TS/SCI Salary Surge Expected to Hit $270,000 by 2026 as DoD Cyber Talent Prices Accelerate

WASHINGTON, Nov. 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- FullScope Staffing, a leading provider of cleared recruiting solutions for the U.S. defense and intelligence sectors, today released its 2026 market analysis outlining a sharp escalation in compensation for high-clearance cybersecurity professionals. The firm's research identifies a growing "clearance arbitrage" effect—where advanced security clearances, particularly TS/SCI with Full-Scope Polygraph, are now the defining salary multiplier for the Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) workforce.

According to FullScope Staffing's analysis, the most sought-after roles entering 2026 are Cybersecurity Architects, RMF Strategists, Zero-Trust Engineers, Cloud Security Leads, and Cyber Systems Engineers—positions that combine deep technical acumen with policy-level governance and mission-system expertise. Salary projections indicate these elite personnel will command $245,000–$270,000+ as demand intensifies and supply continues to tighten across federal programs.

The firm attributes the surge to a "Triple Threat Convergence" that is reshaping the cleared-cybersecurity landscape:

• Escalating threat sophistication from nation-state actors.
  
  
• New and expanding security mandates across DoD, including CMMC, Zero Trust, and cloud-security modernization.
  
  
• Historic workforce shortages for high-level cleared technical personnel, particularly those holding Full-Scope Polygraph clearances.

"Organizations are no longer paying for just talent—they're paying for verified trust, mission readiness, and the ability to operate in highly sensitive environments," said a FullScope Staffing spokesperson. "The clearance itself has become a strategic asset, and in 2026 it will be the single strongest determinant of compensation for top technical cybersecurity roles."

FullScope Staffing's analysis also highlights major downstream effects for defense contractors, program offices, and systems integrators, including increased competition for senior architects, elongated hiring timelines, and a rising need for precision recruiting to navigate the shrinking TS/SCI pipeline.

The firm advises DoD contractors to begin forecasting 2026 labor-category budgets immediately and adopt proactive cleared-talent strategies—including early-stage pipelining, employer-brand positioning, and competitive retention mechanisms for polygraphed technical staff.

View the full 2,800-word market analysis here.

About FullScope Staffing:
FullScope Staffing specializes in cleared technical recruiting for the DoD and Intelligence Community. The firm provides strategic hiring support for cyber, systems, engineering, intelligence, and mission-critical technical roles requiring Secret, TS/SCI, and polygraph-level clearances.

SOURCE FullScope Staffing