A detailed comparison of two major Australian Managed Service Providers.
Feature
Data#3
Leidos
Overall Score
3.8
3.7
Type
Publicly Listed Giant
US Defense / IT Services
Employees
1500-2000
48000
Founded
1977
2013 (spin-off from SAIC)
Headquarters
Brisbane, QLD
Reston, Virginia, USA
Revenue
$884.8M
$16.0B
Salary Range
$80,000 - $160,000
$70,000 - $180,000
Specialties
Microsoft Solutions, Cloud, Managed Services, Software Licensing
Defense IT, Cybersecurity, AI & Data, C4ISR, Digital Transformation, Biomedical
Certifications
Microsoft Partner, AWS Partner, Cisco Partner, VMware Partner
ISO 27001, FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, CMMI Level 5, AWS Partner
Green Flags
ASX-listed (ASX: DDD) Γ’β¬β financial transparency Strong Australian focus Γ’β¬β no offshoring agenda Good work-life balance Profitable and growing
Dominant US defense and intelligence IT contractor β mission-critical work Strong technical depth in AI, cybersecurity, C4ISR, and biomedical Fortune 500 stability with consistent revenue and earnings growth Excellent benefits and pension for US-based defense sector employees Science and engineering culture from heritage roots (SAIC spin-off)
Red Flags
Below-market salaries at senior levels Government contract dependency Limited international exposure Acquisition-driven growth creates integration challenges
Security clearance requirement limits talent pool significantly US-based only β limited international career mobility Government contracting bureaucracy slows innovation and agility Below-market compensation compared to commercial tech sector Ethical concerns around defense work may conflict with personal values
Worker Pros
ASX-listed transparency Γ’β¬β you know the numbers Australian-focused Γ’β¬β your job isn't being offshored Profitable and growing Γ’β¬β stability Good work-life balance in most teams
Mission-critical work with national security impact Excellent benefits and pension for US defense employees Fortune 500 financial stability Deep AI, cyber, and C4ISR technical depth
Worker Cons
Below-market salaries at senior levels Government contract dependency creates cyclicality Limited international exposure Acquisition integration can be bumpy
Security clearance process is slow and restrictive Below-market comp vs commercial tech Limited international exposure β US-centric Government contracting red tape slows everything Defense work ethics may conflict with personal values
Both Publicly Listed Giant and US Defense / IT Services have strengths and weaknesses. Your choice depends on your priorities β whether that's career growth, salary, work-life balance, or technical exposure.
Use the side-by-side comparison tool for a deeper look, or check out individual profiles for detailed employee reviews.
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