CHARLESTON, S.C. – Naval Information Warfare Center (NIWC) Atlantic recently
published a study highlighting the command’s updated economic impact of $9.3
billion on the U.S. and $3.2 billion in South Carolina.
The study, which was performed by University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore
School of Business, is the first study since 2019 to outline the total
impact of NIWC Atlantic’s economic activity. The impact reflects the dollar
value of all final goods and services that can be directly or indirectly
attributed to the command and corresponds to 45,377 jobs and nearly $3.9
billion in labor income for the nation.
NIWC Atlantic, formally known to Lowcountry locals as SPAWAR, is an
information warfare (IW) focused Navy command and laboratory headquartered
in Charleston. NIWC Atlantic’s primary mission is to solve the American
warfighter’s technical challenges through research, development,
prototyping, delivery, and sustainment of the very best in IW solutions.
In addition to Charleston, NIWC Atlantic maintains facilities in five other
states in the U.S., generating significant economic impacts in Virginia
($1.6 billion), Maryland ($159.6 million), Washington, D.C. ($124.6
million), Louisiana ($124.1 million), and Florida ($91.3 million). These
impacts can be observed through direct job and income creation as well as
procurement efforts that support a vast supplier network consisting of
thousands of businesses across the U.S.
The study also concluded that NIWC Atlantic employs approximately 76.5
percent of all electronics engineers in Charleston and 40.5 percent of all
electronics engineers in South Carolina. “We are encouraged by the latest study, which illustrates how the demand for
IW work has steadily grown over the years and underscores the continued need
for top talent in engineering, science, cybersecurity and more,” said U.S.
Navy Capt. Nicole Nigro, NIWC Atlantic commanding officer.
The study shared key wage statistics for the local and national sites.
Specifically, the average annual wage among all employees at NIWC Atlantic
is $109,535, which is 86 percent above the national average. In addition,
the average wage across all jobs supported both directly and indirectly by
NIWC Atlantic is $85,806 – or 45 percent above the national average.
According to the study, these sizable wage premiums are the result of the
strong concentration of highly skilled jobs.
The Charleston-based NIWC Atlantic team is more than 3,000 government
civilians and military members strong. Of that number, more than 66 percent
work in cybersecurity-related fields. Additionally, the study shared that
NIWC Atlantic supports more than 25 percent of the cybersecurity sector in
Charleston.
“NIWC Atlantic is working hand-in-hand with our local communities and
industry partners to establish the command as a primary technology hub and
pier in Charleston’s Silicon Harbor,” said Peter C. Reddy, NIWC Atlantic
executive director. “We are proud of how the NIWC Atlantic team is building
and fostering a technology ecosystem both in Charleston and Nation-wide – an
ecosystem necessary to support America’s warfighter for the challenges of
today and tomorrow.”
ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY LINK: <https://www.niwcatlantic.navy.mil/Portals/94/Page-Content/EIS/NIWC-ATLANTIC
-ECONOMIC-IMPACT-STUDY-2023.pdf?ver=NyluZnxhATBk8tHA9YCwpw%3d%3d>
MEDIA AVAILABILITY:
Media interested in interviewing NIWC Atlantic leadership on the milestone
have two onsite options for Monday, Sept. 18 at either 10:30 a.m. - 11:30
a.m. OR 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. The media availability will take place
in-person at NIWC Atlantic’s Headquarters on the Joint Base Charleston –
Weapons Station. Interested Media should contact Sara Corbett at
843-614-7311 to RSVP for one of the timeslots and for base access
information. Media will not be permitted access on base without coordinating
through Sara Corbett. If you are unable to attend in-person, questions will
be answered via email.