The defense contracting landscape continues to evolve, and knowing which companies are actually growing, winning contracts, and hiring at scale helps you focus your search where the real opportunity is. Below are the major primes and rising players most relevant to cleared professionals right now, with real revenue figures and current program context rather than generic descriptions.
Rankings and figures below reflect 2025 fiscal year data as reported in 2026. This is exactly the kind of content that goes stale quickly, check current figures directly with Washington Technology's Top 100 rankings or each company's investor relations page before relying on specific numbers.
Major Prime Contractors
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin remains the largest pure-play defense contractor, reporting roughly $75.1 billion in 2025 revenue, up 5.7% year over year. The F-35 program alone contributes nearly 27% of total sales. Focus areas include aerospace, missiles, and space systems, with key programs spanning the F-35 Lightning II, C-130J, and major space systems work. Cleared opportunities concentrate in engineering, program management, and cybersecurity.
RTX (Raytheon Technologies)
RTX reported roughly $88.6 billion in 2025 revenue, the second-largest total sales figure among major GovCon players, led by chair and CEO Christopher Calio. RTX specializes in missile defense, radar systems, and cybersecurity, with recent contract activity including a $5 billion Army award for Coyote missile system components and a $1.7 billion modification for the Lower Tier Air and Missile Defense radar system. Cleared opportunities concentrate in software engineering, systems integration, and testing.
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman generates roughly $35 billion in defense revenue, anchored by nuclear modernization work, the B-21 Raider stealth bomber, and a substantial space systems portfolio closely tied to core Pentagon priorities. Cleared opportunities concentrate in missile defense, aerospace engineering, and cybersecurity.
General Dynamics
General Dynamics reports roughly $33.7 billion in defense revenue, spanning combat systems, marine systems (including submarine construction), and information technology services. Cleared opportunities concentrate in engineering, shipbuilding-adjacent IT, and systems integration.
L3Harris Technologies
L3Harris reports roughly $15.6 billion in defense revenue, focused on communications systems, tactical radios, and advanced jamming technologies. Cleared opportunities concentrate in space systems, communications engineering, and electronic warfare.
Major Cleared Professional Services Employers
For cleared IT, intelligence, and professional services talent specifically, the following companies are often more relevant employers than the pure hardware-focused primes above:
Leidos
Leidos reported roughly $17.2 billion in fiscal year 2025 revenue, led by CEO Tom Bell, with major lines of business spanning defense, digital modernization, health, homeland security, and intelligence. Leidos is consistently one of the largest employers of cleared IT and intelligence professionals in the industry, with defense revenue alone reported at roughly $4.5 billion.
Booz Allen Hamilton
Booz Allen remains one of the largest employers of cleared consulting, analytics, and engineering talent across DoD and the intelligence community, with a long-standing focus on digital transformation, AI integration, and mission support services.
SAIC (Science Applications International Corporation)
SAIC focuses heavily on IT services, engineering, and enterprise IT modernization for defense and intelligence customers, and remains a major, consistent employer of cleared technical talent across a wide range of labor categories.
Emerging and Fast-Growing Players
Palantir Technologies
Palantir focuses on data analytics and artificial intelligence, with key programs including Army Vantage and Space Force's Kessel Run. Cleared opportunities concentrate in data science, software development, and AI/ML engineering, an area with sustained, growing demand as AI adoption accelerates across DoD and the intelligence community.
Anduril Industries
Anduril focuses on autonomous systems and defense technology, including counter-drone systems and autonomous vehicles. Cleared opportunities concentrate in robotics, AI, and systems engineering, and the company has continued rapid growth as autonomous systems become a higher defense budget priority.
What to Look For Beyond the Name on the Badge
Company size and revenue tell you about scale and stability, but they don't tell you everything. When evaluating any of these companies, also consider whether the specific contract you'd be supporting is well-funded and growing (see our guide on signals a cleared employer is growing), how the company has handled past recompetes and transitions (see our guide on reading a cleared employer's stability signals), and whether the specific role and mission area align with where you want your career to go, not just which logo is the most recognizable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the largest defense contractor by revenue?
RTX reported the largest total revenue among major defense contractors in 2025 at roughly $88.6 billion, though Lockheed Martin remains the largest pure-play defense-focused contractor with roughly $75.1 billion in 2025 revenue.
Which companies hire the most cleared IT and intelligence professionals?
Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, and SAIC are consistently among the largest employers of cleared IT, intelligence, and professional services talent, often more relevant to that specific career path than the pure hardware-focused primes.
Are Palantir and Anduril good options for cleared professionals?
Both are among the fastest-growing companies in the defense technology space, with strong demand for data science, AI/ML, robotics, and systems engineering talent, and both have expanded significantly as autonomous systems and AI adoption become higher DoD priorities.
How often does this kind of ranking change?
Meaningfully year to year. Revenue figures, contract wins, and hiring priorities shift with defense budget cycles, so treat any "top contractors" list, including this one, as a snapshot that needs periodic verification against current data.
Should I prioritize company size when choosing a defense contractor employer?
Not necessarily. A large company's overall revenue doesn't guarantee the specific contract you'd join is well-funded or growing. It's worth researching your specific role and program alongside the company's overall standing.
Bottom Line
The defense contracting industry offers genuinely diverse opportunities for cleared professionals, from established hardware-focused primes like Lockheed Martin and RTX to major cleared professional services employers like Leidos and Booz Allen Hamilton, to fast-growing technology players like Palantir and Anduril. Whichever category fits your interests, look past the name recognition to the specific contract, funding, and mission area you'd actually be joining.
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Reviewed and updated by the Cleared+ editorial team. Sources: Washington Technology's 2026 Top 100 rankings and public company financial reporting for fiscal year 2025. Revenue figures and company standing change regularly, always verify current data before relying on it for career decisions. Have a correction or update to suggest? Contact us.