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Lethality Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

General Atomics

Engineer V

Huntsville, AL · On-site

We currently have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Lethality Engineer to join our Aerospace Systems Engineering team located in Huntsville, AL. The successful candidate will lead the ...

General Atomics

Engineer V

Huntsville, AL · On-site

$105K - $189K/yr

We currently have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Lethality Engineer to join our Aerospace Systems Engineering team located in Huntsville, AL. The successful candidate will lead the ...

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Lethality Engineer information

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$30.5K

$68.6K

$115.5K

How much do lethality engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 25, 2026, the average yearly pay for lethality engineer in the United States is $68,617.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $52,000.00 and $74,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What engineers make $300,000 a year?

Lethality engineers, a specialized role often found in defense, aerospace, or security sectors, can earn $300,000 or more annually with extensive experience, advanced skills, and security clearances. High compensation typically involves senior positions, specialized expertise in areas like weapon systems or threat assessment, and often requires working in high-stakes environments or with government contracts.

What is the difference between Lethality Engineer vs Ballistics Engineer?

AspectLethality EngineerBallistics Engineer
Required CredentialsEngineering degree, security clearance, specialized trainingEngineering degree, physics or mechanical background, security clearance
Work EnvironmentDefense labs, military facilities, R&D centersResearch labs, military testing sites, manufacturing facilities
Employer & IndustryDefense contractors, military agenciesDefense contractors, military agencies
Common Search & ComparisonYesYes

Both Lethality Engineers and Ballistics Engineers work in defense and military sectors, often requiring similar credentials and working environments. While Lethality Engineers focus on developing and enhancing weapon effectiveness, Ballistics Engineers specialize in projectile behavior and trajectory analysis. Understanding these distinctions helps candidates identify the right career path within defense engineering fields.

What does a lethality engineer do?

A lethality engineer designs, tests, and evaluates weapon systems or defense technologies to improve their effectiveness against targets. They often work with simulation tools, ballistic analysis, and safety protocols to ensure system performance and safety in military or defense environments.

What engineers make $200,000 a year?

Lethality engineers, a specialized role often found in defense or security sectors, can earn $200,000 or more annually, especially with extensive experience, advanced skills in systems analysis, and security clearances. High salaries are typically associated with senior positions, specialized expertise, or leadership roles within engineering teams.

What engineers make $500,000 a year?

Lethality engineers, a specialized role often found in defense or military technology sectors, can reach or exceed $500,000 annually with experience, security clearances, and advanced skills in systems engineering, cybersecurity, or weapon systems. Such high salaries typically involve senior positions, leadership responsibilities, or work in high-demand, sensitive environments.
More about Lethality Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Lethality Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Lethality Engineer job openings:
What states have the most Lethality Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Lethality Engineer jobs include:
What job categories do people searching Lethality Engineer jobs look for? The top searched job categories for Lethality Engineer jobs are:
Lethality Engineer jobs near you
Infographic showing various Lethality Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 96% Full Time, 1% Part Time, and 3% Contract. Highlights an 87% Physical, 5% Hybrid, and 8% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $68,617 per year, or $33 per hour.
Engineer V

Engineer V

General Atomics

Huntsville, AL • On-site

Other

Posted 28 days ago

General Atomics rating

9.0

Company rating: 9.0 out of 10

Based on 37 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

5th of 63 rated aerospace companies

Job description

Job Summary
General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) designs and manufactures first-of-a-kind electromagnetic and electric power generation systems. GA-EMS' expanding portfolio of specialized products and integrated system solutions support critical fleet, space systems and satellites, missile defense, power and energy, and process and monitoring applications for defense, industrial, and commercial customers worldwide.
We currently have an exciting opportunity for an experienced Lethality Engineer to join our Aerospace Systems Engineering team located in Huntsville, AL. The successful candidate will lead the implementation and use of lethality tools and analyses in support of our weapon system design and development activities.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
  • Under minimal supervision with general instructions from a senior level engineer or manager:
  • Support design and development of new weapon systems including cruise missiles, air defense missiles, gun-launched projectiles, and hypersonic glide weapons as part of GA-EMS' Prime Contractor role.
  • Support definition of lethal mechanism/warhead design requirements to meet mission objectives and lethality criteria.
  • Work in a multi-disciplinary group with Mechanical Engineers, GN&C Engineers, Modeling and Sim Engineers, and Systems Engineers to conceptualize and analyze blast, blast-frag, and kinetic energy warheads in an environment where requirements are often changing.
  • Demonstrate a deep understanding of penetration effects, fragment and penetrator sizing, explosives, lethality, survivability, and use of government-furnished threat models and lethality analysis tools such as the Advanced Joint Effectiveness Model (AJEM).
We recognize and appreciate the value and contributions of individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences and welcome all qualified individuals to apply.
Job Qualifications
  • Typically requires a bachelor's degree, master's degree or PhD in engineering or a related technical discipline from an accredited institution and progressive engineering experience as follows; nine or more years of experience with a bachelor's degree, seven or more years of experience with a master's degree, or four or more years with a PhD. May substitute equivalent engineering experience in lieu of education.
  • Demonstrates a detailed and extensive technical expertise and application of engineering principles, concepts, theory, and practice with the ability to organize, plan, schedule, conduct, and coordinate workloads to meet established deadlines or milestones with some experience in project leadership.
  • Must possess the ability to understand new concepts quickly and apply them accurately throughout an evolving environment; strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills to effectively interface with other departments, customers, government representatives, and/or professionals; the capability of representing the organization as a prime technical contact; and, the ability to provide leadership and guidance to less experienced professionals.
  • Must be customer focused and able to work on a self-initiated basis or in a team environment.
  • Approximately 15% of time dedicated to travel is possible.
  • Must possess an active Department of War (DoW) Secret security clearance with ability to upgrade to Top Secret with Sensitive Compartmented Information (SCI) access, if required.

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About General Atomics

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General Atomics (GA), and its affiliated companies, is one of the world's leading resources for high-technology systems development ranging from the nuclear fuel cycle to remotely piloted aircraft, airborne sensors, and advanced electric, electronic, wireless and laser technologies.

Industry

Space research administration

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

San Diego, CA, US

Year founded

1955

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