As a Military Vet Land a Top Paying Job Without a Degree

As you begin your transition from a military world to the civilian workforce, you may be nervous about having to compete with university-trained civilians – especially if you enlisted right after high school. However, you are forgetting something – the specialized advanced training you received. Most active military personnel receive advanced training in their field; it can be in the technology, financial, medical, engineering, administrative, engineering, mechanical, or security fields. This training could have been completed in the classroom or on location (or both).

This is something that you can use in your job search; this training can be leveraged to help you land one of these high – paying jobs…all without a college degree.

Computer Programmer

…good fit for certain job classifications in all military branches
This is the computer age, and programmers and engineers will remain in high demand for the foreseeable future. If you have built the right skill set, developed a good reputation for delivering quality work and had the right training, you can counteract the college-education that civilian programmers possess.

Nuclear Power Reactor Operator

… good fit for ex-Marines and Navy vets with certain job classifications
Being a “nuke” can be a hard and lonely road, but once you transition to the civilian workforce, there is a nice little payoff.  Even though civilian nuclear power reactor operators are a small group and jobs are located in only a few key states, they are in demand and earn anywhere from $80-$100K a year.

Underwater Welder

… good fit for ex-Marines and Navy vets with certain job classifications
Divers who can weld underwater are often in tremendous demand. They can command very high hourly rates, but in most cases they live a very peripatetic life…going to work for companies who may hire them out for one job at a time.  However, with a little bit of moxie, underwater welders can get hired on by one of the well-known companies who leverage this skillset on a full-time basis.

Not sure about the underwater part, but have welding skills?  Check out Snelling’s new job board for the welding positions we are looking to fill.

Database Administrator

… good fit for certain job classifications in all military branches
Just like a computer programmer, a database administrator (DBA) can overcome a lack of a civilian college degree. The outlook is good too; according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the growth rate for DBAs is higher than average, and when you consider – in this era of Big Data – how many companies depend on their databases, it is easy to see why this could be a high demand job with a median pay around $80K.

Construction Manager

… good fit for certain job classifications in all military branches
The growth rate for construction managers is on par with the national average. Construction managers plan, coordinate, budget and supervise construction projects. Construction engineering supervisors, combat engineers, builders and structural journeyman walk away from the military with highly transferable skills. However, civilian certifications are becoming more important.  So do your research and make sure that your military job classification is a good fit for this civilian position.

Police Officer, Detectives and / or Forensic Science Technicians

… good fit for certain job classifications in all military branches
Many police departments hire incoming officers without college degrees, and if you have a background as a military policeman or a military dog handler or s security forces journeyman, you have a leg up on the competition. From there, it takes patience, a good record and a good grade on the detectives’ exam, to move up to detective and a better salary.

Power Distributor and Dispatcher

… good fit for ex-Marines and army / air force veterans with certain job classifications
Getting electricity from power plants to homes and businesses is way more complicated than pushing a button and sending electricity down a series of high tension wires. Power distributors monitor the expansive power grid and control the flow of electricity across it. So if you had a job classification as an Electrical Power Production Journeyman or a Prime Power Production Specialist or an Engineer Equipment Electrical Systems Technician (for example), you have the transferrable skills to land this lucrative civilian job….often without a degree.

So are you not sure what military job classifications translate well to certain civilian jobs?  Well, there is a tool for that.  Check out the My Next Move website, and do a little bit of research. This site does an awesome job of highlighting certain civilian jobs and aligning them with particular military job classifications.

Get Started with Snelling

So do some research, and when you are ready, contact Snelling. We are committed to helping our veterans successfully transition to the civilian workforce. So locate your local Snelling office, and let’s get to work.