Here is our list of top jobs that are easy for veterans, particularly suitable for veterans transitioning to civilian life.
If you’re preparing to transition to civilian life, you’re probably wondering what sort of jobs are available to you. There’s no need to sugarcoat this, everyone in the military knows that veterans have a hard time finding a job, especially if they don’t have a degree. There is hope still and there are various jobs that require precisely those skills you acquired during your service. And it’s not just about skills, but also about the mindset of a serviceman or woman. This includes discipline, the ability to follow orders to the letter, as well as take charge when the situation demands it.
Correctional officer
The main duty of a correctional officer is to maintain discipline and keep the inmates safe. As a veteran, you know everything about discipline and how to impose that. Also, your physical form should make it easy to intervene whenever there’s a conflict, and there are many in a correctional facility. Another thing that makes this type of job easy for you is that you have the moral authority to make inmates listen to you. This may not be a job that is easy for veterans, but the good part about it is that life in a correctional facility is somewhat similar to what you’re accustomed to, in terms of structure and discipline. And the pay is not bad, over $35,000 a year.
Police officer
Becoming a police officer requires many of the qualities you already have, like knowing what it means to be part of a team and the ability to strategize. You probably won’t be assigned to work as a detective and solve complex cases like in the movie, but you can work your way up. And it’s a job that is in many ways similar to that of a serviceman as your main duty is to keep the civilians safe.
You can start by working in traffic control or security services and use that time to learn the secrets of the trade to become an investigating officer. It’s a challenging job, but it offers a lot of satisfaction. And good money – $54,000 a year.
Private bodyguard
If you’ve worked in special forces, have experience in actual combat and the body of a professional fighter, you should look for a position as bodyguard to the many celebrities that require protection. Many Hollywood stars employ former marines or other people in the military as bodyguards. You probably won’t be asked to actually prove your combat skills. At most, you’ll have to escort your charge through a hoard of screaming fans or chase paparazzis off the property. It is a stressful job as in most cases these people require protection 24/7, but it pays handsomely. We’re talking six figure sums here and a lot of benefits.
Car technician
If you served as a military mechanic you have the skills to find a job as an automotive technician. As such you will be required to inspect cars, find the problems, fix or repair defective parts or systems. It’s a solid job as good car repairmen are in high demand and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. The good part is that you can start with an entry-level position and use this type of apprenticeship to a better and higher-paying position. Automotive technicians earn over $47,000 on average.
Aircraft technician
If you’ve had training on military aircraft, it’s only natural to use all the knowledge you acquired and work in the civilian aircraft industry. You can easily get a job with a company dealing in commercial aircraft repair and maintenance. If you’re young and ambitious, you can get your employer to help you get an official certification in this domain, which will open up more skilled jobs. An aircraft technician makes over $49,000 a year.
Electrician
If you’ve had any experience with electrical equipment while in the military you can put it to good use and find a job as an electrician. This is a job that doesn’t require a degree, but you will have to complete an apprenticeship. On-the-job training is great as it allows you to make a living while learning the secrets of the trade. Electricians are in high demand and you can easily find a position as you certainly have the sense of responsibility required by such a job. The pay is around $48,000 a year.
Truck driver
As a veteran, you’re better qualified for this type of job, especially if you have a military truck driver’s licence. It is a very taxing job, with long hours and irregular shifts, but the stamina and endurance you’ve built up during your years of service will help you cope better with all the pressure. As a truck driver, your responsibilities would also include supervising the loading of your truck, a very important aspect if you want to avoid an accident. You’ll be asked to inspect your truck to make sure it’s in a good state and report any issues. A trucker earns around $61,000 a year.
Healthcare manager
To work as a doctor or nurse you need relevant qualifications, but there are many other jobs in the healthcare industry that do not require a degree. For instance, you can work in hospital administration. If you’ve had experience working in the military medical unit you can find a job in a healthcare facility, in an administrative capacity. As such you’d have to coordinate schedules, check policies, order supplies etc. The average pay for healthcare managers is $70,000.
Insurance salesman
This is another job that doesn’t require a degree. All you need for such a job is having a good understanding of how insurance works, and this is something you can learn on the job. Also, such a job requires good communication skills and a good personality. Veterans are quite good at this as they are uniquely trained to understand and follow orders and see to it that those under their command follow them as well. You cannot order civilians to buy insurance, but you can convince them if you know how to talk to them. Average pay for this job is $46,000 a year, but you can make more if you do a great job of selling those policies.
Elevator repairman
If you’ve acquired some technical skills during your years of service, you can put them to good use and get a job in an elevator repair and installation company. You don’t need any certification for this job, but you will, of course, have to work as an apprentice first. This doesn’t take long and you’ll soon become a qualified elevator repairman and this is a job that’s very much in demand as there are millions of elevators around the country. You can make $70,000 a year in this line of work.
Sales representative
This is another job that requires good communication and leadership skills. It’s easy to understand why being a smooth-talker matters, but how can leadership skills help? They help a lot because when you’re called upon to make a demonstration of a product and explain the advantages of buying one you need to take charge of your audience and stir them in the right direction. If you’ve been in the military you can totally do that. These days, the job of a sales representative is not only to sell products, but also to monitor purchase habits and follow up on them, convincing customers to buy additional products. With such skills you can work your way to a better position in sales and earn more than the $65,000 annual average.
IT expert
Many in the military learn computer programming if they are assigned to an intelligence. Unit. That’s a good starting point for an IT career. You can find an entry-level job, like monitoring systems and replacing cables, and use that time to study more about computers. You can learn on the job or pursue a certification, but if you’re good at what you’re doing you can do without any formal qualification. And the pay is quite good, over $75,000 per year.
Construction manager
If you work on a construction project, you will find that the whole thing is run much like a military operation. Each team must do its job right on time to meet the deadlines, and for that someone needs to be in charge. With the leadership skills and the discipline you’ve learned in the military, you can be that someone. You don’t need to be a mason or a welder, you just need to coordinate schedules, order supplies, take care of the paperwork and make sure those under your command do their work on time. Doesn’t sound that complicated, does it? The average pay in this line of business is $60,000.
Conclusion
As a veteran, there’s always the option of continuing your education and getting a degree in a profession of your choosing. But, you’ll still need to make some money while you do that, and these jobs that are easy for veterans can support you while you follow your dream.
Make sure to take a look at our 12 Easy High Paying Jobs list for more jobs that are easy for veterans.
