What You Need to Know About the Lockheed Martin Hiring Process
With over 100 years of innovation in aeronautics, missiles and fire control, rotary and mission systems, and space, Lockheed Martin continues its legacy today by earning billions of dollars in net revenue and providing employees with high pay and stellar benefits.1,2,3
Landing a job at Lockheed Martin provides diverse career opportunities in software development, cyber security, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and more. Whether you are in the middle of your career or just starting, there are plenty of pathways for you to work at Lockheed Martin. This guide will cover the company’s background and details about the application and interview process, as well as some of the available job opportunities as of September 2025.
Key Takeaways
- The company offers diverse career opportunities in software development, cyber security, cloud software engineering, and mechanical engineering.
- The Lockheed Martin hiring process starts with applicants searching for and applying to vacancies on its official website by submitting tailored resumes and cover letters.
- If progressed to the next stage, the interview process includes either remote or in-person interviews.
- Lockheed Martin employees enjoy benefits like professional development opportunities, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and rewards and recognition programs.
- To increase your chances of landing a job at Lockheed Martin, research the company, network extensively, and consider internship opportunities.
Lockheed Martin: Company Background
The Lockheed Martin Corporation was formed in 1995 when the Glenn L. Martin Company and the Lockheed Aircraft Company merged. The combination of these two major defense companies made Lockheed Martin Corporation the largest defense contractor for the U.S. military.4 As of September 2025, its headquarters are in Bethesda, MD, a short distance from Washington, D.C., but it also has large facilities in Texas and Colorado.
Lockheed Martin builds advanced technology with unique advantages for defense. They have large teams of engineers working to improve missiles, spacecraft, and military aircraft systems. In addition to working closely with the military, Lockheed Martin hires many veterans. In fact, as of 2025, 20% of employees are veterans of the U.S. military.5
How to Get a Job at Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin is driven to help develop its employees through mentoring, training, and leadership development opportunities. Lockheed Martin looks for people who demonstrate talent, innovation, and the potential to be the best. Getting a job at this company comes with numerous other job benefits. These include:
- Wellness-related employee program initiatives/networks
- Health and dental insurance
- Sick and bereavement leave
- 401(k) with company match
- Employee stock purchase plan
- Annual bonus eligibility
- Life insurance
- Paid time off
Lockheed Martin has programs in aeronautics, space, missiles, cyber security, and more. Within these divisions are job openings in systems engineering, electrical engineering, advanced manufacturing operations, and software engineering. There are a lot of opportunities for diverse talent hoping to work at Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed Martin Application and Interview Process
To start the Lockheed Martin application process, find a job on their website that you want to apply to. Create an account on their official website to submit your resume and complete your online profile. Applications are only available online through their direct site. Make sure to tailor your resume and cover letter based on the job description.
If your application is successful, you will receive a notification via email or phone call to schedule your Lockheed Martin job interview. For your interviews, you’ll speak with recruiters, hiring managers, and team members.
Lockheed Martin’s interview questions and process are designed to help the hiring manager assess your technical skills related to the job description, as well as communication skills, critical thinking skills, ability to make decisions about complex challenges, and team-building capabilities.
The last step in the Lockheed Martin job application process is a background check.7 Then, if you pass and are selected for the job, you will receive an offer letter. For some roles, you’ll need to apply for a certain level of government security clearance to complete the hiring process.
Applying for a Job at Lockheed Martin
To find open jobs at Lockheed Martin, regularly check the careers page on their website and sign up for their Talent Network.8 You can also try to connect with current employees via LinkedIn to find upcoming or existing opportunities. This is a good way to get first-hand information about the company and what it seeks from its potential recruits.
You may find an open position through third-party job boards, but you should only apply for Lockheed Martin jobs through their website.
Applying for a Job at Lockheed Martin: Top Tips
Buff Up Your Resume
You should update your resume every time you apply for a new position, using the job description as a guide. The goal is to demonstrate that you meet a wide range of the job requirements. Pay attention to specific software and platforms mentioned in the job description and highlight your experience with those technologies.
Find Good References
Employee character is especially important at Lockheed Martin because they work closely with the U.S. government and military on classified projects. Job seekers might have to provide both work and character references. Choose people who know your work or character well, and who can give specific examples of your positive qualities.
Network With Current Employees
Making connections with people who work at Lockheed Martin is extremely valuable. They can tell you more about the hiring process and what it’s like to work there. In some cases, they might be able to tell you about an upcoming job opening or submit an internal reference application along with yours for the hiring manager.
What’s It Like to Work at Lockheed Martin?
As of September 2025, Lockheed Martin employs over 121,000 employees around the world—and employees give working at Lockheed Martin 4.1 out of five stars on Glassdoor.1,9 They note the great benefits package, flexible schedules, and high pay as key advantages. Below are other benefits you can expect when working at Lockheed Martin:
Professional Development Opportunities
Lockheed Martin is dedicated to ensuring its employees are constantly improving themselves. There is plenty of training available to help you become the best in your field, including leadership development programs to prepare you to advance in your career.
Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
Lockheed Martin appreciates the diverse range of knowledge that people can bring to a team when they come from different backgrounds. Each business area has an Inclusion Council to work on improving diversity and inclusion at the company.
Rewards and Recognition
Lockheed Martin isn’t stingy with recognition for employees who do a good job. It awards employees who exceed expectations and help the company improve.
Lockheed Martin Career Opportunities: Job Titles and Descriptions as of September 2025
Now that you know about the application and interview process of Lockheed Martin, let’s look at some open Lockheed Martin jobs. Some Lockheed Martin employment opportunities have strict technical requirements and require a security clearance. Here are a few positions with details on job responsibilities, salary, and benefits:
Data Engineer
- Salary: $93,200 – $164,450 (dependent on location)10
- Required Experience: N/A
- Required Education: N/A
As a data engineer, you must demonstrate proficiency in programming languages: Python, Java (or Scala), and SQL. Candidates who have experience with data‑pipeline development, cloud platforms and services, data modeling and warehousing, as well as proficiency with Git will be prioritized.
A key responsibility in this role is to apply modern data‑engineering tools and techniques to existing quality tools, develop new data‑centric applications that improve efficiency, and drive successful business outcomes.
Systems Integration Engineer
- Salary: $73,400 – $129,260 (dependent on location)11
- Required Experience: 2 or more years
- Required Education: N/A
In order to be eligible for this role, candidates should have a working knowledge of the systems engineering process, from methodology and/or system modeling to system integration, test planning, and design reviews.
This position is part of the Systems Integration Team on the FBM Life Extension 2 (LE2) program and is responsible for assisting in the definition and management of Missile/Guidance interfaces by working with system and subsystem organizations and external contractors supporting the program. This position is only open to U.S. citizens who can get government secret security clearance, with the ability to obtain Top Secret Clearance.
Software Developer
- Salary: Unspecified12
- Required Experience: N/A
- Required Education: N/A
This is a great position for you if you have experience in writing in programming languages such as C, C++, and Python. Familiarity with writing effective Windows Kernel-level code and extensions, reverse engineering, and fixing bugs is an asset but not strictly necessary.
You’re eligible for the position if you are a U.S. citizen and can obtain an active TS clearance.
Cloud Software Engineer
- Salary: $90,200 – $159,045 (dependent on location)13
- Required Experience: 2 years or more
- Required Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Software Engineering, Computer Science, or Electrical and Computer Engineering
As a cloud software engineer, you will be responsible for software design and development in cloud technologies. You’ll also be implementing, testing, and debugging in an Agile environment. For this position, you need experience in AWS, Microsoft Azure, Python, C++, JavaScript, Podman, GitLab, Containers, Elastic Search, and others. A background in the Atlassian tool suite (Jira, Bitbucket, Crucible, Confluence) will give your application a boost.
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Electrical Engineer
- Salary: Unspecified14
- Required Experience: None
- Required Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering
As an electrical engineer at Lockheed Martin, you’ll work with a team to design, develop, and manufacture advanced combat, missile, and rocket systems for the U.S. and allied militaries. For this position, you must be a U.S. citizen and obtain a government secret clearance. The position is designed for a high-level engineer, so you’ll need prior experience in the PAC-3 program, production processes, failure investigation, and root cause analysis. You’ll also need a working knowledge of CAM as well as experience with hardware disposition (MRBE), developing BOEs, and reviewing suppliers’ BOEs.
What Does It Take to Get a Job at Lockheed Martin?
If you want to work at Lockheed Martin, you aren’t alone. The hiring process is competitive because of the company’s strong reputation, but it isn’t impossible. Lockheed Martin hires applicants who are self-driven and passionate about driving innovative solutions.
Getting a job at Lockheed Martin means finding the right job postings and making connections with hiring managers. Research the company and network with employees as much as you can. Check Lockheed Martin’s calendar of events to see when their recruiters will be in your area.
If you are still in college—or the early stages of your career—consider applying to a Lockheed Martin internship or its community college program.15 It might take a few tries for you to land a job at Lockheed Martin, but if it’s your dream company to work for, don’t give up.
Frequently Asked Questions
It isn’t impossible to get a job at Lockheed Martin, but it can be challenging. Due to the highly sensitive nature of the company’s business, recruiters look for candidates who are at the top of their respective fields and can obtain government security clearance. There are plenty of open jobs at Lockheed Martin, but there is competition for these positions.
How long does it take to hear back from Lockheed Martin?
Unfortunately, Lockheed Martin doesn’t have a set hiring timeline, so how long it takes to hear back from Lockheed Martin varies from posting to posting. Applicants can always check the status of their application through the online portal to see if the position they applied for is still open.
Can you work remotely for Lockheed Martin?
As of September 2025, there are some remote options available at Lockheed Martin; however, Lockheed Martin currently takes advantage of multiple flexible working options. Between 4/10 schedules (with every Friday off) and their “flex time” option, where employees who work overtime one week can “flex” that time either back to the previous week or forward to the next week and take that time off, employees have many flexible work options.16 Note that not all jobs are eligible for these flexible working conditions. Check the job description and chat with the hiring manager for each individual position.
Is Lockheed Martin a government job?
Although Lockheed Martin has earned billions of dollars in contracts from the U.S. government (as of 2025), working at Lockheed Martin is not a government job. Lockheed Martin is a for-profit company, and it is not part of the U.S. government.17 While Lockheed Martin employees may work closely with federal employees, working at Lockheed Martin isn’t a federal job.
Sources:
1 https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/who-we-are.html
2 https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/Lockheed-Martin-Salary
3 https://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed-martin/careers/benefits/Benefits.pdf
4 https://www.usfunds.com/resource/the-top-10-u-s-aerospace-and-defense-contractors/
6 https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/careers/index.html
7 https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/careers/why-lm/hiring-process.html
8 https://lockheedmartin.avature.net/talent
9 https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Lockheed-Martin-Reviews-E404.htm
10 https://www.lockheedmartinjobs.com/job/littleton/data-engineer/694/86480127024
11 https://www.lockheedmartinjobs.com/job/littleton/systems-integration-engineer/694/82350851040
12 https://www.lockheedmartinjobs.com/job/herndon/windows-software-developer/694/86468217040
13 https://www.lockheedmartinjobs.com/job/moorestown/cloud-software-engineer/694/86514517792
14 https://www.lockheedmartinjobs.com/job/grand-prairie/electrical-engineer/694/84666713616
15 https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/careers/candidates/students-early-careers.html
16 https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/careers/why-lm/LM_Benefits.html
17 https://www.usfunds.com/resource/the-top-10-u-s-aerospace-and-defense-contractors/
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