Currently at Boeing, Lvl 4 Systems Engineer (161K TC, Seattle). I had a manager at LM reach out and offer me a position. The role is based in PA but they made an exception so that I could be remote/hybrid at a satellite office in the puget sound area. Job seems interesting enough, IRAD work. However the offer they sent over is very low, Lvl 3 125k base and 20k signing, and I'd have to get a clearance. On the surface LM and Boeing benefits/WLB seem pretty similar. Boeing might have a leg up with education benefit. That base pay is just insanely low. So my question is has anyone made the switch from big blue to LM? Is it worth a pay hit? Negotiate salary? Tech more interesting? Same bs aerospace tech issues? (outdated systems, slow development, red tape, etc) #aerospace #boeing #lockheedmartin
Try big tech companies
This move seems like a career suicide. Way too bad for an L4 level experience. I know Boeing's L4 bar is way high. My friend at LM is earning the same (120k) and L3 with only 2 years of experience after MS. I'm L3 at Boeing with PhD+3 yoe and still level 3.
I wouldn't do it. I left a cleared position years ago for tech for 2 reasons. First, the R&D and tech for the cleared work I was on was "more mature", which means years out of date. Even if yours is more modern the same red tape to include new tech will exist. Second, too much classified leaves you with a sparse resume that only other cleared jobs are willing to tolerate. If it paid more, I might consider it, but it seems like a progression limiting move for less money.
Unless you need the clrarence for other roles in tech with government. I wouldn’t do the pay cut
Why you want to go from Lv4 to Lv3??
Aerospace as a whole wasn’t keeping up with cost of living in the PNW. It’s also not normal to stay at one company anymore. In fact doing so is detrimental now. The move into tech from Boeing was life changing for me and my family. Though if you’re married to the industry or end product and you can afford that long term more power to you
How was the WLB change? That has been the primary factor I've stayed at Boeing. I've heard both sides of leaving for tech.
Just like Boeing it’s dependent on the team and work statement you are interviewing for. Another component is how you manage and set your boundaries. No one is going to stop you from spending more than 40hours. That said there are weeks I do less than 40hours and some weeks I push 50ish. If you’re in a more senior role you have to recognize how and when to decide when to do that. Key point is the flexible work culture and trust for me to deliver when managing my own schedule. So sometimes I don’t drive to the office and other weeks I go in 1-3 times for as little as a couple hours to maybe 6
People usually go the other way and then try to get out of aero