Information Technology

At Social Security, we don’t follow the newest Information Technology (IT) trends—we make them! We house one of the world’s largest computer installations at our Headquarters office in Baltimore, MD. Our database management and telecommunications systems are unparalleled. The operation of our computer systems affects nearly everyone you know, so you won’t find the challenge of maintaining or creating systems this complex and innovative anywhere else.

IT is one of the most dynamic and fastest growing career fields. IT Specialists at Social Security apply cutting-edge technologies to keep our systems up-to-date with constantly changing agency programs.

Our National Computer Center in Baltimore is one of the largest computer installations in the world. A second support center in North Carolina is a fully functional co-processing data center. Together, these two data centers operate in concert and form one of the government’s largest civilian computer complexes. Plans are proceeding for a new National Support Center projected for 2015.

While most of our IT Specialist positions are located at the headquarters office in Baltimore, there are IT positions in offices around the country. Over 1,400 offices nationwide depend on our staff to help process millions of claims. Our nationwide computer network connects over 115,000 workstations.

Entry-level positions begin at the GS-7 and GS-9 levels. New IT employees receive on-the-job and classroom training and perform functions in a variety of computer fields. Professional IT Specialists are hired at the GS-11, GS-12 and GS-13 levels.

We typically look for candidates with any of the following IT skills and/or work experience:

Design, development, and implementation of network systems software and hardware;

Information Systems Security, policy and procedure development;

Design, development, and implementation of relational databases;

Web Development, design, structure, functionality, security and integrity;

Planning, requirements analysis and validation of new programmatic and management information systems; and

Analysis and refinement of systems requirements, design, validation, and implementation of programmatic software.

Our challenging IT positions are highly competitive with private industry. We offer competitive compensation packages that recognize skills gained through work experience and academic accomplishments.

IT employees are paid a special salary rate when the rate exceeds the General Schedule and Locality Pay for the locality of the position. Find the special salary rates on http://apps.opm.gov/SSR/tables/index.cfm. You may compare the special salary rate to the General Schedule and Locality Pay tables at http://www.opm.gov/ and select the link for Salaries & Wages.

Many of our Information Technology specialists become team leaders and managers as they gain experience. Others choose to expand their technical knowledge as high-level technical experts.