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Defense Distributed Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Bridge Defense

Lead Site Reliability Engineer

Washington, DC · On-site

$64.50 - $85.75/hr

About Bridge Defense. Bridge Defense is redefining how modern defense technology is delivered ... Operate and maintain distributed networking meshes across multiple classified and unclassified ...

anduril

Software Engineer, Air Defense

Broomfield, CO

$144K - $191K/yr

Software Engineer, Air Defense Broomfield, Colorado, United States Anduril Industries is a defense ... Distributed communication networks and message standards * Knowledge of military systems and ...

anduril

Software Engineer, Air Defense

Broomfield, CO · On-site

$144K - $191K/yr

Software Engineer, Air Defense Broomfield, Colorado, United States Anduril Industries is a defense ... Distributed communication networks and message standards * Knowledge of military systems and ...

anduril

Software Engineer, Air Defense

Irvine, CA

$166K - $220K/yr

Software Engineer, Air Defense Irvine, California, United States Anduril Industries is a defense ... Distributed communication networks and message standards * Knowledge of military systems and ...

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$30.5K

$116.9K

$201K

How much do defense distributed jobs pay per year?

As of Jun 3, 2026, the average yearly pay for defense distributed in the United States is $116,929.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $70,500.00 and $158,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Defense Distributed job?

A Defense Distributed job typically involves working with open-source firearm technology, 3D printing, and digital manufacturing. Employees may work on software development, engineering, or research related to decentralized firearm production. The organization focuses on advancing privately made firearms and protecting the right to distribute gun designs. Roles may include coding, hardware development, legal research, or advocacy. Due to the controversial nature of the work, employees often engage with legal and regulatory challenges as well.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Defense Distributed position, and why are they important?

To thrive in a Defense Distributed role, you need a strong background in mechanical or electrical engineering, additive manufacturing, and computer-aided design (CAD). Familiarity with 3D printing software, CNC machinery, and compliance with relevant regulatory standards is typically required. Attention to detail, problem-solving ability, and effective collaboration are valuable soft skills in this field. These competencies are essential for ensuring the safe, legal, and innovative production of defense-related products within a regulated environment.

What are the main responsibilities of someone working in a Defense Distributed role?

Professionals in a Defense Distributed role are primarily responsible for designing, prototyping, and testing components using advanced manufacturing technologies like 3D printing and CNC machining. Day-to-day tasks often include creating and refining CAD models, ensuring compliance with legal and safety standards, and collaborating with engineers or technicians to optimize designs for production and functionality. You may also be involved in quality assurance processes and documenting project progress. Teamwork is crucial, as you will frequently liaise with cross-functional teams including compliance officers, engineers, and procurement specialists. This collaborative environment provides a unique opportunity to gain experience in cutting-edge manufacturing processes and defense technology.

What jobs in the US pay 300,000 a year?

High-paying jobs in the US that can reach or exceed $300,000 annually include roles such as experienced surgeons, anesthesiologists, corporate executives, investment bankers, and specialized attorneys. These positions typically require advanced education, extensive experience, and often involve high levels of responsibility and skill in their respective fields.
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What are the most commonly searched types of Defense Distributed jobs? The most popular types of Defense Distributed jobs are:
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What job categories do people searching Defense Distributed jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Defense Distributed jobs are:
Defense Distributed jobs near you
Infographic showing various Defense Distributed job openings in the United States as of May 2026, with employment types broken down into 95% Full Time, 3% Part Time, and 2% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 3% Hybrid, and 10% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $116,929 per year, or $56.2 per hour.
Software Engineer, Air Defense

Software Engineer, Air Defense

Anduril Industries

Irvine, CA • On-site

Other

Posted 5 days ago

Anduril rating

9.4

Company rating: 9.4 out of 10

Based on 7 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

Job description

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Air Defense team builds robots that find other robots and knock them out of the sky. At a time when air superiority can no longer be taken for granted, the Air Defense Team provides mission critical capabilities to warfighters. From detection to tracking, identification, deterrence, and defeat, our family of networked sensors and effectors enables our customers to rapidly close the kill chain against a broad range of Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) threats. Working across product, engineering, sales, logistics, operations, and mission success, the Air Defense team develops, tests, deploys, and sustains the Anduril Air Defense Family of Systems (FoS) in challenging operational environments worldwide.

ABOUT THE JOB

We're seeking a Software Engineer to join our rapidly growing team in Irvine, CA. As a Software Engineer on the Air Defense team, you will solve a wide variety of problems involving networking, autonomy, systems integration, robotics, and more, while making pragmatic engineering tradeoffs along the way. Your efforts will ensure that Anduril products seamlessly work together to achieve a variety of critical outcomes. Above all, Mission Software Engineers are driven by a "Whatever It Takes" mindset-executing in an expedient, scalable, and pragmatic way while keeping the mission top-of-mind and making sound engineering decisions to deliver successful outcomes correctly, on-time, and with high quality.

WHAT YOU'LL DO 

  • Own the software solutions that are deployed to customers
  • Write code to improve products and scale the mission capability to more customers
  • Collaborate across multiple teams to plan, build, and test complex functionality
  • Create and analyze metrics that are leveraged for debugging and monitoring
  • Triage issues, root cause failures, and coordinate next steps
  • Partner with end-users to turn needs into features while balancing user experience with engineering constraints
  • Travel up to 30% of time to build, test, and deploy capabilities in the real world

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS 

  • Strong engineering background from industry or school, ideally in areas/fields such as Computer Science, Software Engineering, Mathematics, or Physics
  • 3+ years working with a variety of programming languages such as Python, C++, Rust, Go, JavaScript, etc.
  • Experience building software solutions involving significant amounts of data processing and analysis
  • Ability to quickly understand and navigate complex systems and established code bases
  • A desire to work on critical software that has a real-world impact
  • Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Secret security clearance

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

  • Strong background with focus in Physics, Mathematics, and/or Motion Planning to inform modeling & simulation (M&S) and physical systems
  • Developing and testing multi-agent autonomous systems and deploying in real-world environments
  • Feature and algorithm development with an understanding of behavior trees
  • Developing software/hardware for flight systems and safety critical functionality
  • Distributed communication networks and message standards
  • Knowledge of military systems and operational tactics
Anduril Industries logo

About Anduril Industries

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Anduril Industries is a trailblazer in the technology industry based in Costa Mesa, CA, US. Founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey, the creator of Oculus VR, the company focuses on developing innovative technology to equip and empower those in the defense sector. Its primary products include cutting-edge autonomous systems and AI software that assist in combating threats to national and global security. The mission of Anduril Industries is to integrate technology and defense by building transformative, scalable solutions that ensure a safer world.

Industry

Guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing

Company size

501 - 1,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Costa Mesa, CA, US

Year founded

2017

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