What are the top 10 cities with the highest pay for Defense Contractor?

We've identified 10 cities in the United States where Defense Contractor jobs typically pay above the area average. Topping the list is Kentville, NS (69.8% above average), followed by North Cowichan, BC and Duncan, BC. City Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Kentville, NS $98,473 $8,206 $1,893 $47.34 North Cowichan, BC $97,169 $8,097 $1,868 $46.72 Duncan, BC $96,795 $8,066 $1,861 $46.54 Oak Bay, BC $96,619 $8,051 $1,858 $46.45 Victoria, BC $96,209 $8,017 $1,850 $46.25 Alberton, PE $95,311 $7,942 $1,832 $45.82 Kelowna, BC $94,232 $7,852 $1,812 $45.30 Dauphin, MB $93,165 $7,763 $1,791 $44.79 Campbell River, BC $93,099 $7,758 $1,790 $44.76 Moose Jaw, SK $92,720 $7,726 $1,783 $44.58

Defense Contractor

Defense Contractor Salary

Q: How much does a Defense Contractor make?

The average annual pay for a defense contractor in the United States is $57,990 a year — that works out to approximately $27.88 an hour. The middle 80% of Defense Contractors earn between $34,000 (10th percentile) and $89,000 (90th percentile) per year, depending on experience and employer.

Q: What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Defense Contractor Jobs in the United States?

We found several jobs related to Defense Contractor in the United States that pay more on average. Topping the list is Entry Level Digital Marketer at $19,391 (33.4%) above Defense Contractor. Job Title Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage Entry Level Digital Marketer $77,381 $6,448 $1,488 $37.20 Associate Director Of Marketing $72,909 $6,075 $1,402 $35.05 Associate Digital Producer $69,622 $5,801 $1,338 $33.47 Field Marketing Associate $59,368 $4,947 $1,141 $28.54 Marketing Research Assistant $34,999 $2,916 $673 $16.83

$19.5K

$53.5K

$100K

$57,990

/year

$27.88

/hour

Defense Contractor Salary Comparison by Location

Nationwide

United States

$57,990

Columbus

Ohio

$56,012

Do you get a good deal as a Defense Contractor?

Take The Breakroom Quiz to find out if your job offers fair pay and conditions. The 3-minute quiz lets you compare your pay, hours, benefits, and more.

Take The Breakroom Quiz

How much does a Defense Contractor make?

As of Aug 11, 2026, the average annual pay for a Defense Contractor in the United States is $57,990 a year.

Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $27.88 an hour. This is the equivalent of $1,115/week or $4,832/month.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing annual salaries as high as $100,000 and as low as $19,500, the majority of Defense Contractor salaries currently range between $44,000 (25th percentile) to $67,500 (75th percentile) with top earners (90th percentile) making $89,000 annually across the United States. The average pay range for a Defense Contractor varies greatly (by as much as 23500), which suggests there may be many opportunities for advancement and increased pay based on skill level, location and years of experience.

A Defense Contractor in your area makes on average $56,012 per year, or $1,978 (3.411%) less than the national average annual salary of $57,990. Ohio ranks number 38 out of 50 states nationwide for Defense Contractor salaries.

To estimate the most accurate annual salary range for Defense Contractor jobs, ZipRecruiter continuously scans its database of millions of active jobs published locally throughout America.

Find your next high paying job as a Defense Contractor on ZipRecruiter today.

What are Top 10 Highest Paying Cities for Defense Contractor Jobs

We've identified 10 cities where the typical salary for a Defense Contractor job is above the national average. Topping the list is Kentville, NS, , with North Cowichan, BC, and Duncan, BC, close behind in the second and third positions. Duncan, BC, beats the national average by $38,805 (66.9%), and Kentville, NS, furthers that trend with another $40,483 (69.8%) above the $57,990 average.

With these 10 cities having average salaries higher than the national average, the opportunities for economic advancement by changing locations as a Defense Contractor appears to be exceedingly fruitful.

Finally, another factor to consider is the average salary for these top 10 cities varies very little at 6% between Kentville, NS, and Moose Jaw, SK, , reinforcing the limited potential for much wage advancement. The possibility of a lower cost of living may be the best factor to use when considering location and salary for a Defense Contractor role.

City	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Kentville, NS	$98,473	$8,206	$1,893	$47.34
North Cowichan, BC	$97,169	$8,097	$1,868	$46.72
Duncan, BC	$96,795	$8,066	$1,861	$46.54
Oak Bay, BC	$96,619	$8,051	$1,858	$46.45
Victoria, BC	$96,209	$8,017	$1,850	$46.25
Alberton, PE	$95,311	$7,942	$1,832	$45.82
Kelowna, BC	$94,232	$7,852	$1,812	$45.30
Dauphin, MB	$93,165	$7,763	$1,791	$44.79
Campbell River, BC	$93,099	$7,758	$1,790	$44.76
Moose Jaw, SK	$92,720	$7,726	$1,783	$44.58

What are Top 5 Best Paying Related Defense Contractor Jobs in the U.S.

We found a few related jobs that pay more than jobs in the Defense Contractor category.

For example Entry Level Digital Marketer jobs pay as much as $19,391 (33.4%) more than the average Defense Contractor salary of $57,990. If you're qualified, finding work as a Entry Level Digital Marketer may help you make more money than that of the average Defense Contractor position.

Job Title	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
Entry Level Digital Marketer	$77,381	$6,448	$1,488	$37.20
Associate Director Of Marketing	$72,909	$6,075	$1,402	$35.05
Associate Digital Producer	$69,622	$5,801	$1,338	$33.47
Field Marketing Associate	$59,368	$4,947	$1,141	$28.54
Marketing Research Assistant	$34,999	$2,916	$673	$16.83

About Our Data

ZipRecruiter salary estimates, histograms, trends and comparisons are derived from both employer job postings and third party data sources.

Infographic detailing Defense Contractor salary across the United States as of August 2026. Displays a bar chart with salary percentiles, a national average salary of $57,990 per year or $27.88 an hour, and a color-coded map showing state-by-state salary variations.

All Salaries Defense Contractor Salary