Software Engineers (Level 2 or 3) at Northrop Grumman
Chantilly, VA
$91,800–$171,000from the description
Jul 15, 2026
Chantilly, VA
Jul 20, 2026
What this job asks for AI summary
A full-stack software engineering role focused on building, integrating, deploying, and maintaining satellite ground systems software. Day-to-day work spans client/server application development, test automation, defect resolution, and ground segment configuration using tools such as Python, C++, Postgres, and Ansible. The role suits mid-to-senior engineers comfortable working across the OS, platform, and mission software layers in a cleared, onsite environment.
Mid level · 2+ years · Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV · Top Secret clearance · Full-time
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 $158,337 (middle half $126,441–$180,105). 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 (7)
This posting covers two levels simultaneously: Software Development Engineer Level 2 (2+ years, salary $91,800–$137,600) and Level 3 (5+ years, salary $114,000–$171,000). The overall years minimum and comp range reflect the lower (Level 2) floor; the upper salary bound is the Level 3 ceiling.
The JD hard-requires an active Top Secret clearance at time of application, with the ability to obtain and maintain TS/SCI. TS/SCI is listed under Preferred Qualifications as a 'strong preference,' so the clearance requirement is set to TopSecret (the hard gate), not TopSecretSci.
PostgreSQL, Ansible, PKI, static code analysis, and test automation appear in the narrative 'What you'll get to do' section rather than the formal Basic Qualifications block, so they are marked preferred.
Degree is not strictly required — the JD explicitly states 'Experience can be considered in lieu of degree (additional 4 years)' for both levels, so the degree requirement is set to None.
The alt SOC (15-1253) is noted because the role includes a meaningful testing/QA component (test automation, acceptance test support, defect remediation), though full-stack software development is clearly the primary function.
Ignored 1 non-technology phrase(s) as skills (responsibilities/concepts, not named tools): static code analysis.
Requires a Top 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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