What to know before applying to Lockheed Martin in El Segundo, CA (2026 update)
Lockheed Martin’s El Segundo facility currently lists 153 open positions on LinkedIn, with electrical engineering roles making up nearly 40% of postings. The site’s aerospace work demands security clearances for 90% of technical positions—average hiring timelines run 6-9 months from application to start date.
This guide breaks down pay ranges, clearance hurdles, and advancement paths for Lockheed’s Southern California hub. We’ve analyzed job postings, employee reports, and defense sector trends to show where this site fits among competing employers like Boeing, Northrop Grumman, and newer space companies.
Lockheed Martin El Segundo hiring outlook
Current job openings
As of 2025 Q4 hiring data:
- 153 active listings on LinkedIn (87 requiring TS/SCI clearance)
- Top 3 roles: RF Engineer (28 posts), Systems Engineer (22), Software Engineer (18)
- Contract vs. direct hire: 60% full-time positions, 40% 12-24 month contracts
Lockheed’s El Segundo plant specializes in satellite systems (GPS III, Next Gen OPIR) and hypersonic missile defense tech. This creates steady demand for:
- FPGA engineers with VHDL experience
- Systems architects skilled in Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE)
- RF test engineers familiar with anechoic chambers
Hiring barriers
Two factors slow El Segundo hiring:
- Clearance backlog: Average wait for Top Secret clearance sits at 410 days (vs. 280 pre-pandemic) per Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency reports
- Location costs: El Segundo housing runs 68% above national average—salaries here trend 15% higher than Lockheed’s King of Prussia, PA site
For active clearances, check Space Defense Jobs on Zero G Talent
Salary comparisons: El Segundo vs other defense hubs
| Position | El Segundo, CA (Lockheed) | King of Prussia, PA (Lockheed) | Redondo Beach, CA (Northrop) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer III | $132,000 | $118,000 | $127,000 |
| RF Engineer II | $124,500 | $106,000 | $119,000 |
| Systems Engineer IV | $159,000 | $142,000 | $153,000 |
| Source: Glassdoor salary reports (2025 Q3), adjusted for Lockheed’s 4.1% 2026 raise pool |
El Segundo salaries outpace most Lockheed sites but trail SpaceX’s Hawthorne base by 8-12% for equivalent roles. Compensation comes with tradeoffs:
- Lockheed: Standard 9/80 schedule (every other Friday off), 4% 401k match, pension for roles hired before 2023
- SpaceX: Typical 60-hour weeks, no pension, but equity grants in SEC filings show 10-year non-management engineers averaging $230k in stock gains
"In El Segundo, your value hinges on clearance status. A TS/SCI engineer earns $28k more than a public trust counterpart doing identical work." — Former LM hiring manager
Security clearance requirements
Breakdown by role type
| Clearance Level | % of El Segundo Roles | Wait Time (2026 est) | Maintenance Costs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Secret | 55% | 6-8 months | $210/year |
| TS/SCI | 35% | 14-16 months | $520/year |
| TS/SCI + Polygraph | 10% | 18-22 months | $840/year |
Self-funding note: Lockheed typically covers investigation costs but deducts $15-28/paycheck for clearance upkeep—unlike Boeing’s full subsidy
Non-clearance paths exist in:
- Enterprise IT (Linux administration, SAP support)
- Supply chain/procurement
- Commercial satellite divisions
For roles not needing clearances, see Space Remote Jobs
Workplace culture: El Segundo specifics
Pros
- Schedule flexibility: 72% of teams allow core hours (6am-6pm window) with telework Tues/Thurs
- Site amenities: Onsite FDA-certified cafeteria, dry cleaning pickup, EV charging stations
- STEM outreach: Paid 4hr/month for school volunteering (machine shop demos, JPL tours)
Cons
- Cost-of-living: Junior engineers report 45-60 minute commutes from affordable areas (Lancaster, Long Beach)
- Advancement pace: Promotion cycles run annually vs. quarterly at startups—average tenure for Sr. Engineer is 11 years
- JPL competition: Caltech’s nearby lab poaches 12-15% of LM El Segundo talent yearly
Lockheed Martin El Segundo vs competitors
Boeing’s Seal Beach campus (22 miles away):
- Pays 6% less for systems engineers
- Offers earlier program leadership opportunities (avg. manager age: 38 vs LM’s 46)
- Unionized workforce (IAM 725) mandates strict 40-hour weeks
Northrop Grumman’s Redondo Beach HQ (5 miles away):
- Healthier culture scores (Glassdoor: 4.1 vs LM’s 3.8)
- Worse 401k match (3% vs Lockheed’s 4.1%)
- More R&D focus: 15% roles in classified prototyping vs LM’s production-heavy work
Compare openings: SpaceX jobs | Boeing jobs
Frequently asked questions
What holidays does Lockheed Martin El Segundo observe?
The site follows the standard corporate calendar:
- New Year’s Day
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Presidents' Day
- Memorial Day
- Independence Day
- Labor Day
- Columbus Day
- Veterans Day
- Thanksgiving + Friday after
- Christmas Day
Production-critical roles receive double pay for working these days
How does El Segundo compare to Edwards AFB Lockheed sites?
Edwards Air Force Base (135 miles north) offers:
- Higher pay: Hazard duty pay adds $4,800/year
- Fewer amenities: No onsite childcare or gym unlike El Segundo
- Work types: More flight testing vs El Segundo’s design focus
Do entry-level roles require a degree?
96% of engineering positions mandate ABET-accredited BS degrees. Exceptions exist for:
- Software roles with GitHub portfolios showing NASA-contributed code
- Military veterans with 5+ years in relevant MOS (e.g., 2A7X4 Avionics Tech)
Internship options: Space Internship Jobs
What’s the typical hybrid work policy?
Program security rules dictate remote flexibility:
- IT/procurement: 3 days WFH weekly
- Unclassified engineering: 1 day WFH (usually Wednesday)
- Classified work: 100% onsite in SCIFs
Your next steps:
- Clearance holders should apply directly via Lockheed Martin’s careers portal
- For non-cleared roles, filter El Segundo engineering jobs on Zero G Talent
- Veterans: Use LM’s “Military Skills Translator” tool before applying
Most new El Segundo hires come from peer companies (Boeing, L3Harris) or university partnerships (Cal Poly Pomona, Embry-Riddle). Check our Aerospace Engineering Jobs board for last-week’s openings.
Degree requirements vs alternatives
El Segundo hiring managers require ABET-accredited engineering degrees for 83% of technical roles based on 2025 postings. The remaining 17% split between:
- Military experience: 12% (preferred AFSCs: 1N4X1, 2A7X1, 3D1X4)
- Bootcamps: 3% (only for software roles via LM’s “TechBridge” partnership)
- Internal promotions: 2% (from technician roles with 5+ years experience)
Top feeder schools for El Segundo hires:
- Cal Poly Pomona (22% of 2025 entry-level hires)
- UCLA (18%)
- USC (15%)
- Northrop Grumman Technical Institute (9%)
- DeVry University Long Beach (7%)
Non-degreed candidates: see Space Internship Jobs for technician openings
Lockheed’s upskilling programs
El Segundo employees get $12,000/year tuition reimbursement for:
- Preferred programs:
- USC’s Systems Architecting Engineering Certificate ($14,500 total)
- Caltech’s Spacecraft Engineering & Design short course ($8,300)
- LM internal “Hypersonics University” (free for cleared staff)
- Approval conditions:
- Must maintain “Achieves Expectations” performance reviews
- Requires 2-year retention post-certification
- Limited to 3 enrollments per employee lifetime
Day in the life: Satellite division engineer
5:45 AM: Arrive to beat I-405 traffic (67% of engineers start before 7 AM)
6:00-8:30: Classified design work in SCIF (no personal devices allowed)
8:30-9:00: Breakfast at cafeteria (subsidized $2.50 for full meals)
9:00-11:30: Cross-program review for GPS IIIF satellite testing
11:30-12:00: Security recertification training (quarterly requirement)
12:00-1:00: Telework from onsite “flex pod” for personal tasks
1:00-4:30: RF antenna prototyping with 3-hour lab block scheduling
Vacation blackouts:
- August (program milestones)
- December 1-15 (FY budget closeout)
Major El Segundo projects driving 2026 hiring
Next Generation OPIR
- Staffing surge: 127 new positions in 2025, projected 89 more in 2026
- Key skills needed:
- Infrared sensor calibration
- GEO orbital mechanics
- Nuclear survivability testing
- Security demands:
- 100% TS/SCI cleared roles
- Counterintelligence polygraphs every 5 years
Navy Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon
- El Segundo’s role: Guidance/navigation systems
- Unique requirements:
- Experience with Mach 8+ aerothermal effects
- Familiarity with NAVSEA MIL-STD-1620J
- Ability to work at Edwards AFB 2 days/month
- Hiring pace:
- 45 engineers hired Q1-Q3 2025
- 72 openings posted for 2026
Active projects list (unclassified):
| Project Name | Contract Value | Hiring Projection 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| SDA Tranche 2 Tracking | $4.9B | 51 |
| F-35 TR-3 Upgrades | $3.2B | 39 |
| CHPS Satellite Service Bus | $1.7B | 28 |
| C2BMC Integrated Test | $890M | 17 |
Engineering challenge:
"Hypersonic control surfaces fail at 2,300°C. We’re ceramics-testing 44 new materials weekly—candidates with arc jet experience skip two interview rounds." - OPIR Lead Materials Engineer
Military transition program specifics
Veterans Preference application path
- Skills translation: Use LM’s online converter (military.lockheedmartin.com)
- Interview fast-track: Submit JMUA scores >85 for direct hiring manager review
- Clearance transfer: Most DoD clearances convert within 8 weeks vs 12+ months for civilians
2025 Veteran hiring stats (El Segundo):
- 32% of new hires were prior military
- Average time from application to offer: 37 days (vs 104 for civilians)
- Retention rate: 83% at 2 years (12% above non-veteran average)
Top converted MOS/Ratings:
- Navy: ET/FC (Fire Controlmen) → Radar Test Engineers
- Air Force: 1C6X1 (Space Systems Ops) → Satellite Operations
- Army: 14S (Air Defense) → Missile Warning Systems
Veteran resources: Space Defense Jobs
Diversity initiatives and demographics
2025 Workforce composition
- Gender: 68% male, 32% female (engineering roles: 73% male)
- Ethnicity:
- White: 54%
- Asian: 23%
- Hispanic: 17%
- Black: 4%
- Other: 2%
Employee Resource Groups
- Women’s Impact Network (WIN)
- Manages 12-week returnship program
- Provides lactation rooms with hospital-grade pumps
- Valor (military veterans)
- Hosts quarterly skillbridge cohorts
- Negotiates VA disability claim support
- Pride Alliance
- Offers gender transition documentation guidance
- Runs HIVE secure chat for classified site employees
Retention problems:
- Black engineer turnover hit 28% in 2025 (company average: 11%)
- Primary exit reasons cited:
- Lack of promotion visibility (52%)
- Microaggressions in SCIF environments (33%)
- Pay disparity vs Asian/White peers (15%)
Application process walkthrough
Step 1: Resume screening algorithms
LM’s Taleo system prioritizes:
- Keyword density: Match job description verbs exactly (“developed” not “built”)
- Clearance tags: List active clearances in header (70% auto-reject without this)
- Project impact metrics:
✅ “Reduced antenna noise floor by 2.1dB”
❌ “Worked on RF systems”
Step 2: Technical interviews
Electrical engineering example (Satellite Power Systems):
- Part 1: 90-minute circuit analysis test (Kharkiv National University format)
- Part 2: Orbital eclipse power budgeting problem
- Part 3: Radiation-hardened component trade study
Software example (Ground Control Systems):
- Live coding: Fix memory leak in legacy C++ orbital propagator
- System design: Architect satcom handoff protocol
- Behavioral: Describe classified work without violating NDA
Step 3: Clearance pre-validation
- Form submission: EQIP submitted within 72 hours of contingent offer
- Adjudication flags:
- Foreign contacts beyond 4th-degree relatives
- Marijuana use within past 7 years (federally illegal despite CA status)
- Financial delinquencies over $15,000
Average time from offer to start date:
- Public Trust: 4 months
- TS/SCI: 11 months
Contract roles vs full-time career tracks
2025 Contractor conversion rates
| Specialty | % Converted to FTE | Avg. Contract Length |
|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | 22% | 18 months |
| Systems Engineer | 41% | 24 months |
| RF Technician | 9% | 12 months |
Contractor disadvantages:
- No tuition reimbursement
- Ineligible for pension Plan B
- Last-hired/first-fired during program cuts
Strategic advantage:
93% of cleared contractors gain program-specific experience making them competitive for:
- Boeing SBInet roles
- Northrop Ground Based Strategic Deterrent
- Blue Origin National Team work
Relocation package details
2026 standard relocation (Sr Engineer example):
- House hunting: 4 paid trips to El Segundo (max $3,800 reimbursement)
- Temporary housing: 60 days corporate housing at Staybridge Suites
- Moving costs: $97,500 grossed-up payout (covers CA state taxes)
- Loss-on-sale protection: 7% of prior home value (max $85,000)
Hidden costs:
- Property taxes: 1.25% vs national 1.07% average
- Windstorm insurance: Mandatory $2,400/year in El Segundo
- Commuting: Parking fees $8/day unless carpooling 3+
Local housing market analysis
2026 Q2 El Segundo rentals:
| Type | Price Range | Commute Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1BR Apartment | $2,800 - $3,400 | 8 minutes | Walking distance to LM |
| 2BR Townhouse | $3,900 - $4,600 | 15 minutes | Roxbury Park area |
| 3BR Single Home | $5,200 - $6,800+ | 5-25 minutes | Cross-street variance |
Buying pitfalls:
- Mello-Roos taxes: Add 0.5-1.3% annually in newer developments
- Flood zones: 43% of LM-adjacent properties require NFIP coverage
- Noise contours: Avoid housing under LAX approach paths (dB charts available at elsegundo.org)
2027-2030 strategic outlook
Program funding shifts
Growth areas:
- Space Force NTS-3 navigation satellites ($4B expected)
- MADIS counter-drone lasers ($1.2B pipeline)
- Quantum encryption for MILSATCOM ($700M R&D)
Declining programs:
- F-35 thermal management systems (production moving to TX)
- AEGIS Ashore (60% staff reduction planned)
- Trident II guidance upgrades (winding down by 2028)
Workforce transformation
- Automation impact:
- 23% reduction in drafting roles by 2028
- 19% growth in AI ethics compliance specialists
- Skills demand:
- Model-Based Engineering (MBE) proficiency
- Anti-tamper hardware design
- Nuclear thermal propulsion testing
Immediate action items:
- Clearance holders: Apply directly to Lockheed Martin’s El Segundo openings
- Recent grads: Target LM’s “Skunk Works Emerging Talent” program via Space Internship Jobs
- Career changers: Enroll in LM-sponsored curriculum at Antelope Valley College (Systems Engineering AAS)
Check our updated lists daily:
- Space Software Engineering Jobs
- Senior Space Systems Roles
- Defense Contracts Expiring Soon (indicates upcoming hiring surges)
Hidden benefits and daily realities at Lockheed Martin El Segundo
Transportation costs and subsidies
Parking options:
- On-site: $480/year deducted pre-tax (waitlist: 15 months)
- Off-site shuttle: Free with 7:15 AM arrival (40-minute lot-to-desk time)
- Public transit: $75/month subsidy for Metro Rail + Gardena 6X bus line
EV incentives:
- Free ChargePoint access (limits: 4hr charging max)
- $2,500 reimbursement for home charger installation (IRS Form 8911 required)
Underused benefit programs
2025 participation rates below 17% companywide
| Benefit | Value | Utilization Hurdle |
|---|---|---|
| Adoption Assistance | $15,000 reimbursement | 5-year service requirement |
| Fertility Treatment | $30,000 lifetime max | Only covers IVF, not diagnostics |
| Jury Duty Pay | Full salary + fee waiver | Must use LM legal team |
| Pet Insurance | 22% group discount | Excludes pre-existing conditions |
"The 9/80 schedule becomes a grind by Q3—your ‘off’ Friday gets eaten by dentist appointments and DMV runs." — 8-year LM structural analyst
Union representation limitations
Unlike Boeing’s IAM coverage for 79% of staff, LM El Segundo’s union presence is minimal:
- IAM Local 148: Only represents 340 production technicians
- Engineer exclusions: Salaried staff can’t collectively bargain (per California vs Lockheed 1998 ruling)
- Strike history: Last work stoppage in 2001 (34 days over healthcare premiums)
Key differences from Boeing’s nearby union shop:
- Job security: Boeing’s union ensures strict seniority-based layoffs vs LM’s performance metrics
- Overtime: Union LM workers earn 2x pay after 8hr/day vs 1.5x for non-union
- Grievance process: 45-day resolution guarantee for union vs 93-day avg for others
Mechanical roles with union protection: Space Mechanical Engineering Jobs
Employee health metrics and penalties
Wellness program financial impacts
Medical plan discounts:
- Non-smokers save $1,200/year in premiums
- BMI <30 reduces deductibles by $500
- Annual biometric screening earns $300 HSA deposit
Controversial policies:
- Tobacco testing: Saliva cotinine checks for on-site clinic visits (opt-out costs $600/yr)
- Sleep tracking: Voluntary Oura ring program offers $150/year for 7hr avg sleep data
- Diabetes penalty: Uncontrolled A1C (>9.0) adds $100/month premium after 18 months
Mental health utilization
2025 EAP data shows:
- Top issues: Security clearance stress (38%), commute fatigue (27%), classified work isolation (19%)
- Average wait: 23 days for external therapist (vs 9 days for Boeing or Northrop)
- Site-specific resource: Monthly hypersonics program decompression groups (mandatory for TS/SCI staff)
Key takeaway:
The El Segundo facility’s satellite focus offers stability but creates specialist career pigeonholing. 58% of departing engineers cite narrow skill application as their top reason for leaving (2025 exit survey data).
Final checklist before applying:
- Clearance prep: Run self-checks using DCSA’s Vulnerabilities Guide
- Cost analysis: Use our El Segundo COL calculator seeing if salaries offset housing
- Resume gaps: Note any foreign contacts preemptively (visit frequency, gift exchanges)
Current El Segundo demand favors aerospace professionals who can:
- Cross-walk between satellite and missile tech (54% of new roles require dual domain knowledge)
- Transition DoD experience into commercial space partnerships
- Tolerate SCIF confinement for 70% of the workweek
Last updated: June 2026 (reflects FY2027 budget allocations)
Next review cycle: February 2027 (post-Q4 earnings call)
For real-time openings matching your clearance level:
