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Defense and national security jobs in California
141 open roles for people who work in defense and national security in California as of Nov 15, 2026. Anduril Industries, Applied, True Anomaly, Palantir and Astranis have the most. 1 is remote and the median advertised salary is $194K.
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Skills asked for in defense and national security roles in California
Bars show the share of these 141 roles; one role can count in several rows.
- Platform Software Security Engineer, Air DefenseAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Irvine, California, United States$167K - $222KRustC++Linux
- Technical Program Manager, Air Defense (SIP)Anduril Industries · 🇺🇸Irvine, California, United States$167K - $222KJiraComputer VisionSecurity clearance
- Quality Engineer - Aerospace & DefenseMachina Labs · 🇺🇸Chatsworth, CA—Six Sigma certificationFedRAMPERP
- Quality Inspector - Aerospace and DefenseMachina Labs · 🇺🇸Chatsworth, CA—ERPGD&TBlueprint reading
- Account Executive, NavyScale AI · 🇺🇸San Diego, CA; Washington, DC$203K - $254KRAGComputer VisionSecurity clearance
- Strategic Finance Analyst, Mission SystemsAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$117K - $154KPythonSQLComputer Vision
- Distinguished Chair for Space Defense PolicyRAND · 🇺🇸Washington, DC (DC Metro Area); Pittsburgh, PA; Santa Mon…$172K - $283KSecurity clearance
- Spacecraft Mission Systems EngineerQuantum Space · 🇺🇸Rockville, MD or Hawthorne, CA$175K - $260KPythonJiraMATLAB
- Executive Vice President, Engineering — Space, Defense & National SecurityVoyager Technologies, Inc. · 🇺🇸Denver, CO; Long Beach, CA$290K - $340KLead and above
- Early Career RF Mission Systems Engineer, Air Dominance & StrikeAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$120K - $153KJuniorMATLABComputer VisionSecurity clearance
- Software Engineer, Sentry Software (Ground Based Air Defense)Anduril Industries · 🇺🇸Irvine, California, United States$167K - $222KRustPythonC++
- Technical Program Manager, Defense OSApplied · 🇺🇸Sunnyvale$180K - $225KJiraAgileSecurity clearance
- Network and Security Engineer, DefenseApplied · 🇺🇸Sunnyvale$150K - $200KGoPythonTerraform
- Deputy Program Manager, Air Defense - Middle EastAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Irvine, California, United States$147K - $196KJiraComputer VisionPMP
- Mission Operations Engineer, USMC (Active Clearance)Anduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$132K - $209KMachine LearningComputer VisionSecurity clearance
- Chief Engineer, USMC, Air DefenseAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Huntsville, Alabama, United States; Irvine, California, U…$220K - $292KLead and aboveComputer VisionSecurity clearanceSentry
- Deployment Lead, Air Defense, SOCOMAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Irvine, California, United States$112K - $154KLead and aboveComputer VisionSecurity clearanceSensor fusion
- Mission Systems Program Manager, Autonomous AirpowerAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$191K - $254KComputer VisionSecurity clearanceSensor fusion
- Director, Business Development, Integrated Air & Missile DefenseAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$209K - $278KLead and aboveComputer VisionSecurity clearanceSensor fusion
- Director of Growth, Non-DefenseSaronic · 🇺🇸San Diego, CA$216K - $278KLead and aboveSecurity clearance
- Senior Mechanical Engineer, Maneuver Air DefenseAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Irvine, California, United States$147K - $196KSeniorComputer VisionSecurity clearanceTest planning
- Mission Systems Software Engineer - BlueSky (R5199)Shield AI · 🇺🇸Los Angeles, CA, US—RustC++Security clearance
- Associate Attorney - Public Entity DefenseBremer Whyte Brown & O'Meara, LLP · 🇺🇸Newport Beach, California, United States$125K - $200KJuniorLaw degreeLitigationBar admission
- Perception Engineer, Missile DefenseTrue Anomaly · 🇺🇸Denver, CO; Long Beach, CA$125K - $270KPythonC++Security clearance
- Head of Business Development, Defense PrimesMachina Labs · 🇺🇸Chatsworth, CA—Lead and aboveSecurity clearancePipeline managementContract negotiation
- Engineering Lead, Air Defense U.S. Air Force PortfolioAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Irvine, California, United States—Lead and aboveComputer VisionSecurity clearanceSentry
- Project Coordinator, Aerospace & DefenseGraymatter Robotics · 🇺🇸Los Angeles - HQ$85K - $110KExcel
- National Security Capacity Sales ManagerAstranis · 🇺🇸San Francisco, CA$150K - $225KSecurity clearance
- Director, National Security Capacity SalesAstranis · 🇺🇸San Francisco, CA$150K - $225KLead and aboveSecurity clearance
- Principal Engineer, Edge Applications & Mission Systems (R6245)Shield AI · 🇺🇸San Diego, CA, US—Lead and aboveAI agentsControl systems
- Model Policy Manager, National SecurityOpenAI · 🇺🇸San Francisco$207K - $335KHybridSecurity clearance
- Deployment & Training Lead, ArmyAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Irvine, California, United States$117K - $154KLead and aboveComputer VisionSecurity clearanceSensor fusion
- Senior Director, Product Management - Defense and IntelligencePlanet · 🇺🇸San Francisco, CA$260K - $326KLead and aboveMachine LearningLLMAWS
- UX Product Designer, National SecuritySkydio · 🇺🇸San Mateo, California, United States$150K - $200KHybridVisual design
- Mission Systems Lead, OmenAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$260K - $345KLead and aboveRustPythonC++
- Software Engineer, Strategic DefenseAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States; Reston, Virginia…$167K - $222KRustGoPython
- Senior Software Engineer, Strategic DefenseAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States; Reston, Virginia…$191K - $254KSeniorRustGoPython
- Contract Administrator - Defense (AERO)CHAOS Industries · 🇺🇸El Segundo, California, United States—
- Principal Mission Systems Engineer, IPT LeadCHAOS Industries · 🇺🇸El Segundo, California, United States$198K - $300KLead and above
- Senior Network Engineer, Air DefenseAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Irvine, California, United States$146K - $194KSeniorLinuxComputer VisionSecurity clearance
- Mission Software Engineer, Mission Systems, NetworkingAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$167K - $254KRustC++Linux
- Mission Software Engineer, Mission Systems, Deployment and InfrastructureAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$167K - $254KRustGoPython
- Mission Software Engineer, Mission Systems, Cyber SecurityAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$167K - $254KRustC++Linux
- Staff Mission Systems Engineer, Electronic Assemblies, Active ClearanceAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$191K - $253KLead and aboveComputer VisionSecurity clearanceRF engineering
- Technical Program Manager - Cyber Defense, Metrics and Business IntelligenceNscale · 🇺🇸New York; San Francisco; Seattle$190K - $225K
- Software Engineer, Missile Defense Simulation (II - Principal)True Anomaly · 🇺🇸Denver, CO; Long Beach, CA$90K - $325KLead and abovePythonC++CI/CD
- Strategic Account Executive, Space ForceDatabricks · 🇺🇸Remote - California; Remote - Colorado$272K - $374KRemoteSolution sellingProspecting
- Staff Mission Systems Engineer, Electronic Warfare, Air Dominance & Strike, Active ClearanceAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$200K - $253KLead and abovePythonBashMATLAB
- Senior Mission Systems Engineer, Electronic Warfare, Air Dominance & Strike, Active ClearanceAnduril Industries · 🇺🇸Costa Mesa, California, United States$166K - $220KSeniorPythonBashMATLAB
- Systems Engineer, Army (CUAS)Anduril Industries · 🇺🇸Irvine, California, United States$146K - $194KPythonLinuxComputer Vision
Showing the newest 50. See all 141 in search
Who is hiring for defense and national security roles in California
Where defense and national security roles in California are
- 🇺🇸United States141
- 🇺🇸California141
- 🇺🇸Los Angeles, CA36
- 🇺🇸San Francisco Bay Area28
- 🇺🇸Denver, CO10
- 🇺🇸Seattle, WA9
- 🇺🇸Washington, DC7
- 🇺🇸San Diego, CA3
- 🇺🇸New York, NY2
- 🇺🇸Pittsburgh, PA1
A role that lists several places is counted in each of them.
What defense and national security roles in California pay, by level
| Level in the title | Median advertised salary | Roles counted |
|---|---|---|
| No level in the title | $188K | 61 |
| Senior | $193K | 28 |
| Lead and above | $249K | 35 |
Medians of the midpoints of advertised yearly US-dollar ranges; a level needs at least 15 such roles. Advertised, not verified pay.
Questions about defense and national security jobs in California
- How many defense and national security jobs in California are open right now?
- There are 141 open defense and national security jobs in California at 29 companies on Jobs Every Hour as of Nov 15, 2026. 11 of them were posted in the last seven days. The list is rebuilt every hour from the employers' own careers pages.
- Which companies have the most defense and national security jobs in California?
- Right now the most openings are at Anduril Industries (82), Applied (9), True Anomaly (8), Machina Labs (4) and Astranis (4). The ranking changes as companies open and close roles.
- Are there remote defense and national security jobs in California?
- 1 of the 141 open defense and national security jobs in California (1%) are listed as remote. Remote roles are often limited to certain countries or time zones, so check the location line of each job.
- What do defense and national security jobs in California pay?
- The median advertised salary is $194K, based on 126 open roles that publish a yearly US-dollar range. The middle half of those roles advertise between $170K and $222K. These are advertised ranges, not verified pay. Most employers here are technology companies, so the figures run above the wider market for the same work.
- Is it hard to get one of the defense and national security jobs in California?
- 4 of the 141 open defense and national security jobs in California (3%) are for beginners: junior roles and internships. Of the 90 postings that state experience, the median asks for 5 years. 29 companies are hiring and 11 roles were posted in the last seven days. Matching your resume to the skills each posting names helps most; the free resume builder shows the match.
- How is AI changing defense and national security jobs in California?
- 89 of the 141 open defense and national security jobs in California (63%) ask for AI or machine-learning skills, most often Computer Vision, Machine Learning, LLM. Employers still list 141 such roles today at 29 companies. Counted from the postings' own text on Nov 15, 2026.
- What skills do defense and national security jobs in California ask for?
- Most often Security clearance (77%), Computer Vision (60%), Sensor fusion (59%), Python (36%), C++ (28%) of the 141 open postings, counted from their own text on Nov 15, 2026.
- Which job titles come up most in defense and national security jobs in California?
- Software Engineer (10), Senior Software Engineer (6), Director (5), Technical Program Manager (4), Chief Engineer (4): the most common titles among the 141 open roles, without the level and place notes in brackets.
- Are defense and national security jobs in California in demand in 2026?
- 141 defense and national security jobs in California are open on Jobs Every Hour today at 29 companies, 0.1% of all 148,162 open jobs here; 11 were posted in the last seven days. The median advertised salary is $194K. 1 (1%) can be done remotely.
- How do I apply for defense and national security jobs in California?
- Open a job and press “Apply on company site”. You go straight to the employer's own careers page and apply there. Jobs Every Hour needs no account and charges nothing for applying.










