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Contractual Reverse Engineering Jobs (NOW HIRING)

MRO services and spares, including repair and reverse-engineering support for legacy and obsolete ... with company strategy and customer/contractual requirements. * Design the engineering ...

Director of Engineering

Euless, TX · On-site

$200 - $250/hr

MRO services and spares, including repair and reverse-engineering support for legacy and obsolete ... with company strategy and customer/contractual requirements. * Design the engineering ...

$150 - $200/hr

Experience utilizing GHIDRA, and other reverse engineering tools such as IDA Pro. * Ability to ... experience, and contractual limitations. Learn more on theMIL Careers page. Why MIL? The MIL ...

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How much do contractual reverse engineering jobs pay per year?

As of Sep 8, 2026, the average yearly pay for contractual reverse engineering in the United States is $136,286.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $89,000.00 and $178,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Contractual Reverse Engineering vs Software Developer?

AspectContractual Reverse EngineeringSoftware Developer
CredentialsTechnical certifications, reverse engineering coursesComputer science degree, coding certifications
Work EnvironmentProject-based, often consulting or freelanceIn-house or remote software development teams
Industry UsageTech, manufacturing, cybersecurityTech, finance, startups
Primary FocusAnalyzing and understanding existing software/hardwareCreating new software solutions

Contractual Reverse Engineering involves analyzing existing products to understand their design, often for security or compatibility reasons. Software Developers focus on designing and building new software applications. While both roles require technical skills, their objectives and work environments differ significantly.

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What states have the most Contractual Reverse Engineering jobs?

States with the most job openings for Contractual Reverse Engineering jobs include:

What are popular job titles related to Contractual Reverse Engineering jobs?

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Infographic showing various Contractual Reverse Engineering job openings in the United States as of September 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% Internship, 91% Full Time, 4% Part Time, 3% Contract, and 1% Nights. Highlights an 83% Physical, 4% Hybrid, and 13% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $136,286 per year, or $65.5 per hour.

Reverse Engineer for RF Systems

Laurel, MD • On-site

Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL)
Manufacturing • 5 - 10K employees

Other

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

This job post has expired today. Applications are no longer accepted.


Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory rating

9.6

Company rating: 9.6 out of 10

Based on 8 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

2nd of 75 rated research


Job description

Description

Are you interested in applying your signal processing experience to reverse engineer systems that communicate wirelessly?

Do you love working on a multi-disciplinary set of problems and delivering new capabilities that are deployed in the real world?

If so, we want you to join our group of offensive cyber experts! We seek tenacious self-starters who will develop their technical skills in service of inventive capabilities and novel RF solutions. We work in a dynamic, mission driven environment that has real world impact. Our work environment offers many opportunities for collaboration, and in our culture, we celebrate curiosity.

As a Reverse Engineer for RF Systems, you will...

  • Reverse engineer the software, firmware, and hardware that comprise target systems for understanding wireless behavior
  • Develop prototypes of novel signal processing approaches
  • Work in teams to modify device firmware and software to communicate in alternative ways
  • Operationalize developed code by thoroughly testing, documenting, and integrating with sponsor systems
  • Propose promising ideas for internal and external funding opportunities
  • Share and enhance knowledge by clearly articulating ideas through papers and presentations to government decision makers, team members, and senior management

Qualifications

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you...

  • Possess a Bachelor's in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or other degree relevant to the duties as described above
  • Have at least 3 years of experience writing assembly language, C, or C++ code that runs directly on embedded systems or integrates with real-time operating systems (RTOSes)
  • Have experience with protocol reverse engineering and complex communication systems
  • Have extensive experience with digital signal processing algorithms and are capable of (and excited by!) hypothesizing, prototyping, and extracting data from waveforms
  • Are an outstanding communicator in both written and verbal forms
  • Are able to acquire a Secret level security clearance by your start date and can ultimately acquire a TS/SCI level clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

You'll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you...

  • Have a Master's or Ph.D. in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or related field
  • Have 6+ years of relevant experience
  • Have experience with VHDL, Verilog, or other FPGA development languages
  • Have developed novel concepts based on analyzing wireless systems
  • Have experience with field testing or leading technical teams
  • Hold an active TS/SCI security clearance

#LI-AG1


About Us

Why Work at APL?

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world-class expertise to our nation’s most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. While we are dedicated to solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies, what makes us truly outstanding is our culture. We offer a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where you can bring your authentic self to work, continue to grow, and build strong connections with inspiring teammates.

At APL, we celebrate our differences of perspectives and encourage creativity and bold, new ideas. Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. APL’s campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities at https://www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. APL is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact Accessibility@jhuapl.edu.

The referenced pay range is based on JHU APL’s good faith belief at the time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on factors such as geographic location, work experience, market conditions, education/training and skill level with consideration for internal parity. For salaried employees scheduled to work less than 40 hours per week, annual salary will be prorated based on the number of hours worked. APL may offer bonuses or other forms of compensation per internal policy and/or contractual designation. Additional compensation may be provided in the form of a sign-on bonus, relocation benefits, locality allowance or discretionary payments for exceptional performance. APL provides eligible staff with a comprehensive benefits package including retirement plans, paid time off, medical, dental, vision, life insurance, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending accounts, education assistance, and training and development. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.


Minimum Rate
$100,000 Annually
Maximum Rate
$245,000 Annually

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