Cleared Developer
Definition
A cleared developer is a software engineer who holds an active U.S. government security clearance -- Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCI -- enabling them to access classified systems, facilities, and data required by certain DoD and intelligence community contracts. Cleared developers bill at 25-45% above uncleared equivalents, with TS/SCI rates reaching $340-$480/hour for senior architects.
Security clearances are granted to individuals, not companies. A cleared developer carries their clearance when they change employers, as long as the new employer holds a Facility Clearance (FCL) at the appropriate level. Firms with an active FCL and a bench of cleared developers can staff classified proposals without the 6-18 month clearance investigation delay.
Clearance levels and what they enable
- Secret -- most common for DoD software contracts; 3-6 month investigation; required for facility access on sensitive programs
- Top Secret -- intelligence community and classified system access; 9-18 month SSBI investigation
- TS/SCI with polygraph -- compartmented program access; smallest pool; concentrated in DC/Northern Virginia corridor
Staffing cleared developers
Firms that maintain an FCL and a cleared bench can fill staffing requirements on competitive proposals without waiting for new investigations. A cleared developer from a firm with an existing FCL can typically be on-contract in 2-4 weeks -- compared to 12-18 months for a new clearance investigation from scratch.
Related terms
FedRAMP
FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) is the U.S. government''s standardized authorization framework for cloud services sold to federal agencies. A FedRAMP Moderate authorization covers 80% of federal civilian use cases, takes 12-24 months to achieve, and costs $500,000-$2,000,000 -- but unlocks a $100 billion+ federal cloud services market with a single reusable authorization.
ATO (Authority to Operate)
An Authority to Operate (ATO) is the formal approval granted by a federal Authorizing Official that allows a software system to operate within a government environment after completing the NIST Risk Management Framework assessment process. ATOs are required before any federal system goes live and must be continuously maintained -- typically reviewed annually and triggered by significant system changes.
CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification)
CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) is the DoD''s third-party verification program for cybersecurity practices on defense contracts. CMMC Level 2 -- required on most DoD contracts handling Controlled Unclassified Information by 2026 -- mandates independent assessment of all 110 NIST SP 800-171 practices by a Certified Third-Party Assessment Organization (C3PAO).
NIST SP 800-171
NIST SP 800-171 is the National Institute of Standards and Technology publication that defines 110 security requirements for protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in non-federal systems and organizations. Any company that handles CUI under a DoD contract must implement all 110 requirements and submit a self-assessment score to the Supplier Performance Risk System (SPRS).
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