You’ve learned a lot during your years in service and developed a number of military skills that can translate into civilian life. You’ve figured out what you’re good at, what you’re interested in, and have some ideas of how you want to spend the rest of your life.
We’ve broken down military to civilian jobs into three categories.
- The obvious group is “Yeah, I Could Do That.” These careers can pick up where your military training left off.
- The second group is “You Know, I Might Want to Do That.” These may not be obvious choices, but many of the skills you’ve developed could translate into these areas.
- And finally, there are careers you may not have considered, but where you might be successful. We’ll call those, “Wow, That’s a Good Idea.”
We’ll give you an Education Battle Plan for each. This will help you figure out the academic steps you need to take to land these jobs. We’ll also give you an indication of what each might pay, and the demand there is for jobs in every field.
Based on your military experience, these six options may provide a few natural segues into a civilian career:
Criminal Justice
If you’ve served as a soldier, you’ve already taken the first steps toward becoming a police officer or a sheriff’s deputy. There are a number of reasons criminal justice careers are so popular among Veterans. First, just about any position in the military teaches many of the skills you’ll need in law enforcement. Many vets appreciate the rewards that come from serving their communities. And criminal justice is one of the few careers where esprit de corps is an essential part of the job.
The hours can be unpredictable and the stresses difficult, but police work does pay well. The mean salary for a police officer (and detectives) in the U.S. is $76,290, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. If you make it to the detective level, it’s $93,530. And criminal justice jobs will only continue to grow.
Many of these jobs currently don’t require a college degree, like in New York City, but that’s changing. Many forces, especially in major cities, are looking for recruits with some college credit hours. Earning a college degree or professional certificate can also play a role in your potential career advancement in the field.
Education Battle Plan
If you want a career in law enforcement, a degree in criminal justice is one of the best degrees for Veterans. While many colleges and universities offer a criminal justice major, a BS in criminal justice administration introduces students to forensic science, civil and criminal court proceedings, and criminology. If Homeland Security is your interest, a BS in homeland security & emergency management is for you. For those who want to shape the future of law enforcement, a master’s degree in criminal justice administration is a great way to get there.
If you are looking for continuing education, NU offers the Professional Certificate in Community Policing.
As a Yellow Ribbon school, National offers tuition discounts and support services to servicemembers and their dependents.
Nursing
Many Veterans return to civilian life with a basic knowledge of medical care, which makes nursing another way to take advantage of your existing military skills. Plus, few things are more rewarding than helping rehabilitate injured people get back on their feet.
Nurses not only earn an excellent income, but nursing jobs will be in demand for years to come. Some areas of nursing are booming. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has calculated that over the next ten years, the need for home health aides will increase by 17%.
Nursing salaries can vary widely, even from state to state. A registered nurse in California, for example, earns an average salary of $148,330 a year, according to nurse.org. South Dakota is at the low end of the list with an average salary of $41,470 a year.
Education Battle Plan
Nursing education ranges from two- to four-year programs, as well as a number of certifications and post-degree specializations. That’s why it’s one of NU highest number of graduates. The profession also offers many administrative options, like health care administration.
For those who want to take the next step, National offers multiple nursing program options including online master’s degrees that will put graduates in a position to shape health professions. For instance, nursing informatics, a combination of technology, health care management, and nursing, is another interesting nursing career option to explore.
Construction Engineering
Like the military itself, engineering gives you plenty of options. The U.S Department of Education says there will be a substantial increase in science, technology, and engineering jobs over the next five years. If you served as a combat engineer or a mechanic, you’ve already built the foundation for becoming a construction engineer.
And that construction engineering specialty pays well: The average salary for a construction engineering manager, according to payscale.com, is $108,318.
Education Battle Plan
To qualify as an engineer almost certainly requires a bachelor’s degree, and National University offers a good option.
A Bachelor of Science in Construction Management prepares you for a career as a leader in the construction industry. A bachelor’s degree in construction management stresses communication skills, math, and the legal aspects of construction. If you are looking for something quicker, the Professional Certificate in Construction Management takes about 20 weeks.
Teaching
The military is as much about teaching as it is about learning, even if your only experience was showing a new recruit the ropes. To be a teacher you’ll need patience, a strong work ethic, and the ability to maintain discipline for your classroom.
Many states face teacher shortages and are offering tax incentives to fill them. Hawaii tops the list. High-vacancy states include Florida, North Carolina, Arizona, Nevada, Indiana, Ohio, Georgia, and Illinois,
To fill teaching shortages, many states, like Arizona, Indiana, Florida, NC, Nevada, and Ohio are offering relocation incentives. To help ease the cost of moving, they are offering bonuses, stipends, housing assistance, or loan forgiveness.
Education Battle Plan
National University’s programs in education are so vast and diverse that it’s difficult to touch on even a few. The Sanford College of Education offers bachelor’s, master’s, and Ed.D degrees on several campuses in California. And most of NU’s education programs and courses are offered online.
Wow, That’s a Good Idea!
Computer Science/ Network Administration/ Cybersecurity
Even if you hadn’t realized it, you’ve been developing a basic understanding of computers since you picked up your first Nintendo or PlayStation. While you were in the service, your computer skills probably got better every day; you may even have been involved in IT-related work while you served. So, a career in computer science, info tech, or network administration is a consideration for jobs after the military.
What’s the difference between computer science and IT? Think of it as hardware vs. software. IT involves setting up computer networks to process data. Computer science is developing the codes and applications that make those computers more effective. And a network administrator links them together to get the most from each and safeguard valuable systems.
Computer science jobs are projected to increase by 13% in the next 7 years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A software engineer averages $99K-$140K annually, with senior engineers making $211,450. But in this field, specialized training, in the form of a degree is essential, and an advanced degree is often beneficial.
While all computer-related professions are growing, the IT area that is projected to expand the most in the next ten years is cybersecurity. City, state and federal IT departments, as well as financial institutions and other large companies are increasing their pools of qualified staff to keep their your data safe from hackers.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the need for information security analysts will increase by 29% over the next ten years. And these are high-paying jobs, with a median salary of $129,110. Most of them, however, require at least a bachelor’s degree.
Education Battle Plan
Computer science is a wide, rapidly-evolving field, so the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at National focuses on a wide variety of topics, including programming languages, algorithm design, computer architecture and ethics, and scientific problem-solving.
A computer science degree will give you the option to work for governments, large companies, or small start-ups. A lot of these options fall under National’s BA in IT management.
To surge straight to cutting-edge computer know-how, National offers four master’s degree programs in computer science. And if any academic discipline lends itself to online classes, it’s this one.
To meet the rising demand for cyber policemen, National offers a bachelor’s degree in cybersecurity. In addition to teaching students the fundamentals of computer science and networking, this specialized degree delivers a specific focus on security. Students can choose between four-class options that concentrate on computer network defense or digital forensics.
Business and Finance
Most Veterans spent much of their service managing others, even while they were still raw recruits. So weighing all the facts and making complex decisions quickly certainly helps prepare you for a career in business or finance. That’s why business administration is one of the most popular degrees for Veterans, according to gijobs.org.
Again, this field is as diverse as the military. But whether your focus is on finance, or opening a chain of falafel stands, a business education will provide you with the foundational knowledge to establish a career in almost any field.
Armed with your business degree, you can expect to earn about $60,000 a year to start, according to payscale.com. That figure increases significantly with an MBA. Payscale reports that a starting MBA can probably earn around $85,000.
Education Battle Plan
National’s Bachelor of Business Administration will give you the background to succeed. You’ll learn how to communicate effectively, analyze strengths and weaknesses and apply business strategies and ethics. And since so many of National’s business students are already in the job market, there are options to earn online degrees. That includes National’s MBA program, which will set you on your way to becoming a true business leader.
We hope this has at given you a place to start thinking about the future and maybe pointed you in the right direction. This is by no means a comprehensive list of all your potential career options post-military, but it will give you an idea of where to begin exploring.
National University’s Veteran and Military Center is also a good place to check into for career and military transition advice. To learn more about the many program options available at military-friendly National University, you can also visit our military admissions.
