A detailed comparison of two major Australian Managed Service Providers.
Feature
Leidos
Macquarie Technology Group
Overall Score
3.7
4.1
Type
US Defense / IT Services
Enterprise / Cloud
Employees
48000
500-800
Founded
2013 (spin-off from SAIC)
1995
Headquarters
Reston, Virginia, USA
Sydney, NSW
Revenue
$16.0B
$379.4M
Salary Range
$70,000 - $180,000
$85,000 - $170,000
Specialties
Defense IT, Cybersecurity, AI & Data, C4ISR, Digital Transformation, Biomedical
Data Centre, Cloud, Managed Services, Government Cloud
Certifications
ISO 27001, FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, CMMI Level 5, AWS Partner
AWS Partner, Microsoft Partner, VMware Partner
Green Flags
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)
ASX-listed (ASX: MAQ) Γ’β¬β financial transparency Highest-rated MSP on Glassdoor (4.1/5) Strong focus on cloud and security Good culture and employee satisfaction
Red Flags
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
Smaller scale Γ’β¬β less exposure to enterprise projects Limited international presence Can be bureaucratic in some teams
Worker Pros
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
Highest-rated MSP on Glassdoor Strong cloud and security focus ASX-listed transparency Good culture and employee satisfaction
Worker Cons
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
Smaller scale Γ’β¬β less enterprise exposure Limited international presence Some teams can be bureaucratic
Both US Defense / IT Services and Enterprise / Cloud 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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