From completing basic training to completing missions, you’ve dedicated countless hours and immeasurable energy to your country as a member of the United States Military.
But now that your time in the military is coming to an end, what will you do next?
Millions of veterans have found themselves in your position, weighing options for the next chapter of their lives. When it comes to pursuing a career path that seeks diverse, military-based skills and offers support while transitioning to civilian life, more than 635,000 veterans have found success in roles within the federal government, equating to nearly 30% of all federal employees.
Put Your Military Training to Good Use
There are a number of government jobs that can utilize your unique skills as you take the next step in your career. Particularly, business, criminal justice, and computer science roles within the government demand seasoned veterans with foundational military education and skills.
Apply your unique expertise in your next career and utilize your military education benefits to finance the right education for the job you want. College credit may also be granted for your military experience.
Continue reading to explore today’s most in-demand government jobs and the education they require.
In-Demand Government Business Careers
From roles in finance to positions in management, business professionals play a major role in industries worldwide. The federal government utilizes expert business skills in various fields to develop and maintain structure and secure the functions of every department.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects the business field to expand by 8 percent by 2030, creating more than 750,800 new jobs. The leadership experience and strategy skills you gained in the military could make a positive impact in the field, especially when supplemented by the right degree program.
Logistician
Current Industry Growth Rate: 30%
Logisticians are responsible for an organization’s supply chain and product life cycles. They manage purchasing, inventory, transportation and warehousing operations—basically the entire process for a product from the manufacturer to consumer. Additionally, logisticians also develop ways to maximize efficiency and minimize cost throughout the process. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 56,400 new logistician jobs to be created by 2030.
How Your Military Experience Fits this Role:
Along with an associate degree, your experience following strict processes and procedures in the military will prepare you for success in this role. You may also qualify for advanced roles within logistics, such as leadership and supervisory positions, by pursuing a bachelor’s degree after completing an associate degree.
Median Annual Salary: $76,270
Prepare With: Associate of Science in Business Administration
Human Resource Specialist
Current Industry Growth Rate: 10%
Human resource specialists contribute to the growing workforce by determining the right candidates for available jobs in their organization and preparing new employees for success in their roles. Additionally, these professionals ensure their employees have the necessary resources to do their jobs effectively and lead happy, productive lives. This role also involves choosing employee benefits packages and establishing a safe and comfortable professional environment for all. More than 70,000 new human resources specialists jobs are expected to be created by 2030.
How Your Military Experience Fits this Role:
Your experience making executive decisions and training others in the military will help you make the best decisions for your organization’s employees in this role. A bachelor’s degree is required to qualify for this position, and a master’s degree is required for advanced management roles within the field.
Median Annual Salary: $63,490
Prepare With: Bachelor of Science in General Business
Project Manager
Current Industry Growth Rate: 9%
Project managers oversee projects in a variety of business fields, including marketing and manufacturing. Always in high demand, these managers govern professionals working on their projects to ensure all procedures are being followed properly and goals are being met on time. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 906,800 jobs in management overall will be created by 2030.
How Your Military Experience Fits this Role:
The organizational and expert leadership skills you gained in the U.S. military will come in handy for project management, along with your experience collaborating and strategizing with others as you work to achieve diverse goals in this position. You must complete a bachelor’s degree to qualify for this position and a master’s degree for advanced director and supervisory roles within the field.
Median Annual Salary: $77,420
Prepare With: Bachelor of Science in Business Administration
Executive Director
Current Industry Growth Rate: 8%
Executive directors establish financial and production goals for an organization and strategize plans to achieve them. They ensure strategies are functional within the organization’s budget and support other department members as they work together to achieve success. The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects 209,500 new executive director jobs to be created by 2030.
How Your Military Experience Fits this Role:
The government’s executive directors must have excellent problem-solving skills and develop effective strategies to achieve diverse goals. While a master’s degree is required to qualify for this position, your experience making executive decisions, achieving goals through complex strategies, and leading units in the military can help you make a positive impact in this role.
Median Annual Salary: $107,680
Prepare With: Master of Management and Leadership
CPA
Current Industry Growth Rate: 7%
Certified Public Accountants work with individuals and organizations to organize financial records and establish achievable financial goals. 96,000 new accounting and auditing jobs are expected to be created by 2030.
How Your Military Experience Fits this Role:
While advanced finance knowledge is key for success as a CPA, the problem-solving experience and financial responsibility skills you gained from your time in the military will help you determine the best financial growth opportunities for your clients. To become certified in this field, individuals must complete a state-mandated amount of accounting education hours and receive a passing score on the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam.
Median Annual Salary: $73,560
Prepare With: Master of Business Administration – Accounting
Industrial Engineer Technician
Current Industry Growth Rate: 4%
Industrial engineer technicians support production for an organization in a variety of ways. Responsibilities may include working directly with product engineers to develop new production methods, solving problems interfering with production, and developing better manufacturing procedures. The industrial engineering field is steadily expanding at a rate of 4 percent, and more than 6,000 new positions typically become available for these technicians every year.
How Your Military Experience Fits this Role:
The complex problem-solving skills you gained from your military career will support you in this role, along with your ability to collaborate and strategize with others. You may qualify for this position after completing an associate degree, but advancement into leadership roles within the field may be possible by completing a bachelor’s degree.
Median Annual Salary: $57,320
Prepare With: Associate of Science in Business Administration
In-Demand Government Criminal Justice Careers
Criminal justice professionals work to protect communities, defend the law and bring offenders to justice through a variety of positions that are always in demand. The criminal justice system is a major component of the government, which is why it’s vital that top-qualified and highly skilled professionals are employed in this field.
While police officers often come to mind at the mention of criminal justice careers, this field stretches far beyond the police department. The government needs critical thinkers who can make strategic decisions fast in schools, courtrooms, rehabilitation centers, fire departments and more. Along with the right degree program, you can pursue your passion for protecting your country beyond the military and into a rewarding criminal justice career.
Criminologist
Current Industry Growth Rate: 16%
Criminologists solve crimes and bring offenders to justice by conducting forensic investigations. Responsibilities for professionals in this role range from collecting and securely storing physical evidence from crime scenes, analyzing statements made by persons of interest, testing DNA from potential suspects and more. This field is growing much faster than the average industry and is expected to create thousands of new jobs by 2030.
How Your Military Experience Fits this Role:
As a veteran, your ability to pay close attention to detail and thoroughly analyze complex situations will help you investigate crime scenes quickly and understand criminal patterns. Although completing a master’s degree will help you become eligible for this position and supervisory responsibilities, specialty certification will give you the edge you need for advanced opportunities and technical roles within the field.
Median Annual Salary: $60,590
Prepare With: Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Social Justice Program Manager
Current Industry Growth Rate: 15%
Social justice program managers oversee community programs designed to make progress in a variety of social causes. Responsibilities for this position may include planning budgets, directing public events and overseeing other professionals within their organization to ensure all procedures are being followed properly and goals are being met. As the need for social justice advocacy grows, 26,400 new positions for social justice program managers are expected to be created by 2030.
How Your Military Experience Fits this Role:
Similar to project management, your collaboration experience and military leadership skills could help you make a positive impact as a social justice program manager. Additionally, you can also carry your passion for serving and protecting others into this role. Complete your master’s degree to qualify for this position.
Median Annual Salary: $69,600
Prepare With: Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Police Officer
Current Industry Growth Rate: 7%
Police officers carry out a variety of services designed to protect communities. This position involves diverse responsibilities, including ensuring traffic laws are followed, responding to violent crimes, preventing the use of illegal substances, protecting individuals in dangerous situations and more. Because of their role in community safety, police officers are always in demand. The current growth rate of the field is 7%, and 51,700 new positions for police officers are expected to be created by 2030.
How Your Military Experience Fits this Role:
Along with your passion for serving others, your military experience in taking control of complicated situations and making effective decisions can help you protect members of your community as a police officer. An associate degree can help you qualify for this position, and a bachelor’s degree can help you advance into leadership positions within the field.
Median Annual Salary: $67,290
Prepare With: Associate of Science in Criminal Justice
Federal Agent
Current Industry Growth Rate: 7%
Federal agents work to enforce the policies and laws of a government agency. Regardless of their employment agency, federal agents play a major role in law enforcement to protect individuals, secure private and sensitive information and defend the public. These professionals are always in demand, and the most experienced agents can earn up to $153,000 per year.
How Your Military Experience Fits this Role:
This position requires professionals who can act fast and make strategic decisions to achieve goals and complete missions. Your military experience in making executive decisions – along with your experience collaborating and strategizing with a team – can help you make an impact as a federal agent. While a bachelor’s degree is the minimum education typically required for this role, you may become eligible for leadership responsibilities and advancement opportunities within the field by pursuing a master’s degree or specialty certification.
Median Annual Salary: $89,275
Prepare With: Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice Administration
In-Demand Government Computer Science Careers
Technology is continuously advancing, making organizations worldwide more dependent on computers to conduct business and store data. As one of the world’s most in-demand industries, it’s no surprise that computer science plays a major role in the federal government. The field is projected to grow 13% by 2030, creating more than 667,000 new jobs for computer science professionals.
Many entry-level computer science jobs are attainable with either an associate or bachelor’s degree, while many in-demand positions require a master’s degree. If your area of expertise in the military was computer science, a career path in this field would be ideal for applying your skills and growing as a professional in civilian life. While these roles can be highly competitive, your military skills and experience can serve as the edge you need to impress employers and become successful.
Cybersecurity Analyst
Current Industry Growth Rate: 33%
Cybersecurity analysts address the growing problem of information breaches faced by organizations all over the world. When working for the federal government, these professionals oversee network security programs and protect extremely sensitive and classified information. Cybersecurity is expanding much faster than the average industry growth rate and is projected to grow 33% by 2030. With this expansion, 47,100 new jobs are expected to be created.
How Your Military Experience Fits this Role:
Your experience defending the country will help you defend the country’s private data in this position. Your ability to make executive decisions and strategize complex plans for defense will give you the competitive edge you need to break into this rewarding field. While a bachelor’s degree will help you break into the field of cybersecurity analysis, a master’s degree will give you the credential for supervisory roles and higher salary potential within this fast-growing field.
Median Annual Salary: $103,590
Prepare With: Master of Science in Computer Science
Database Administrator
Current Industry Growth Rate: 8%
Database administrators build and maintain data storage systems for every department in the federal government. They design databases to protect classified information and regularly update software to prevent cybersecurity breaches. On average, database administrators earn more than double the average annual salary, with the most experienced administrators earning up to $155,660 annually.
How Your Military Experience Fits this Role:
While your military-based technology skills will certainly come in handy in this field, your ability to develop strategies for defense will also help you solve data storage and cybersecurity problems as a database administrator. To qualify for this role and further advance your career in the field, you must complete a master’s degree.
Median Annual Salary: $98,860
Prepare With: Master of Science in Computer Science
Computer Network Architect
Current Industry Growth Rate: 5%
Computer network architects ensure all government databases and communication services operate through secure proper computer networks. They oversee a department’s intranet, develop solutions for connectivity issues and prevent cybersecurity breaches. This is one of the top-paying jobs in the field, with the most experienced computer network architects earning up to $175,570 annually.
How Your Military Experience Fits this Role:
In this position, you can apply your foundational technology education along with the expert problem-solving skills you gained in the military to address problems within computer networks and develop effective solutions fast. A master’s degree will help you secure a position as a computer network architect and help you advance into leadership positions within the field.
Median Annual Salary: $116,780
Prepare With: Master of Science in Computer Science
What’s Your Next Step?
Regardless of the government career path you choose, Campbellsville University can help you achieve your professional goals. Apply your military education benefits and choose from a number of online associate, bachelor’s, master’s and certificate programs designed to help you take the next step in your career.
With an online degree from Campbellsville, you’ll learn in an interactive, virtual classroom from expert educators with real-world experience in their fields of study. Choose from flexible course options and study on your time as you balance your education with personal commitments.
Pursue your passion for serving others with an accredited online degree from Campbellsville University. Contact an enrollment counselor to get started or visit online.campbellsville.edu to learn more.