrastructure administrators who hold or can obtain a Secret clearance and a SAP/SAR clearance.
Senior level · 5+ years · Baltimore, MD · Secret clearance · Full-time
“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 (9)
This role can be filled at Level 3 (5+ years with a Bachelor's, or 7+ with an Associate's, etc.) or Level 4 (8+ years with a Bachelor's, etc.). The salary range spans both levels ($98,900–$148,300 for Level 3; $123,400–$185,000 for Level 4). The overall years minimum reflects the lowest qualifying threshold (5 years with a Bachelor's at Level 3).
A degree is not strictly required — a high school diploma with sufficient years of experience is explicitly accepted in lieu of a degree at both levels, so the degree requirement is set to None.
An active Secret clearance is a hard gate for start; candidates must also be able to obtain a SAP/SAR clearance before a start date is set. The clearance field reflects the minimum stated (Secret).
Security+/CASP/CISSP certification is required but may be obtained within 6 months of hire — it is still treated as a hard gate since it must be maintained as a condition of employment.
VMware is highlighted in the job title framing ('expertise in virtualization technologies (primarily VMware)') but appears only under Preferred Qualifications, so it is marked preferred.
Windows Server and Active Directory appear in both the required qualifications (as a combined 'Windows and/or Linux Server' requirement) and again separately under Preferred — the required mention governs.
Environmental monitoring tools (HBSS, SolarWinds, Splunk) are listed together as a single preferred item; HBSS is used as the primary name with the others as alternatives.
The role is explicitly on-site full-time at Linthicum, MD (Baltimore CBSA); remote work is not available.
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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