This article appears for archival purposes. Any events, programs and/or initiatives mentioned may no longer be applicable.
10 Best Career Paths After the Military
Finding a career path that fits your personality and interests while reflecting on the skills and knowledge you learned during military service, can be challenging. Entering a market with high unemployment rates makes it even more difficult, but help is on the way. We’ve done some searching for you and have found the top 10 career paths for our transitioning military heroes.
With an estimated 250,000 U.S. military members transitioning into civilian life each year, your leadership and problem solving skills make you a valuable asset, and in high demand in the eyes of hiring managers. Let’s take a look at career options for our transitioning military members. The following information includes jobs at 4% growth - the national average - and above.
High Demand Occupations After the Military: Current 2020 data retrieved from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook (BLS)
-
Financial Advisor: Median Wage: $88,0000 YR, 8% job growth through 2029
-
Human Resources Managers: Median Wage: $121,220 YR, 6% job growth through 2029
-
Human Resources Specialists: Median Wage: $63,490 YR, 7% job growth through 2029
-
Information Security Analysts: Median Wage: $103,590 YR, 31% job growth through 2029
-
Business Operations Research Analyst: Median Wage: $86,200 YR, 25% job growth through 2029
-
Mental Health Counselors: Median Wage: $47,660 YR, 25% job growth through 2029
-
Registered Nurse: Median Wage: $75,330 YR, 7% job growth through 2029
-
Facilities Managers: Median Wage: $98,890 YR, 6% job growth through 2029
-
General Maintenance and Repair: $40,850 YR, 4% average job growth through 2029
-
Accountants and Auditors: $73,560 YR, 4% average job growth through 2029
Many of you will exit military life with years of skills and experience related to these types of occupations already. That experience may or may not be enough to land you the perfect career, however it will be up to you to decide if the occupation of your choice is worth possibly looking into additional education, certifications and training in order to get where you want to be. Some employers will not require it, although the requirements are listed in their job descriptions, but others will. To help with your career search, we have partnered with Pipeline AZ where you can connect with employers, as well as training options here at vets.pipelineaz.com.
It is well known that many military members will either decide to continue in their current occupation when they leave military service, or will transition to something completely different. Knowing your options can help to alleviate some of the anxiety attached to this maneuver. Remember, it’s OK to want to go into a different career and to take your time exploring different opportunities to find the right fit for you. Many people, even civilian lifers, change education and career paths more than 3 to 4 times during their own journey and it’s alright for you to do the same.
When you come to the end of your military career, finding your place in society can be daunting but there are many resources available to make the transition smooth and successful. Researching jobs that match your skill set from active duty is a perfect place to start! Do that here at vets.pipelineaz.com. Thank you for your service and we wish you great success in your new journey!
This article is created in partnership with the Maricopa County Community Colleges and Pipeline AZ to help military and veteran communities transition back to civilian life, connect and succeed. Funding for this initiative is made possible in part by the Maricopa County Community Colleges Foundation.
Reference: Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved on 4/15/2020 from https://www.bls.gov/bls/occupation.htm
Contributed by Jane Denton, Project Manager, SR-Student Affairs-Veteran Services and Angela Ambrosia, Success Coach, Student Affairs-Veteran Services