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Tactical Network Engineer Jobs (NOW HIRING)

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Tactical Network Engineer information

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How much do tactical network engineer jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 24, 2026, the average yearly pay for tactical network engineer in the United States is $109,040.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $89,000.00 and $133,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Tactical Network Engineer vs Network Engineer?

AspectTactical Network EngineerNetwork Engineer
CertificationsCompTIA Network+, Cisco CCNA, Security+CompTIA Network+, Cisco CCNA, CCNP
Work EnvironmentMilitary, defense, field operations, tactical settingsCorporate, enterprise, data centers, office settings
Industry UsageDefense, government, military operationsTelecommunications, IT, corporate networks
Job FocusSecure, mobile, and tactical communication networksDesign, implement, and maintain general network infrastructure

The main difference between a Tactical Network Engineer and a Network Engineer lies in their work environment and focus. Tactical Network Engineers specialize in secure, mobile communication networks used in military and defense settings, often requiring specific certifications and experience in tactical operations. Network Engineers work primarily in corporate and enterprise environments, focusing on designing and maintaining standard network infrastructure. Both roles require similar certifications but serve different industry needs and operational contexts.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Tactical Network Engineer, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Tactical Network Engineer, you need expertise in network architecture, troubleshooting, and security, typically backed by a degree in information technology or a related field and relevant network certifications like CompTIA Network+ or Cisco CCNA. Familiarity with tactical communications equipment, radio frequency systems, and military-specific networking tools such as Cisco routers and tactical data links is essential. Strong problem-solving, adaptability, and effective communication skills are crucial for operating in dynamic and high-pressure environments. These competencies ensure reliable, secure mission-critical communications and rapid response to operational challenges in the field.

What is a Tactical Network Engineer?

A Tactical Network Engineer is a specialized IT professional who designs, implements, and maintains communication networks for military or emergency response operations. These engineers ensure secure, reliable connectivity in challenging environments, often supporting mobile or rapidly deployable units. Their work involves configuring network hardware, troubleshooting connectivity issues, and integrating advanced technologies such as satellite, radio, and wireless systems. Tactical Network Engineers play a crucial role in mission-critical operations, ensuring teams can communicate effectively under pressure.

What are some typical challenges a Tactical Network Engineer might face when deploying networks in the field?

Tactical Network Engineers often encounter unpredictable environments, including limited connectivity, harsh weather, and rapidly changing mission requirements. Adapting network configurations to support secure, reliable communication with minimal resources is a common challenge. Flexibility, strong troubleshooting skills, and the ability to work closely with field teams and command staff are essential for overcoming these obstacles and ensuring mission-critical systems stay online.
More about Tactical Network Engineer jobs
What cities are hiring for Tactical Network Engineer jobs? Cities with the most Tactical Network Engineer job openings:
What states have the most Tactical Network Engineer jobs? States with the most job openings for Tactical Network Engineer jobs include:
Infographic showing various Tactical Network Engineer job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 100% Full Time. Highlights an 100% In-person job distribution, with an average salary of $109,040 per year, or $52.4 per hour.
Tactical Network & Mission Systems Engineer, Maritime

Tactical Network & Mission Systems Engineer, Maritime

Anduril Industries

Costa Mesa, CA • On-site

Other

Posted 29 days ago


Anduril rating

9.1

Company rating: 9.1 out of 10

Anduril

Based on 17 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

7.4

Company rating compared to similar companies: 7.4 out of 10

Manufacturers average

Based on 72,569 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz


Job description

ABOUT THE TEAM

The Multinational Digital Infrastructure (MDI) team builds and sustains the classified networks, sovereign cloud environments, and data transport architectures that connect Anduril's Maritime platforms across the US, UK, and Australia. We own the connective tissue between autonomous systems -- from undersea mesh networks to multinational SECRET cloud -- enabling coordinated war fighting capability at scale across AUKUS nations.

ABOUT THE JOB

We are looking for a Tactical Network & Mission Systems Engineer to join our rapidly growing team. Anduril builds world-class autonomous maritime platforms -- undersea vehicles, surface vessels, aerial systems, seabed sensors. Today, each platform communicates in its own way, on its own timeline, with its own constraints. There is no unified network architecture that enables a distributed autonomous fleet to operate as a single coordinated warfighting system.
This role builds that architecture.
You will design, implement, and validate the network infrastructure that connects autonomous maritime platforms across every domain -- undersea acoustic, surface RF, satellite backhaul, and classified multinational cloud. This is a hands-on-keyboard engineering role where you ship working systems, not reference documents. You'll work closely with a principal-level architect and platform engineering teams to turn networking strategy into operational capability -- writing code, standing up infrastructure, debugging in real environments, and proving it works at sea.
If you want to build the communications backbone for a distributed autonomous fleet -- and you want your work to matter in contested environments where connectivity is never guaranteed -- keep reading.

WHAT YOU'LL DO
  • Design and implement network infrastructure, SDN control planes, protocol integrations, and transport solutions for maritime autonomous systems -- you ship working systems
  • Build cross-domain transport solutions that span acoustic modems, tactical RF, satellite backhaul, and classified terrestrial networks -- integrating them into cohesive, software-defined connectivity
  • Work cross-functionally with platform teams (undersea, surface, aerial, sensors, C2) -- writing code alongside their engineers, implementing common interfaces, and solving integration problems hands-on
  • Develop and validate networking solutions for contested and degraded environments: mesh networking, store-and-forward, priority-based traffic management, and graceful degradation under link loss
  • Implement multinational network architecture enabling classified data flow between US, Australian, and UK sovereign environments while maintaining security compliance
  • Support operational exercises and demonstrations by delivering network infrastructure that proves integrated capability in at-sea environments -- you'll be there when it matters
  • Contribute to architecture decisions by prototyping solutions, running performance tests, and providing data-driven input on design tradeoffs to inform the broader networking strategy
  • Build for scale: implement networking solutions that work for 2 vehicles in a demo and can extend to 200 vehicles in an operational fleet, with graceful degradation when links are contested or denied
  • Document and share: build the patterns, tooling, and documentation that let other engineers across Maritime contribute to the networking layer without breaking coherence
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • 6-10 years of experience in network engineering, software-defined networking, distributed communications systems, or tactical network engineering
  • Hands-on builder: you write code, configure infrastructure, capture packets, and debug problems in production. You're not looking for a role where you hand off implementation.
  • Strong depth across the network stack: physical layer awareness (RF, acoustic, optical, satellite), transport protocols, and software-defined orchestration
  • Experience building networking solutions for autonomous systems, unmanned platforms, or distributed mission-critical systems -- ideally in environments where connectivity is unreliable
  • Ability to work cross-functionally with engineering teams you don't report to -- solving problems collaboratively, not waiting for direction
  • Experience with military or defense networking: HAIPE/Type 1 crypto, cross-domain solutions, tactical datalinks, coalition networking, or classified network interconnection
  • Systems-level thinking: you can reason from mission requirements backward into network performance specs
  • Clear communicator -- able to explain technical tradeoffs to both engineers and non-technical stakeholders
  • US citizenship with active Secret clearance (minimum); TS preferred
  • Willingness to travel ~25% (operational exercises, Anduril facilities, customer sites)
  • Eligible to obtain and maintain an active U.S. Top Secret security clearance
PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS
  • Experience with undersea communications (acoustic modems, UUV comms, delay-tolerant networking)
  • Background in maritime tactical networks (ADNS, CANES, Link-16/22, CEC, or allied equivalents)
  • Experience with mesh networking: dynamic topology, priority-based routing, store-and-forward, reconstitution after node loss
  • Knowledge of AUKUS or Five Eyes classified network frameworks
  • Background in cloud-native networking (service mesh, CNI, overlay networks) applied to edge/tactical environments
  • Prior work supporting at-sea testing, fleet exercises, or large-scale autonomy demonstrations
  • Experience with Lattice, ROS/ROS2, or similar distributed autonomy middleware from a networking perspective
  • Familiarity with IaC tooling, CI/CD pipelines, and DevSecOps practices applied to network infrastructure

Working at Anduril

About Anduril, in their own words

From Anduril

As the world enters an era of strategic competition, Anduril delivers cutting-edge autonomy, AI, computer vision, sensor fusion, and networking technology to the warfighter in months, not years.


What Anduril employees say

Pay

Benefits

Hours and flexibility

Workplace

Get the full story on Breakroom


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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