Defence Jobs in Florida

The defense industry is swelling throughout this region, and Florida is a prime example. Florida now holds the distinction of being home to one of the nation's largest defense and homeland security clusters. The economic impact on the state is now at $52 billion.
Enterprise Florida, a partnership organization devoted to the state's economic development, reports that the military and defense communities now support more than 723,000 jobs. Factor in the extra $8 billion the defense industry is predicted to pump in over the next two years, and it equals great job prospects for candidates with the double asset of military experience and an active clearance.
Tampa/St. PetersburgThe Tampa/St. Petersburg region is no diamond in the rough. It's a multi-faceted defense hub, one that's becoming a showcase piece of job market geography. In the small space between the two cities, the relationship between the business, military and defense communities is getting closer all the time. In large part, this is due to the fact that Tampa serves as home to MacDill Air Force Base – the chief headquarters for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Among MacDill's tenants are two strategic military commands — U.S. Central Command and Special Operations Command. But the installation's impact falls well outside the gates, heavily influencing the aerospace and port industries, with Tampa sitting on the largest port in the state. The base also houses Coalition Village, a military cooperative coalition that the Air Force has dubbed ‘the nerve center' in the global War on Terror.
Given these sectors, there's an ongoing need for cleared personnel with technical, computer and engineering skills, as well as those with backgrounds in international affairs, intelligence, and languages. Other opportunities not directly related to security include life sciences, business and program management, and finance.
While BRAC relocated some jobs to MacDill, the bulk of civilian opportunities requiring clearances are those within companies directly doing business with the government. DRS, Harris, Boeing, Computer Sciences Corporation and L-3 Communications all have a strong presence here, and all have an ongoing demand for cleared personnel from a wide range of disciplines.
There is also a growing community of defense related firms involved in classified or ‘dark' operations. Understandably, these careers tend to stay below the radar. "Transitioning service members and civilians with active security clearances may be well qualified to step into these restrictive positions," says Evan Lesser, Director of secure job placement website ClearanceJobs.com. "Finding these jobs can be tough, as they aren't usually advertised in public." Best idea? Posting resumes on sites like ClearanceJobs.com where employers staffing these roles tend to search and contact candidates rather than posting job announcements. This way, candidates can get assistance from firms that have cultivated a long standing reputation for connecting qualified personnel with industry hiring managers.
Outside the defense sector, the high tech industry is also hot, employing more than 56,000 workers. And according to Maryanne Fiala, executive director, American Electronics Association, Florida Council, this industry continues to grow. "There are security clearance requirements for a number of these jobs," said Fiala. "But even if the job doesn't require one, having a security clearance is never a disadvantage. Employers always see it as a value-add for future work with the government."
As for quality of life in Tampa and St. Petersburg, the two cities have a large military retiree community with three VA hospitals and the largest base exchange in the nation. The median home price of $228,000 is below the national average, but there are lower priced homes in good communities. Fiala said recent salary surveys put the average salary for technical workers at $64,400.