<p>I know some people (indirectly) who got a security clearance while they were sophomores and juniors working at places like Honeywell and Raytheon. Does having a security clearance allow you to earn you more money?</p>
<p>P.S. This is mainly directed at the CS/ECE field, but it does apply to others.</p>
<p>I’m VERY surprised that interns are getting the security clearance. Usually government/defense contractors don’t sponsor anyone who doesn’t have a permanent job. It’s time consuming, usually takes about 6-9 months for clearance to be approved or disapproved and then the interns are no longer with the companies.</p>
<p>I think you are given wrong information or some sort of false bragging from your cohorts.</p>
<p>Will a security clearance enable you to earn more money ? It depends. With government contractors, those with security clearance will be able to work in more sensitive projects, opening up more job opportunities, which may or may not result in higher pay than other departments.</p>
<p>Well I got the information from my friend, who tells me he has about 3-4 cousins in the defense industry (1 working with NSA and 2-3 in the private industry). Honestly, he is not the type who would over exaggerate or lie about stuff. </p>
<p>We were talking about random stuff, and like the nerds we are, the conversation came around to the DoD. I expressed interest in wanting to get an internship/co-op with the NSA when I got into college, and then he proceeded to tell me that that was a bad idea because he had a cousin who was sought after by the NSA after his freshman year at UMBC, but the security clearance background check was taking so long that he wasn’t able to get his internship by the end of sophomore year, which was part of their recruiting pitch. So, my friend’s cousin applied at Honeywell and was able to get a TS security clearance a lot quicker than the NSA could provide him with (I don’t think he even got his security clearance from the NSA by the time he got cleared by Honeywell). Apparently, the private industry can provide you with a security clearance much quicker than the government because it costs the private industry a lot of money to do so, while the government has a much more relaxed view on the matter seeing as the public sector is not under the same constraints as the private sector. That’s what he told me, and it does make sense. </p>
<p>On top of that, we are in the age of the privatization of the Intelligence Community. I don’t know the exact figures, but I know a TON of the IC is managed by the private sector. But your reason is pretty valid; it doesn’t make any sense to me to give a security clearance for such a transient position. Maybe they require commitment throughout all of college? I know that the NSA’s co-op program does at least. </p>
<p>Also, here is a link to Lockheed Martin’s website: [lockheedmartinjobs.com</a> | careers](<a href=“Lockheed Martin Careers | Lockheed Martin”>http://www.lockheedmartinjobs.com/college_clearance.asp)
It gives an overview of security clearances for college interns and co-ops.</p>
<p>They can give an interim clearance, and there are different degrees of security clearance. Just walking the halls unescorted requires a clearance in some places it doesn’t mean you’ll get to see any sensitive information. People with clearances won’t share information with you even if you have a clearance because it always comes down to “need to know”. Some forms of classified information while low security remain compartmentalized (Ex: movements of key people).</p>
<p>You don’t get higher pay because of you clearance. You get higher pay because of your position. You get higher clearance because of your job. A custodian can have top secret because his job requires him to enter certain areas and see certain things.</p>
<p>It’s very likely that the OP’s friends got the lowest level security clearance, which is basically no big deal as it requires only a fairly brief background check (verifying citizenship and educational credentials, fingerprinting and checking for any criminal records, credit check, etc.) and that can be completed in just a few days or weeks. Most college interns would easily pass muster at that level.</p>
<p>Getting a higher level clearance is much more difficult. My husband worked for Lockheed-Martin as a contract employee for nearly 10 years, but in order to get the top level clearance, he had to first become an actual L-M employee because the process was so long and involved L-M would sponsor him only if he were an employee. The investigation for that clearance involved Federal agents interviewing in-person several of his listed references, as well as family members and some of our personal acquaintances. It took over 6 months to complete the process.</p>
<p>Security clearance does not directly impact salaries. (My husband received no pay increases linked to obtaining higher level clearances.) However, as noted above, having a particular level of security clearance does open up more doors in terms of employment opportunities, some of which may be higher paying.</p>
<p>Okay so I talked to my friend today, and he cleared things up a bit. His cousin was already working for the NSA, and they were in the process of getting him a TS. For some reason, he left the NSA after only a little while and the company he went on to finished up the TS process for him. </p>
<p>So what does a security clearance really offer? I’m pretty sure it gives a lot more job security and from what everyone has said, it opens up the doors to higher employment opportunities. Does it provide anything else?</p>
<p>I still use the history of having a clearance as evidence of my ability to get cleared and my understanding of information and asset security. Having a clearance doesn’t directly get you anything. You have to know how to do the job. Having a degree gets you stuff. A security clearance isn’t earned. It just what you get when you need it. If you face challenges getting a clearance, that is bad. Also security clearances expire and some don’t transfer out of the company you work for or your job. It makes sense if you think about it - Security -</p>
<ol>
<li>Private contractors do not pay for security clearances. The cost is entirely born on the government side. </li>
<li>Private contractors can not get a security clearance faster than the government. The government performs the background investigations and adjudications. All the private contractors can do is ask the government to clear a individual with a need to know. Some government agencies may have a shorter clearance process than others.</li>
<li> In terms of passing muster, the government will find out more about you in a ts investigation than a secret. However, the general guidelines are that a person who can not be trusted with a ts can not be trusted with any classified information.</li>
<li> As a general rule, security clearances require reinvestigations every 5/10/15 years depending on the level of the clearance. If you stop working on classified projects, your clearance is basically good for up to a 2 year “break in service.”</li>
</ol>
<p>A security clearance does allow you to earn more money because it qualifies you (at least meets one qualification) for the job - the clearance itself. </p>
<p>Most jobs by contractors are requiring clearances as a minimum requirement, so even if you have the skill set, it won’t matter unless you have your clearance.</p>
<p>Clearances vary as other has posted, some will just require basic criminal record searches and credential verification. Other require Polygraph exams, neighborhood interviews, ect.</p>