[bell-cot]

Rule of Thumb: Unless either (1) your family has been "in that line of work" for several decades, or (2) a Clearance is needed for long-term success in your chosen field, the grief & weirdness of getting & maintaining a Security Clearance is Just Not Worth It.

[martinky24]

If you don't do drugs, don't commit felonies, and don't have a ton of foreign friends (particularly from a few key, problematic countries), it's really not _that_ bad. You have some more annual paperwork that you're paid to do, you might have some restrictions on certain international travel, but for many people, nothing of meaning really changes before/after getting one.

It's not for everyone, but for plenty it's not a huge burden. Even if their family hasn't been "in that line of work" for several decades.

And it unlocks the ability to work on certain things that simply don't exist elsewhere (no, not just weapons).

[Narhem]

The upside being having a security clearance is means almost always having a job available.

[carom]

Very much this. The USA has a jobs program and it is the defense industry. You just have to not do drugs to participate.