When you join the Army, you may be looking for a career and not just any old Army Job. There are some jobs in the Army that are better suited for promotion and career compared to other jobs. These jobs won’t be easy and they all require a secret or top secret clearance, along with an above-average vocational aptitude score. You must be cleared before you can take on one of these jobs and you must stand out. Not just anybody will be able to get one of the Army Jobs for long-term careers on this list.
Top Army Jobs for Long-Term Careers
- CMF 18 (Special Forces)
- 12D (diver)
- 12P (prime power production specialist)
- 17C (cyber operations specialist)
- 25D (cyber network defender)
- 31D (CID special agent)
- 35L (counterintelligence agent)
- 37F (psychological operations)
- 38B (civil affairs)
- 46Q (public affairs specialist)
- 46R (broadcast specialist)
- 51C (contracting NCO)
- 79R (recruiter)
- 89D (explosive ordnance disposal)
These are not entry-level positions you can just step into. However, when you join the Army, you can put yourself on the right path towards one of these jobs. Once you’re getting close to qualifying, you can speak to a local career counselor to find out what you may need or how you can transfer into the position you want to be in.
Your career counselor can also help with your application and help you meet the minimum criteria.
Find Your Local Military Recruiter here.
Specialties to Consider for Long-Term Army Careers
If you want to put yourself on the right career path, some specialties have a better chance of leading to good Army jobs. Consider one of the following specialties:
- 31D (CID special Agent)
- 35L (counterintelligence agent)
- 29E (electronic warfare specialist)
- 12P (prime power specialist)
- 51C (contracting NCO)
- 25D (cyber network defender)
- 25E (electromagnetic spectrum manager)
When you’re up for re-enlistment, if you meet the right criteria, you may be able to move into one of these specialties. you will need to meet the time-in-grade and time-in-service requirements to move to the next level.
Of course, the MOS you want needs to be available or you won’t be able to move into that field. An in-demand job may be the best choice for a soldier looking to make a career out of being in the Army.
In-Demand Careers and Jobs for 2018
There are several careers and jobs in the Army that are considered to be in demand right now. Here’s a look at a few of the best options.
Automobile Maintenance Warrant Officer
This position will be very similar to a Shop Foreman in the civilian world. You will be in charge of the shop and the maintenance technicians. This job is normally found in a fixed facility on post, but it can be mobile, as well. You will need a grade of Warrant Officer 1 to Chief Warrant Officer 4 for this position.
Becoming an Automobile Maintenance Warrant Officer requires no post-secondary education. You will need to be an enlisted E-5 or above and have at least five years on the job.
Army Linguist
Another in-demand job in the Army, as an Army Linguist, you can get up to $40K in enlistment incentives. Once trained, you can get up to another $400 month in incentives for this position. You will be trained in one of the following languages:
- Arabic Egyptian
- Arabic Levantine
- Chinese Mandarin
- Persian Farsi
- Arabic Modern Standard
- Pashto
You will either be a Tactical Linguist or a Strategic Linguist. A Tactical Liquid will work in the field speaking with the local population and gathering information. A Strategic Lindquist will work on translating highly classified documents.
This position doesn’t require any post-secondary education. however, it’s desirable that you have some foreign language skills or at least a high aptitude for learning a new language, which will be determined by the Defense Language Aptitude Battery Test.
Aviation
Many careers in the Army are found in Aviation. There?s a shortage of many types of jobs here including avionic mechanics, unmanned aerial vehicle operators, and air traffic control operators.
When you choose an Army career in avionics, you will need to have a high ASVAB score. The score you need will depend on the position you desire.
Along with these jobs, the Army has a shortage in Military Intelligence, Special Forces, and Engineering. All of these job options offer good career choices because of the shortage. In addition, these jobs offer great bonuses and incentives because of the shortage.
If you want to make the U.S. Army a career, you need to choose the right path when you join and when you re-enlist. The in-demand jobs are changing every year, depending on recruiting, and choosing one of the jobs with a shortage could lead to faster promotion.
