Staff Software Developer Jobs in Maryland
Staff Software Developer jobs in Maryland are in strong demand, concentrated in federal contracting, cybersecurity, financial technology, and biotech software, with openings at every seniority tier from senior engineer to principal contributor. The largest hiring centers are Baltimore, the Washington D.C. metro suburbs including Bethesda and Silver Spring, and Columbia, where employers like Northrop Grumman, Leidos, and Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory maintain significant engineering footprints. The most sought-after specializations in Maryland listings include distributed systems, cloud infrastructure, and security-cleared software development. See the openings below and apply to the ones that match your experience.
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Description
At Northrop Grumman, our employees have incredible opportunities to work on revolutionary systems that impact people's lives around the world today, and for generations to come. Our pioneering and inventive spirit has enabled us to be at the forefront of many technological advancements in our nation's history - from the first flight across the Atlantic Ocean, to stealth bombers, to landing on the moon. We look for people who have bold new ideas, courage and a pioneering spirit to join forces to invent the future, and have fun along the way. Our culture thrives on intellectual curiosity, cognitive diversity and bringing your whole self to work — and we have an insatiable drive to do what others think is impossible. Our employees are not only part of history, they're making history.Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (NGMS) is seeking a Staff Embedded Software Engineer to join our innovative Software Technologies Organization. The new team member will work on software systems for mission systems in all phases of the software development lifecycle, primarily in C/C++. This position is located in Baltimore, MD.
What You’ll Get To Do:
As a Staff Embedded Software Engineer within the Software and Digital Technologies Organization, you will have a challenging and rewarding opportunity to be a part of a radar mode development team. Through the use of Model-based Engineering, DevSecOps and Agile practices we continue to evolve how we deliver critical national defense products and capabilities for the warfighter. Our success is grounded in our ability to embrace change, move quickly and continuously drive innovation. The successful candidate will be collaborative, open, transparent, and team oriented with a focus on team empowerment & shared responsibility, flexibility, continuous learning and a culture of automation.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Analyze, develop, and modify existing software, apply modern development techniques that take advantage of all that current technology has to offer
- Identify risks, suggest mitigation, track defects, develop resolutions, and report status
- Design, construct, and execute unit tests; build verification test plans, track and report test status
- Work alongside multi-disciplined engineering teams to test and verify software products on simulators and actual production hardware in our System Integration Laboratories
- Identify and assess new technologies prior to implementation
- Active participation with systems engineering in technical peer, design, architecture, and system reviews to ensure system/software requirements are being met from an end-to-end system point of view
“This position is contingent based on obtaining necessary special access security clearance.”
Basic Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science or related STEM Degree and 12 years of related experience
- US Citizenship
- Must be able to obtain a Secret Clearance. Secret Clearance is required to start. Must be able to maintain this level of clearance for continued employment.
- Must have 10 years’ experience working in C/C++
- Must have 10 years’ experience with real-time embedded software
- Must have 10 years’ experience with full software lifecycle: specification, design, implementation, integration, debug and maintenance
#SD&T726
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience in algorithmic application development and optimization
- Experience working with software defined radios and RF systems
- Experience developing Radar tracker modes
- Experience with VxWorks Operating Systems
- Experience with Visual Studio
- Experience with Matlab
- Experience with Coverity, SonarQube and/or KlocWork tools
- Experience in Open Architecture Solutions
- Experience with the Atlassian tool set, Kubernetes, Model Based Engineering, and DevSecOps best practices
See All 17 Staff Software Developer Jobs in Maryland
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Find Staff Software Developer JobsStaff Software Developer Jobs by City in Maryland
Where Maryland roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Staff Software Developer Job Market in Maryland
A snapshot from current Maryland openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Insurance
- Technology & Software
- Healthcare & Medical Services
- Consulting & Professional Services
What Maryland Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in staff software developer jobs across Maryland.
- Bachelor's degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related technical field
- Seven or more years of professional software development experience in production environments
- Proficiency in at least one systems or backend language such as Java, Go, or C++
- Demonstrated experience designing and delivering large-scale distributed or cloud-based systems
- Active or obtainable U.S. security clearance for roles supporting federal government contracts
- Experience mentoring junior engineers and leading technical design reviews within cross-functional teams
Staff Software Developer Jobs in Maryland: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a staff software developer in Maryland?
Maryland does not require a state-issued license to work as a staff software developer. The typical path is a bachelor's degree in computer science or software engineering, followed by several years of progressively senior engineering roles. Many Maryland employers, particularly federal contractors, require or strongly prefer candidates who can obtain a DoD security clearance, which involves a background investigation through the relevant federal agency. Relevant certifications in cloud platforms or systems architecture strengthen candidates significantly.
How much do staff software developers make in Maryland?
Staff software developers in Maryland earn a median of about $138,680 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $87,690 for the lowest 10% to over $222,610 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire staff software developers in Maryland?
Maryland staff software developer roles are posted by GEICO, Northrop Grumman, and Lockheed Martin and others right now, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of August 2026. Maryland's concentration of federal agencies and defense contractors means a significant share of openings come from large systems integrators and government-facing technology firms headquartered or regionally based in the state.
Which Maryland cities have the most staff software developer jobs?
Bethesda, Baltimore, and Hanover have the most staff software developer openings in Maryland. Baltimore anchors demand through its financial technology, healthcare informatics, and university research institutions, while the D.C. metro suburbs, including Bethesda and Rockville, draw heavily from federal agencies and the defense contracting corridor along the I-270 technology corridor, making Columbia a natural midpoint employer hub.
Are there remote staff software developer jobs in Maryland?
Yes, and more than most fields. About 80% of staff software developer openings tied to Maryland are remote or hybrid as of August 2026, reflecting the desk-based nature of software development work. Backend systems, cloud infrastructure, and platform engineering roles tend to carry the most remote flexibility, while positions requiring access to classified networks or secure facilities are nearly always on-site.
How can I get hired as a staff software developer in Maryland with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a junior or associate software engineer role, then building toward staff-level seniority over time. In Maryland, large federal contractors like Booz Allen Hamilton and SAIC regularly run early-career and new-graduate engineering programs. University research institutions such as Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland offer research software roles that build relevant experience. Contributing to open-source projects or earning a cloud certification provides a portfolio edge when formal experience is limited.
Where can I find and apply to staff software developer jobs in Maryland?
You can find and apply to staff software developer jobs in Maryland on Migrate Mate, which lists current Maryland openings. Search the available roles, identify the ones that match your experience and preferred location or work arrangement, and apply directly through each listing.
See All 17 Staff Software Developer Jobs in Maryland
Find roles in Maryland that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
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