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Finding a job Top 12 High Priority Jobs…

Top 12 High
Priority Jobs in
the U.S. Navy
By Marina Rabinek
Updated October 1, 2021
Published January 3, 2020

Marina is a teal-haired bilingual super

connector, master networker and 24-year
Navy veteran. When she isn’t working with
nonprofits and mentoring veterans, military
spouses and service members transitioning
from the military on Veterati and Clubhouse,
she can be found in California taking road
trips, playing board/video games and
hanging out with her husband, daughter and
three cats.

This article has been approved by an

Indeed Career Coach

Joining the U.S. Navy—the branch of the

U.S. military that primarily protects the
country’s oceans and conducts combat
operations from the sea—can be a valuable
step in your career. In this article, we’ll list
the benefits of working in the Navy, and
some of the highest-priority jobs in this
military branch.

See how your salary compares

Get personalized salary insights with

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Why work in the U.S.

Navy?
A career in the U.S. Navy is an opportunity
to serve your country and build valuable
skills and experience for life as a civilian.
The U.S. Navy o!ers many roles in an array
of fields, so you will likely find a job that
suits your personality and goals.

Part-time and full-time U.S. Navy jobs are

both available to suit your lifestyle. You
receive full benefits, including health and
dental care, paid time o!, tuition
assistance, housing benefits and if you stay
in the military for 20 years, you can be
eligible for retirement. For in-demand
ratings, the U.S. Navy also gives enlistment
bonuses and/or can pay o! student loans.

Top 12 Highest Priority

U.S. Navy jobs
Here is a list of U.S. Navy jobs to consider
for a rewarding career in the military:

1. U.S. Navy hospital

corpsman
National average salary: $29,624 per year

Primary duties: In this role, U.S. Navy

personnel are responsible for treating
illnesses and injuries. Hospital corpsmen
(HM) tend to all members of the military
family—enlisted o"cers, dependents and
Navy retirees. Depending on their training,
HMs can perform medical tests, be dental
assistants, work in pharmacies, assist
doctors with physical therapy sessions,
surgeries and radiological exams or
maintain patient records.

Corpsmen, may work in U.S. Navy hospitals

or small clinics on base as well as on ships,
submarines and with the U.S. Marine Corps
units on battlefields overseas. Corpsmen
can also continue their training and
education to become an Independent Duty
Corpsman, similar to a physician assistant,
where they can diagnose, treat, perform
procedures and write prescriptions for
those in need.

Additionally, there are three types of

Corpsmen whose duties go beyond those
of a basic HM and into the Special
Operations (SpecOps). They are called
hospital corpsman - Advanced Technical
Field (HM-ATF) and this is what those “docs”
do:

Special amphibious reconnaissance

corpsman (SARC): Provide advanced
trauma care to USMC Reconnaissance
(Marine RECON) and SpecOps personnel
while keeping cool under fire and
adapting to changing environments.

Search and rescue medical technician

(SMT): Provide assistance during natural
disasters, rescue people from helicopters
and support search & rescue and
evacuation e!orts.

Deep-sea diving medical technician

(DMT): Assist in the prevention and
curing of diving illnesses/injuries,
operate recompression/hyperbaric
chambers and learn to dive on all U.S.
Navy diving apparatus.

2. U.S. Navy master-at-

arms - MA (military police)

National average salary: $38,364 per year

Primary duties: Masters at arms are

security specialists who perform anti-
terrorism, force protection, physical
security and law enforcement duties on
land and at sea. They may operate a force
protection watercraft, conduct U.S.
Customs inspections, direct an
investigation, control a base access point,
or be a K-9 handler who supervises K-9
narcotics and explosive detection missions.

K-9 handlers can be called on to assist the

U.S. Secret Service or support nonmilitary
law enforcement agencies. Some MAs
protect high ranking dignitaries and
government o"cials while others operate
the U.S. Navy’s brigs (U.S. Navy speak for
jails).

3. U.S. Navy diver

National average salary: $56,534 per year

Primary duties: U.S. Navy divers can

operate all over the world and in all types
of conditions which can be seen in their
motto: “We Dive The World Over.” You can
find a U.S. Navy diver carrying out
seaworthiness inspections and repairs on
pierside ships and submarines in
California, performing salvage or search
and rescue missions near the Arctic Circle
or assisting in the retrieval of astronauts
from space capsules in the Atlantic Ocean.
U.S. Navy Divers assist in recovery e!orts
after natural disasters in the United States
and beyond.

4. U.S. Navy culinary

specialist - CS or CSS
(Submarine)
National average salary: $41,258 per year

Primary duties: A culinary specialist

operates and manages the dining facilities
(AKA “mess decks”) onboard ships,
submarines and on naval bases. They are
responsible for planning, preparing and
serving meals to their crew. They are also
responsible for maintaining the
cleanliness, inventories, food orders and
financial records of the galley (U.S. Navy
speak for kitchen).

These professionals have extensive

experience in menu creation and food
safety regulations. Since culinary specialists
oversee all aspects of their kitchens, they
need strong communication skills.

5. U.S Navy mass

communications specialist
- MC
National average salary: $42,929 per year

Primary duties: In this role, you will be

responsible for presenting stories about
the U.S. Navy's other personnel and to the
general public. An MC’s job can entail
speaking (as a broadcaster for U.S. Armed
Forces Network and/or Radio), writing (for
U.S. Navy websites and publications) and
releasing stories for print, broadcast and
other media outlets.

MCs work directly with local news

organizations as part of the public a!airs
team to release stories and PR campaigns.
Mass communications specialists may also
be experienced photographers,
videographers or graphic designers.

With these skills, you will be able to present

compelling accounts of U.S. Navy
operations to your audiences and translate
them to a post-military marketing,
photography or graphic design career.

6. U.S. Navy construction

mechanic - CM
National average salary: $47,289 per year

Primary duties: U.S. Navy construction

mechanics are a part of the U.S. Seabees or
the U.S. Naval Construction Battalions (CB)
team. They repair and maintain U.S. Navy's
heavy construction and automotive
equipment including buses, dump trucks,
bulldozers, rollers, cranes, backhoes, pile
drivers and tactical vehicles.

CMs also prepare detailed maintenance

records and cost control data, acquire parts
and troubleshoot equipment failures.
Construction mechanics are responsible for
installing and repairing tires, batteries and
brakes as well as the hydraulic, steering,
fuel and electrical systems in these
vehicles.

CMs often perform these tasks in combat

or during disaster/humanitarian
operations. To be successful in this role,
you will need to have well-developed
technical skills and knowledge of a wide
range of tools and other equipment.

7. U.S. Navy electronics

technician - ET / ETV / ETN

National average salary: $43.413 per year

Primary duties: Electronics technicians

(ETs) in the U.S. Navy diagnose and repair
issues in ship or aircraft electrical systems.
ETs are part of the U.S. Navy’s advanced
electronics/computer field. They need to be
adept at using various tools and
techniques to calibrate and tune complex
equipment.

Other duties include completing fiber optic

and basic soldering repair, electrical safety
checks, test equipment calibration and
supervising personnel who conduct tool
and test equipment inventories, logistics
support and maintenance and testing of
systems and equipment.

ETs can also be broken down into three

subspecialties:

Electronics technician (submarine)

navigation (ETV)
EVs are responsible for maintaining all
electronic equipment used in navigating
and piloting submarines. As an ETV, your
responsibilities may include maintaining,
repairing, calibrating, tuning and adjusting
navigation equipment. Additionally, you
could be operating, monitoring and
maintaining radar, gyrocompass, inertial
navigation and global positioning systems.

Electronics technician (submarine)

communications (ETR)
ETRs are responsible for all operational and
administrative aspects of the submarine’s
radio communication equipment, systems
and programs. As an ETR, your
responsibilities may include repairing,
tuning, calibrating, maintaining and
adjusting all electronic equipment used for
communications onboard the submarine.

Electronics technician nuclear

(ETN)
ETNs are responsible for operating and
performing maintenance on the electronic
systems that make the nuclear reactor on
U.S. Navy ships run. From submarines to
aircraft carriers, these sailors calibrate the
actual nuclear control rods to generate
power aboard these ships and boats.

8. U.S. Navy air tra!c

controller - AC
National average salary: $47,185 per year

Primary duties: Air tra"c controllers in

the U.S. Navy work in air tra"c control
towers on bases or on U.S. Navy ships to
direct pilots in their missions. As an AC, you
might be working with bobbing and
moving runways, inclement weather
and/or possible mechanical malfunctions
to get aircraft safely landed. You will need
to be able to read complex navigational
and tracking equipment and translate the
data.

To be e!ective in this role, you will also

need to be able to chart flight paths and
communicate directions clearly, so pilots
can complete their missions. The skills
learned in this U.S. Navy rating are very
easily transferred to a post-service civilian
air tra"c controller career.

9. U.S. Navy legalman - LN

National average salary: $43,447 per year

Primary duties: As an LN, you will develop

and use your extensive knowledge of
military and civilian law to directly assist
lawyers in the Judge Advocate General
(JAG) Corps with their duties. Typical duties
include preparing legal forms and letters
such as wills and subpoenas, participating
in hearings, conducting investigations,
maintaining records and processing
appeals.

Legalmen also provide legal support to

active duty service members, retirees and
family members. This is a highly trained
position, and the skills you learn should be
easily transferable to a civilian paralegal
position after your enlistment.

10. U.S. Navy explosive

ordnance disposal
technician - EOD tech
National average salary: $100,064 per
year

Primary duties: U.S. Navy EOD techs

receive extensive training to learn how to
neutralize, detonate or demolish explosives
(including outdated ones such as mines
and depth charges), nuclear ordnance and
improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

They can be found diving to clear

waterways, jumping out of airplanes and
fast-roping (rappelling) from helicopters.
They can also use robots to destroy
explosives or support civilian law
enforcement agencies. The skills learned
by explosive ordnance disposal technicians
are highly transferable and sought after by
SWAT Teams, the FBI, the TSA and other
government agencies after you leave the
military.

11. U.S. Navy pilot -

helicopter, fixed-wing
aircraft and fighter
National average salary: 64,841 per year

Primary duties: In the U.S. Navy, pilots

operate aircraft from airbases or large U.S.
Navy ships.

Helicopter pilots
Helicopter pilot duties include transporting
sailors and supplies between bases and
conducting reconnaissance missions. They
can fly and maneuver miles in the sky or
only feet above the water to support
search and rescue operations.

Additionally, they are an integral part of the

team during antisubmarine warfare, mine
countermeasures, as well as drug
interdiction operations.

Fixed-wing aircraft pilots

Fixed-wing aircraft pilots deliver parts,
firepower, manpower and even the mail.
They can fly a variety of di!erent platforms,
including the C-2 Greyhound, (the U.S.
Navy’s postal delivery plane), the E-2C
Hawkeye (the flying command center) and
the P-8 Poseidon (military version of the
Boeing 737).

The P-8 is a multi-mission maritime patrol

and reconnaissance aircraft that e"ciently
conducts anti-submarine warfare, anti-
surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance,
reconnaissance and humanitarian
response.

U.S. Navy fighter pilots

U.S. Navy fighter pilots provide incredible
firepower and defensive capabilities while
flying in the F/A-18 Hornet or the state-of-
the-art F-35C Lightning II from the deck of
aircraft carriers and large (AKA “big-deck”)
amphibious ships.

They can also conduct surveillance and

collect photographic intelligence to be
used by intelligence specialists.

12. U.S. Navy intelligence

specialist - IS
National average salary: $49,176 per year

Primary duties: Intelligence specialists (IS)

assist in every phase of the collection,
processing, analyzing and dissemination of
intelligence information. They can serve on
ships, with aircraft squadrons or in a NIOC
(Naval Information Operations Command).
In this role, you will analyze data from
websites, maps, charts, weather and
personnel reports to make
recommendations for military strategy.

Intelligence specialists are vital in planning

photographic reconnaissance missions,
threat analysis and other operations. A
large part of their duties includes
preparing reports that they can distribute
and/or brief to other military personnel
who have the need to know. Since they
work with highly sensitive material, they
need high levels of integrity.

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