The US Department of Defense headquarters, also known as the Pentagon, employs around 24,000 people, including civilians and military personnel. Successfully passing the Pentagon application process to work at the Pentagon is no easy feat. In this article, we’ll detail the process of how to get a job at the Pentagon to help you take the first steps in landing a career in national security.
Be prepared for the highly competitive Pentagon application process and learn how to apply at the Pentagon in a way that will help your resume stand out. You’ll also find out what working at the Pentagon is like and what Pentagon jobs are currently available in this comprehensive guide. Read on to find out how you can land a civil service job and begin your career track.
The Pentagon: Company Background
The Pentagon is located in Arlington County, Virginia in the United States, and was originally built during World War II as the main headquarters for the US Armed Forces. The Pentagon has since served multiple roles, including acting as the offices of the Secretary of Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff.
The history of the Pentagon dates back to the early 1900s when President Roosevelt approved the Hoover Airport site in Arlington, Virginia for the construction of the Pentagon. The building was completed in 1943 but suffered partial destruction from a terrorist attack on the building on September 11, 2001. The reconstruction project was completed in June 2011.
How Hard Is It to Land a Job at the Pentagon?
The Pentagon hiring process is highly competitive, despite the Defense Department being the largest employer of labor in the US. To land a job at the Pentagon, you must first ensure you meet all the qualifications. The Pentagon employs only the most intelligent and capable candidates with excellent leadership skills.
You’ll go through an extensive screening process which includes a review of qualifications, a background check, and Pentagon secret security clearance. Passing these screenings certifies you as trustworthy to work in this sensitive organization. If you meet these requirements, you can upload your resume and submit your application.
How to Apply for a Job at the Pentagon
- Apply online. Create an account on the USA staffing website, follow the instructions listed, and apply online for the job you are interested in.
- Submit your resume. Submit your current resume and other personal details on the website. Ensure to include relevant skills on your resume to prove you are qualified for the job.
- Interview. After the recruiter receives your application and you are selected, you will be scheduled for an interview. Take note that there may be more than one interview stage in this process.
- Offer. If the hiring manager deems you a suitable candidate after the interview process you will receive an offer for the position you applied for.
- Background check. After receiving the job offer, they will conduct background checks and investigations on you to ensure you are not a security concern. This process may take weeks or months before you officially start working.
The Pentagon Application Process
The Pentagon application process involves many steps, like most federal jobs. The process can take weeks or months, depending on the position and how many people applied for it, especially since the Pentagon has high security standards due to the nature of the organization. However, you should check your application status on the site while you wait to hear back.
The Pentagon Interview Questions
- Why do you want to work at the Pentagon?
- Do you have any leadership experience?
- Why should we hire you?
- Describe a problem you encountered at your previous job and how you handled it.
- What makes you the best candidate for this position?
What’s It Like to Work at the Pentagon?
Working as an employee at the Pentagon is a dream come true for many, but getting hired and working there takes time and effort. If you’re applying for a job at the Pentagon, you should be aware of the different aspects that make up the employee experience. Below are three of the main aspects of working at such a large and important organization.
A Historical Place
The Pentagon has a long history that holds many memories. Since its construction during World War II, the Pentagon and its defense officials here have faced protests against the Vietnam war and even a terrorist attack. At the Pentagon, you will find exhibits of historic events and national heroes, such as General MacArthur.
Working With Passionate People
The Pentagon’s employees are passionate about serving, improving, and protecting the United States and its government. Employees work together with other junior officers, military personnel and leaders, and civil service personnel, all of whom are experts in their fields, to make a difference.
Large Office
The Pentagon is an incredible building spanning over 150 acres in total, making it the largest office building in the world. Not only is it large in physical size, but it employs 24,000 military personnel and civilian personnel, and about 3,000 non-defense support. The Pentagon’s design encompasses seven levels and 10 corridors and focuses on mobility and accessibility for all employees.
The Pentagon Benefits
- Competitive salary. The Pentagon offers competitive wages and compensation packages for staff. According to Glassdoor, average salaries for employees at the Pentagon are around $81,000 per year.
- Paid holidays. Pentagon employees receive 11 paid holidays, including New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day.
- Leave. As a Pentagon employee, you get up to 26 days of leave per year. You also receive up to 13 days of sick leave per year.
- Insurance. Employees at the Pentagon enjoy basic and optional insurance packages that cover necessities like health, dental, vision, long-term care, and life insurance.
- Exclusive benefits. Members of the Pentagon staff have exclusive benefits that include exclusive access to military exchanges, mass transportation subsidies, and retirement benefits.
The Pentagon Career Opportunities: Job Titles and Descriptions
There are many civilian career opportunities at the Pentagon Department of Defense headquarters. The currently available roles include engineering, quality assurance, human resource management, and leadership positions. If you’re seeking a job at the Pentagon, here are 10 of the currently available job titles you should consider.
Analytic Mathematician
- Salary: $140,517
- Benefits: Health insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts
- Required Experience: Proficiency in machine learning, data science, and related disciplines
- Required Education: Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics, Statistics, or other statistical sciences.
The analytic mathematician oversees data exploration, analysis, and visualization to supplement traditional intelligence techniques. They independently create products custom-made for a specific audience using methods that are easily understandable.
Aeronautical Analyst
- Salary: $133,638
- Benefits: Health insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts
- Required Experience: Six or more years of experience in an analytical career involving the collection, analysis, and maintenance of geospatial databases
- Required Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Aeronautical Science, Air Traffic Management, or other related degrees
This job title is responsible for gathering and analyzing aeronautic imagery from different global sources to support the safety of navigation of the military and government, ensuring that they meet the national intelligence goals and requirements. They use analytical techniques to visualize these flight intelligence in graphical and digital forms for other aeronautic professionals to interpret.
Research and Development Engineer
- Salary: $126,972
- Benefits: Health insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts
- Required Experience: At least three years of relevant experience
- Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline
The research and development engineer understands the Pentagon’s design and construction layouts and limitations. They serve as the component technologist for component packaging and supervise electronic component support life cycle for various naval, Air Force, and missile defense systems.
Chemical Engineers
- Salary: $110,628
- Benefits: Health insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts
- Required Experience: One year of analytic experience producing finished, collaborative, and integrated intelligence analyses of foreign chemical warfare capabilities
- Required Education: Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline
The chemical engineer analyzes relevant intelligence and scientific data related to foreign chemical warfare programs. They also design innovative intelligence products based on the nation’s needs or for a specific mission.
Data Scientist
- Salary: $92,911
- Benefits: Health insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts
- Required Experience: Evaluating organizations utilizing mathematical and statistical tools, and conducting studies on a wide range of organization programs such as workload to the workforce, cost-share, contracting, resources
- Required Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics, Statistics, or Data Science
Data scientists coordinate and execute complex studies using advanced data analysis and modeling techniques. They work with the Pentagon Department of Defense to comb through data to find valuable security intelligence. Insights from here may be crucial when making a defense policy.
Operations Research Statistical Analyst
- Salary: $92,249
- Benefits: Health insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts
- Required Experience: One year of specialized experience conducting special cost studies on acquisition programs and performing in-depth analyses of budget requests
- Required Education: A Bachelor’s Degree in Operations Research or a degree with at least 24 semester hours in college-level mathematics or statistics
An operations research statistical analyst is responsible for developing and modifying cost model programs that meet the requirements of cost studies variance analyses, resulting in cost estimating relationships. They assist and advise cost estimating personnel on the development, availability, and application of cost analysis methodology at all organizational levels.
Electronics Engineer
- Salary: $90,743
- Benefits: Health insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts
- Required Experience: One year of experience conducting organizational and systems intelligence assessments
- Required Education: A Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering in a school accredited by ABET
This job title is responsible for performing threat analysis, forecasting, and issuing threat alerts. They identify threat indicators and detect and checkmate vulnerabilities. They also allocate resources to improve threat analytics and conduct effective cyber testing programs.
Lidar Imagery Scientist
- Salary: $89,669
- Benefits: Health insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts
- Required Experience: Experience in analysis of point cloud data to extract intelligence and geospatial information
- Required Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering, Imagery Science, Mathematics, Physical Science, Remote Sensing, Computer Science, Data Analytics, or Geomatics
The Lidar imagery scientist analyzes point cloud data to extract intelligence and geospatial information. Lidar imagery scientists investigate intelligence issues, capture live images through GIS or LiDAR systems, and process these images into higher quality resolutions. They also analyze these images to provide intelligence insights.
Computer Scientist
- Salary: $89,255
- Benefits: Health insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts
- Required Experience: One year of specialized experience applying computer science methods and techniques to store, manipulate, transform, or present information
- Required Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or other specializations with a combined 30 semester hours of mathematics, statistics, and computer science
A computer scientist is a professional trained to understand the operation of computer systems and apply computer science techniques to manipulate information. They use knowledge of design characteristics, limitations, and potential applications of systems to transform data with broad areas of applications of computing that have common structures, processes, and techniques.
Meteorological Technician
- Salary: $69,528
- Benefits: Health insurance, life insurance, flexible spending accounts
- Required Experience: One year of specialized experience in meteorological methods, techniques, and practices, including weather observing, forecasting, communications, and use of meteorological equipment
- Required Education: A Master’s Degree in Meteorology or Physical Science
A meteorological technician provides operational weather support to the various departments of the Department of Defense and the Pentagon. They evaluate and monitor recent weather developments and how they can potentially impact flight operations and schedules.
What Does It Take to Get a Job at the Pentagon?
To be eligible for a job vacancy at the Pentagon, you must be a US citizen with a valid security clearance. You must also pass a drug test and a background investigation, and fulfill the educational and experience requirements for the position. Eligible positions include civil service jobs, military jobs, and contractor jobs.
How to Get a Job at the Pentagon FAQ
A job vacancy announcement at the Pentagon, the Department of Justice, or other federal agencies is made on the USAJobs website. This online portal is where you can find job vacancies, follow the application procedures, submit an application, and track its status.
You will need a degree in business administration, computer science, engineering, international relations, mathematics, or science to work in the Defense Department. You may also need a master’s degree for select positions. However, many jobs do not require a degree, so make sure to conduct thorough research on whether the position you’re interested in requires a degree.
Yes, any professional in the following fields can work at the Pentagon: military, science, technology, engineering, intelligence, human resources, or public affairs. You can check out more careers on the Defense Department website. However, those with a history of domestic violence or felony convictions are ineligible to apply.
To join the Pentagon Force Protection Agency, you must be a US citizen and have a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from an accredited institution. Having at least one year of experience as a law enforcement officer also qualifies you for this position. The Pentagon Force Protection Agency is responsible for protecting the Pentagon building and everyone inside.
"Career Karma entered my life when I needed it most and quickly helped me match with a bootcamp. Two months after graduating, I found my dream job that aligned with my values and goals in life!"
Venus, Software Engineer at Rockbot
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.
