Armed Forces Careers

A career in the Armed Forces is a great way to serve the United States of America in one of its five active duty military branches – Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, or Coast Guard. Depending on the job selected, working can be akin to most civilian jobs – Monday through Friday, 9 to 5. However, other positions are more volatile, unpredictable, and adventuresome.

The following guide will help interested individuals explore potential career paths by providing a high-level overview of the Armed Forces, including a look at different roles, related skills, earning potential, and employment outlook.

Career Paths in the Armed Forces

Serving in the Armed Forces has always been a popular career option. The reasons for joining are as varied as the individuals themselves. Many serve to be part of something larger than themselves and to do what they feel is their patriotic duty. Others do it for the higher education financial aid benefits, such as the Student Loan Repayment program, Post 9/11 GI Bill®, Tuition Assistance and Tuition Top-Up. Still others want to be on the cutting edge of technology or pursue something that is challenging and life-changing.

* GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Career paths can include serving at various grade levels: Commissioned Officer, Warrant Officer or Enlisted. Within each level are several fields and numerous jobs within those fields. Below is a sampling of some of the jobs available:

[dig-deeper title="Army Automobile Maintenance Warrant Officer (915A)"description="This position is similar to a civilian Shop Foreman found in mostautomobile dealerships or large repair shops. In charge of a shop, theMaintenance Technician supervises a variety of technician specialists ensuringall aspects of equipment maintenance are performed to the military standard,including equipment recovery, repair parts ordering and stock-age, body and hullrepair, welding, electronics, armament, production control and quality control.While the position is normally located on a post in a fixed facility (abuilding), it can also become mobile and provide support from a fieldenvironment. The grade of this position can be from a Warrant Officer 1 (WO1) toa Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4)." panel_subtitle="Education" ]

No post-secondary education is required, however, the candidate must be an Enlisted E-5 or above with at least 5 years on the job in one of a variety of MOS positions. Also required is a letter of recommendation from a Senior Warrant Officer in the same field.

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[dig-deeper title="Air Force Pilot" description="Of those who setout to become a pilot, few actually make it, but for those who do, they are thebest of the best and are well on their way to having one of the most excitingcareers in the military. Air Force pilots fly either fixed wing, such as bomber,fighter, tanker or cargo planes, or rotary wing (helicopter) aircraft. Somepositions require pilots to also be Instructor Qualified, so they can refreshthe skills of other pilots through periodic qualification flights. Potentialpilots must first pass a Class I Flying Physical, pass rigorous testing andcomplete an Officer Commissioning course through a Reserve Officer TrainingCorps (ROTC) program, Branch Officer School or the Air Force Academy. In mostcases, commissioning must occur before one's 29th birthday and in flight schoolby his or her 30th birthday. The Navy and Marines also employ pilots."panel_subtitle="Education" ]

At least a bachelor's degree with a GPA of 3.4 or higher preferably in one of the sciences, such as aerospace engineering, physics, computer science or chemistry.

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[dig-deeper title="Navy Flight Support" description="This fieldhas both officer and enlisted positions. Aviation Maintenance Duty Officers(AMDO) are Flight Support Supervisors who are responsible to ensure aircraftmaintenance is performed correctly, provide operational support, and manage allmaterial and manpower required so aircraft can fly. Enlisted members work underthe supervision of an AMDO and are responsible for maintaining and operatingaircraft catapult systems, along with ensuring landing gears, brakes and relatedsystems work on some of the world's most advanced aircraft. Work is normallyperformed on the flight deck under varied weather and environmental conditions.Flight Support is a critical position to ensure mission success. If planes on anaircraft carrier can't fly, that carrier can't project its military power fromthe air." panel_subtitle="Education" ]

As an officer, a four-year degree is required. As an enlisted, no post-secondary education is required.

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[dig-deeper title="Marine Corps Military Police"description="While all military branches have their own police, the ones in theMarines are some of the most active and well trained of all the branches. Underpeacetime conditions, Marine policing activities are very similar to theircivilian counterparts. Typical duties include military law enforcement, trafficcontrol, security, crime prevention, intelligence gathering, and patrolling.Some Marine Corps Military Police pursue specialized training and go on tobecome dog handlers, which are used to sniff out explosives, drugs, and findpeople. This job is usually performed on a base; however, military police anddog handlers frequently deploy to combat zones. This usually ramps up theactivity and danger levels by presenting new policing challenges. Unlikecivilian police officers, Marine Corps Military Police also serve asresettlement and interment officials." panel_subtitle="Education" ]

As an Enlisted, no post-secondary education is required; however, an ASVAB GT score of 100 or higher is required and non-waiver able. Also, candidates must be able to obtain a Secret security clearance.

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[dig-deeper title="Coast Guard Boatswain Mate (BM)"description="If there is a jack-of-all-trades in regard to seamanship, a BM isit. Individuals in this position must be able to do everything. From supervisingdeck maintenance, to small boat operations, navigation, and search and rescue(just to name a few), BMs are always there. They also have to know how tooperate hoists, cranes, and winches and know how much of a load a rope or cablecan safely support. A Boatswain Mate is a unique position in that they canbecome an officer-in-charge of a harbor tug, patrol boat, or cutter. Most CoastGuard personnel are stationed within the confines of the United States and itsterritorial waters." panel_subtitle="Education" ]

While no post-secondary education is necessary, small boat handling experience is desirable along with an aptitude in algebra, geometry, and shop.

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[dig-deeper title="Navy Nurse Corp" description="Depending on thetype of nurse (there are 15 types available), being a Navy Nurse is similar innature to its civilian counterpart. For example, navy nurses check vitals, treatwounds, and manage triage. However, navy nurses can also be deployed and foundadministering infant vaccinations in developing countries, taking part inhumanitarian relief efforts, or providing emergency care to natural disastervictims – tasks that are not normally found in civilian nursing. Job locationcan be in one of 250 medical facilities around the globe and could range fromworking aboard ship, in a naval hospital or clinic on a base, or in one of thethree National Navy Medical Centers – Bethesda, MD, Portsmouth, VA or San Diego,CA. There is even opportunity to provide support to the Marines."panel_subtitle="Education" ]

Nurses must be a graduate of an accredited nursing school, however, can enlist without having graduated yet. If already enrolled in a nursing program, students get an initial grant and a monthly stipend for up to 24 months to help pay for school under the Nurse Candidate Program (NCP). If just starting college, students can get a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC) scholarship worth up to $180,000 to pay for nursing school.

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[dig-deeper title="Army Linguist" description="Linguists are inhigh demand. So high that the Army pays up to $40,000 in an enlistment incentiveand up to an additional $400 per month once trained in one of the followinglanguages: Arabic Egyptian, Arabic Levantine, Chinese Mandarin, Persian Farsi,Arabic Modern Standard, and Pashto. Linguists fall into two general categories:Strategic and Tactical. Strategic Linguists work out of an office translatinghighly classified documents and information while Tactical Linguists work in afield environment talking to the local population, all the while gatheringinformation. To apply, applicants must be able to obtain a Top Secret securityclearance. After serving a career in the Armed Forces, an individual could workfor the FBI, CIA, National Security Agency or Homeland Security."panel_subtitle="Education" ]

While no post-secondary education is necessary, foreign language skills are desirable or at least a high aptitude to learn a foreign language, which is determined by the Defense Language Aptitude Battery Test.

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[dig-deeper title="Navy Operations Specialists" description="MostOS positions are located at sea aboard ships, which means much time will bespent away from home. However with specialized training, some operationsspecialists function as combat air controllers and work aboard aircraft. The jobusually consists of working in the combat information centers or combatdirection centers on a ship's bridge. Typically they operate radar, navigationand communications equipment, along with detecting and tracking other ships,aircraft and missiles. When underway, the job can be stressful and intenserequiring quick thinking, the ability to make calculations on the fly, and toquickly determine the relevance to the mission of the massive amounts ofinformation coming in." panel_subtitle="Education" ]

While no post-secondary education is necessary, arithmetic, record keeping, working with computers and manual dexterity are desirable skills to have. Applicants must also be able to obtain a security clearance.

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Armed Forces Salaries

Pay in the military differs from the civilian sector in that the earnings depend on rank, years of service, and location. For example, an E-5 with over three years of service earns $2,464.50 per month in Base Pay, but the same E-5 with over six years in the Armed Forces earns $2,761.80.

By comparison, an O-3 officer with those same years of service would earn $4,787.10 and $5,469.60, respectively. Warrant Officers Basic Pay falls in between the enlisted and officer.

In addition, certain military members also get a Basic Housing Allowance (BAH), which is determined in part by location and rank. The table below shows a sample comparison between an E-5 and O-3 BAH at three Army posts in the U.S., along with a total for both Base Pay and BAH (with and without dependents):

Ft. Drum, NY

Ft Riley, KS

Ft. Irwin, CA

Source: Defense Travel Management Office

Besides Base Pay and BAH, military members also get certain allowances, such as clothing or separation (if stationed away from their family). They may also get an incentive pay depending on their job, location, and other criteria, such as stationed-at-sea, serving in a combat zone, flight pay, submarine pay, etc.

Components of a Successful Career in the Armed Forces: Skills, Tools, and Technology

Skills

Because the jobs in the military vary so greatly (there are over a 150 career paths in the Army alone), it is hard to nail down the skills needed. However, there are certain personal skills that are valuable regardless of the branch, path, or job. Such skills include:

• Stamina and physical fitnessThe wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have shown military members must be in top physical and mental shape to endure the rigors of deployment. Servicemembers who were overweight and less in shape suffered higher rates ofinjuries. Because Armed Forces service is stressful – both physically andmentally – members at the top of their game stay in longer.

• Team PlayerThe military relies the team concept to get its work down. By working together, a team gets more done than if each member worked alone. That iswhy one of the first things learned in Basic Training is teamwork.

• PatriotismWhether an enlisted or officer, defending the Constitution without question is paramount to success as a military careerist. As a result, anOath of Allegiance is required.

• AdaptabilityThings can change fast in the military and you have to be able to "roll with the punches". Today you may be in one place and tomorrow on a planeto somewhere else. Being able to quickly adapt to changes – and challenges– on the fly is critical to both mission and personal success.

• EmpathyThe military operates in all types of environments – some of which are hostile and unhealthy – usually in developing areas of the world. It isnecessary to be able to relate to the local socio-economic background,race, culture and religions. For many, it is a way to survive.

In addition to the above skills, credentialing is a license or certification that shows the individual has the training and experience to perform a certain job in the civilian sector. Currently, there are over 105 jobs that can be credentialed in the Army alone. Credentialing is commonly found in the healthcare field, such as an x-ray technician, dental assistant, or Physician's Assistant (PA). But it can also validate one's expertise in operating commercial vehicles, thus making it easier to get a Commercial Driver's License (CDL) when transferring to the civilian sector. Working in a nuclear plant control room or having a computer-specific certification from a vendor, such as Cicso or Microsoft, are two other types of credentials that are valuable in the civilian world but can be obtained through military service depending on the job.

Some credentials are nationally recognized while others may only be specific to a State or Territory. Credentialing certain military skills not only saves time and money, but can also be a benefit when trying to get a civilian job after leaving a military career.

Job Growth, Prospects, and Outlook in the Armed Forces

With the war in Iraq ended and the drawdown continuing in Afghanistan, the Armed Forces are becoming smaller by design and out of budget necessity. As shown below, the total number of active duty military personnel has been steadily declining:

The need for new service members won't be as great in the near term (2015 out to 2020) as it has been in the last decade. But with ISIS still strong, and other threats still developing, there still will be a need to meet strength goals and to make up for attrition due to service members getting out or retiring.

According to the latest data available, below is a look at how the Armed Services looks now and what it is projected to look like in the next five years:

U.S. Armed Forces Strength by Branch

* Note: Numbers do not include 335,000 National Guard or 195,000 Reserve members.

As shown above, the branch with the most overall opportunity for growth is the Navy. The other branches are projected to shrink as a whole. Within the Army, the Special Forces is projected to grow as they have shown they are best suited for the type of combat actions encountered now and currently projected for the near-term.

What Do Related Occupations Make?

While some of the jobs in the Armed Forces are unique and not found in the civilian sector, many do crossover. As the chart below illustrates, the annual salary of three sample military jobs – Pilot, Mechanical Engineer and Electrician – fall around the median salary point when compared to their related civilian equivalents. Nurse and Truck Driver are closer to the Top 10 percent.

[highcharts-compare title="Armed Forces Careers and Related JobSalaries"]'\"Subject\";\"10th Percentile\";\"Median Salary\";\"90th Percentile\"\n\"Pilot\";72000;90495;120000\n\"Mechanical Engineer\";76000;90767;130000\n\"Nurse\";28000;32400;60000\n\"Electrician\";48000;52000;72000\n\"Truck Driver\";23200;33110;67000'

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The above figures for the first three positions uses an officer O-3 with over 6 years as a standard for Base Pay and an average BAH. For the last two, an enlisted E-6 with over 6 years is used as the standard.

Related Occupations: What You Need to Know

Serving a career in the Armed Forces can be a great way to learn a skill or trade that can then be used to get a job after retiring from military service. With the education benefits available to all service members – Tuition Assistance and Tuition Top-Up – it can be easy to get a postsecondary education all the way up to a four-year college degree while serving. One could also go back to school after military retirement and use the GI Bill for an advanced degree.

Here is a sampling of jobs in the Armed Forces that directly convert to the civilian sector, along with information on median salary, growth potential, and the education or training required by most companies to compete for these positions.

Related Careers at a Glance

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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