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Top Secret Clearance Jobs in Bothell, WA (NOW HIRING)

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Top Secret Clearance information

See Bothell, WA salary details

$109.6K

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$223.6K

How much do top secret clearance jobs pay per year?

As of Aug 30, 2026, the average yearly pay for top secret clearance in Bothell, WA is $149,958.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $128,600.00 and $161,000.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Top Secret Clearance?

A Top Secret Clearance is the highest level of security clearance granted by the U.S. government. It allows an individual access to information or material that could cause exceptionally grave damage to national security if disclosed without authorization. Obtaining this clearance involves an extensive background investigation, including checks on personal, financial, and criminal history. Only individuals with a legitimate need to know can be granted this clearance, and it must be renewed periodically.

What are some common challenges faced by professionals working in roles that require a Top Secret Clearance?

Professionals in positions requiring a Top Secret Clearance often encounter challenges related to maintaining strict confidentiality, adhering to rigorous security protocols, and managing the stress of handling sensitive information. Daily responsibilities typically include safeguarding classified materials, following detailed reporting procedures, and undergoing regular security evaluations. Collaboration may be limited to cleared colleagues, which can sometimes restrict information sharing and require careful coordination. Additionally, the need for ongoing background checks and the potential for sudden re-investigations can add to the pressure of the role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in roles requiring Top Secret Clearance, and why are they important?

To excel in positions requiring a Top Secret Clearance, individuals must demonstrate reliability, integrity, and a clean personal and professional background, often supported by relevant education or military experience. Familiarity with secure communication systems, classified information protocols, and potentially certifications like Security+ or CISSP is essential. Strong judgment, discretion, and the ability to remain calm under pressure are valuable soft skills in these sensitive environments. These qualities are critical because they ensure the protection of national security information and maintain the trust necessary for handling classified material.

What is the difference between Top Secret Clearance vs Confidential Clearance?

AspectTop Secret ClearanceConfidential Clearance
Required CredentialsBackground check, polygraph (if applicable), security interviewBasic background check, fingerprinting
Work EnvironmentGovernment agencies, defense contractors, intelligence agenciesSimilar environments but for less sensitive information
Employer & Industry UsageMilitary, intelligence, national securityGovernment offices, civilian agencies

Top Secret Clearance is a higher level of security clearance than Confidential Clearance, allowing access to more sensitive information. While both require background checks and security interviews, Top Secret Clearance involves more extensive vetting, including polygraphs in some cases. Employers in defense, intelligence, and national security sectors primarily use these clearances, with Top Secret being essential for handling highly classified data.

What jobs do you need top secret clearance for?

Top Secret clearance is required for jobs involving national security, intelligence, defense contracting, and military roles that handle sensitive information. These positions often include intelligence analysts, cybersecurity specialists, military officers, and government contractors working with classified data. Candidates typically undergo thorough background checks and security assessments to obtain this clearance.

What are popular job titles related to Top Secret Clearance jobs in Bothell, WA?

For Top Secret Clearance jobs in Bothell, WA, the most frequently searched job titles are:

What cities near Bothell, WA are hiring for Top Secret Clearance jobs?

Cities near Bothell, WA with the most Top Secret Clearance job openings:

Infographic showing various Top Secret Clearance job openings in Bothell, WA as of August 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 79% Full Time, 14% Part Time, and 6% Contract. Highlights an 94% Physical, 1% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $149,958 per year, or $72.1 per hour.

Sr. Site Reliability Engineer - Top Secret Clearance (Starlink)

SpaceX

Redmond, WA

$165K - $230K/yr

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 17 days ago


SpaceX rating

8.7

Company rating: 8.7 out of 10

Based on 150 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

16th of 72 rated aerospace companies


Job description

SR. SITE RELIABILITY ENGINEER - TOP SECRET CLEARANCE (STARLINK)

At SpaceX we're leveraging our experience in building rockets and spacecraft to deploy Starlink, the world's most advanced broadband internet system. Starlink is the world's largest satellite constellation and is providing fast, reliable internet to 9M+ users worldwide. We design, build, test, and operate all parts of the system - thousands of satellites, consumer receivers that allow users to connect within minutes of unboxing, and the software that brings it all together. We've only begun to scratch the surface of Starlink's potential global impact and are looking for the world's best engineers to help maximize Starlink's utility for communities and businesses around the globe.

As a Sr. Site Reliability Engineer on the Starlink program, you will be solving challenges that improve our ability to fully utilize the hardware we have deployed. Our goal is to provide customers with the best possible satellite internet experience, often providing under-served communities with affordable, life-changing broadband internet access.

Aerospace experience is not required for success here - rather, we look for smart, motivated, and collaborative site reliability engineers who love solving problems and want to make an impact on a truly inspiring mission. You will have full ownership of challenging problems, working with a team of enthusiastic engineers to design and produce solutions that enable SpaceX to move towards our goals at a rapid pace. The success of the missions at SpaceX depends on the software that you and your team produce. 

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

  • Upgrade existing distributed systems to become sharded and geo-redundant in multiple data centers 
  • Advance existing deployment, monitoring, and alerting infrastructure to support a multi-region environment 
  • Manage petabyte scale bare metal compute clusters 
  • Closely collaborate with engineers across all programs to create highly operable, scalable, and maintainable products 
  • Engage throughout the whole software development lifecycle of services -- from inception to design, deployment, operation, and iterative refinement 
  • Focus on performance bottlenecks and performance improvement techniques 

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS: 

  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering, math, or scientific discipline and 5 years of software development experience; OR 7+ years of professional experience building software with site reliability or DevOps in lieu of a degree 
  • Experience with Linux operating systems 
  • Active Top-Secret or Top-Secret SCI

PREFERRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE: 

  • 5+ years of rigorous experience with site reliability or DevOps
  • Experience with Kubernetes and Istio for on-premise deployment
  • Experience within-stream, data processing andanalyticsusing open source platforms such as Apache Kafka, Spark, HBase, HDFS, Flink
  • Experience troubleshooting hardware and network-layer issues
  • Programming experience in Python, C#, Java, Scala,Goor similar languages
  • Good understanding of version control, testing, continuous integration, build, deployment and monitoring

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS: 

  • Willing to work extended hours and weekends when needed
  • Active Top Secret or TS/SCI. Note that an active clearance may provide the opportunity for you to work on sensitive SpaceX missions.  If so, you will be subject to pre-employment drug and random drug and alcohol testing

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:
Pay Range:
Level 3: $165,000.00 - $230,000.00

Your actual level and base salary will be determined on a case-by-case basis and may vary based on the following considerations: job-related knowledge and skills, education, and experience.

Base salary is just one part of your total rewards package at SpaceX. You may also be eligible for long-term incentives, in the form of company stock or long-term cash awards, as well as potential discretionary bonuses and the ability to purchase additional stock at a discount through an Employee Stock Purchase Plan. You will also receive access to comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, access to a 401(k) retirement plan, short and long-term disability insurance, life insurance, paid parental leave, and various other discounts and perks. You may also accrue 3 weeks of paid vacation and will be eligible for 10 or more paid holidays per year. Employees accrue paid sick leave pursuant to Company policy which satisfies or exceeds the accrual, carryover, and use requirements of the law.


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About SpaceX

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Industry

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing, data services, guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing and satellite telecommunications

Company size

1,001 - 5,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Hawthorne, CA, US