A detailed comparison of two major Australian Managed Service Providers.
Feature
Leidos
The IT Department
Overall Score
3.7
3.8
Type
US Defense / IT Services
Non-Profit Specialist
Employees
48000
30-60
Founded
2013 (spin-off from SAIC)
2005
Headquarters
Reston, Virginia, USA
Sydney, NSW
Revenue
$16.0B
Private
Salary Range
$70,000 - $180,000
$70,000 - $140,000
Specialties
Defense IT, Cybersecurity, AI & Data, C4ISR, Digital Transformation, Biomedical
Non-Profit IT, Managed Services, Cloud, Microsoft 365
Certifications
ISO 27001, FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, CMMI Level 5, AWS Partner
Microsoft Partner, AWS 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)
Good work-life balance Technology focus
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
Very small scale Limited career progression
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
Technology focus Work-life balance
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
Both US Defense / IT Services and Non-Profit Specialist 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.
Contract red flags, salary data, and industry analysis. No spam.
β You're in.
π Table of Contents
📧
Before you go…
Get the Red Flag Checklist — the 12 contract clauses every Australian MSP worker should flag before signing. Plus weekly analysis delivered to your inbox.