Military Pathway to IT and Computing Careers | National Center for Women & Information Technology

Are any of these true for you?

Are you somebody who...

Wants to serve your country?
Is looking for on-the-job training?
Is interested in learning and creating technologies that can make your country safer?
Wants to pursue further education or needs financial help to go to college?

You might want to join the military and apply for an information technology (IT) assignment.

Positive Outlook Continues for Military Jobs

Job opportunities through 2026 should be strong in all branches of the Armed Forces.* Technology is integral to the functioning of our modern military, and the number and kind of technical assignments will continue to grow.

Military IT Assignments Lead to Quality Civilian Jobs

Information technology specialists in the military learn to develop software and design and maintain computer systems that support our national security. These assignments can lead to jobs right out of service or make you ready for college degree programs that result in good jobs.

Technical Jobs Are Growing

Civilian technology jobs are among the fastest growing jobs in the U.S.; they are expected to increase by 13% between 2016-2026. Jobs in the tech sector are stable, rewarding, and flexible.

*U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Projections 2016-2026.

If you work on...	You may get jobs such as...	Projected Job Growth	2016 Median Wage...
If you work on...	You may get jobs such as...	Projected Job Growth	Annually	Hourly
Network Systems which allow computers to connect	Computer Support Specialist	11%	$52,160	$25.08
Network Systems which allow computers to connect	Network and Computer Systems Administrator	6%	$79,700	$38.32
Information Support Services which aid users as they do their work	Technical Writer	11%	$69,850	$33.58
	Database Administrator	11%	$84,950	$40.84
Computer Systems involving programming and software development	Software Developer	24%	$102,280	$49.17
	Computer and Information Systems Manager	12%	$135,800	$65.29
	Information Security Analyst	28%	$92,600	$44.52
Web and Digital Communication that makes information available	Multimedia Artist or Animator	8%	$65,300	$31.40
	Web Developer	15%	$66,130	$31.79

Get started now!

Take math, IT, and computer science classes.
Look for extracurricular computing or technology activities.
Graduate from high school.
Meet enlistment requirements: http://www.todaysmilitary.com
Learn about IT assignments in different branches of the military through the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) Career Exploration Program: http://www.asvabprogram.com
Ask the recruiter for the branch you choose to assess your chances of being accepted for training in IT occupations and take the ASVAB aptitude exam to see how well you score.
Specify an IT assignment in your military contract.

DoD STEM offers educational programs, internships, and scholarships for students and many career development opportunities for educators. To learn more about DoD STEM opportunities, visit www.dodstem.us.

Sources:

ASVAB Career Explorations Program: www.asvabprogram.com
BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook 2017 Edition, Job Opportunities in the Armed Forces: www.bls.gov/ooh/Military/Military-Careers.htm#tab-6
Defense Finance and Accounting Service 2016 Pay tables: www.dfas.mil/militarymembers/payentitlements/military-pay-charts.html
Today’s Army Enlistment Requirement: www.todaysmilitary.com
U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Employment Statistics, May 2016 Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates: www.bls.gov/oes/2016/may/oes_nat.htm

Counselors for Computing (C4C) is a project of the NCWIT K-12 Alliance, made possible by the Merck Company Foundation, Google, Palo Alto Networks, and Apple.