DOD Jobs: Civilian Careers with the Department of Defense

When you think about a career in the Department of Defense, you might imagine working as an Armed Forces member. However, the truth is that over 950,000 civilians hold DOD jobs in over 650 different career fields worldwide [1, 2]. These professionals work to support the Armed Forces in each of its branches, including the Space Force, Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, and other agencies working to secure our national defense. 

In this article, discover more details on civilian-filled DOD jobs, their average annual base salary, and job outlook.

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Department of Defense jobs for civilians

The DOD organizes its job opportunities into 24 categories, each one supporting the national defense through one of the DOD’s member agencies:

• Acquisition and contracting

• Administrative management and support

• Business, industry, program management, and analysis

• Cyber and information technology

• Education 

• Engineering

• Environmental management

• Facilities engineering

• Financial management

• Foreign affairs

• Human resources

• Intelligence

• Law enforcement and security 

• Legal 

• Logistics

• Medical, health, and wellness

• Military community and family support

• Public affairs and arts

• Public health, mental health, and social sciences

• Quality assurance

• Safety and public safety

• Science, technology, and mathematics

• Senior leadership

• Trades and services

Each of these categories contains many worldwide civilian jobs. To better understand the type of work within each category, let’s take a deeper look at five of them: administrative and management support, cyber and information technology, engineering, law enforcement and security, and human resources. 

For each category, we’ll look at two examples of careers in that field, as well as the national average salary and job outlook for that position. It’s important to note that the DOD bases its salaries on the Federal Wage System (FWS) and General Schedule wages, which can vary depending on the pay grade, step, and location. 

DOD jobs in administrative and management support

Administrative and management roles for the DOD provide administrative support for the senior-level staff in that department. Two potential paths include administrative assistant and activity program coordinator. 

Administrative assistant

Average annual base salary (US): $48,695 [11]

Job outlook (projection for 2023 to 2033): 6 percent [3]

Education requirements: High school diploma or GED; many earn a bachelor’s degree or complete a non-degree training program 

As an administrative assistant for an agency of the DOD, you will provide administrative support to protect national safety. You’ll likely work in an office and provide clerical support, such as keeping appointments, scheduling meetings, responding to emails, and organizing files and records. Administrative assistant is an entry-level position, but with experience, you may have opportunities to advance and become an executive assistant, a position with a median salary of $66,000 in the US.  

Activity program coordinator

Average annual base salary (US): $85,601 [12]

Job outlook (projection for 2023 to 2033): 5 percent [4]

Education requirements: Bachelor’s degree, although it’s not always required 

As an activity coordinator, you will plan and execute a programming calendar for the community you work for. In this role, you’ll typically work for schools, universities, nursing homes, and other places that host activity calendars. In the DOD, you may run an activity program for different groups of staff, the general public, or young people.

Read more: What Does a Project Coordinator Do?

DOD jobs in cyber and information technology

In a DOD information technology job, you’ll be working to create and protect the network and technology required to keep our country secure from cyber threats. Two examples of careers in this category are computer assistant and alarm monitor. 

Computer assistant

Average annual base salary (US): $44,620 [13]

Job outlook (projection for 2023 to 2033): 6 percent [5]

Education requirements: A high school diploma and some coursework or an associate degree in computer information technology or a related field 

As a computer assistant, you will help provide tech support to users directly or as an assistant within the IT department. In this role, you will help users install new software, troubleshoot problems, and monitor cybersecurity.

Security monitor or dispatcher

Average annual base salary: $44,690 [14]

Job outlook (projection for 2023 to 2033): 4 percent [6]

Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree in computer information technology or related subject

As a security monitor or dispatcher, you will monitor security alarms or video surveillance and respond appropriately to signs of a threat, such as dispatching help to the area. You may also monitor the company's or department’s information security. This position sometimes requires you to patrol an area directly to look for trespassers or suspicious activity in a more traditional security role. 

DOD jobs in engineering

In an engineering career working with the DOD, you may help design weapons systems or fighter jets, among many other potential projects. Two titles to explore in this field are aerospace engineer and mechanical engineer. 

Aerospace engineer

Average annual base salary (US): $138,340 [15]

Job outlook (projection for 2023 to 2033): 6 percent [7]

Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree in engineering or a related field 

As an aerospace engineer, you will work on a team to develop aircraft systems, including overseeing research programs, working on aircraft design, and developing and maintaining aircraft subsystems. You may also troubleshoot damaged equipment or products. 

Mechanical engineer

Average annual base salary (US): $109,820 [16]

Job outlook (projection for 2023 to 2033): 11 percent [8]

Education requirements: A bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a similar area; some jobs may require relevant certification 

You will design, create, and fix machines as a mechanical engineer. Working for the DOD, you will work on machines that help support national defense, such as developing systems for warfighters or spacecraft. Mechanical engineers can work on many projects, but no matter your specialization, you will find solutions to problems using machines. 

Read more: How to Get a Job as a Mechanical Engineer | 10 Tips

DOD jobs in law enforcement and security 

DOD jobs in law enforcement or security help keep service people and their families safe. Two potential careers to consider in this field are police officer and public safety dispatcher. 

Military police officer

Average annual base salary (US): $56,467 [17]

Job outlook (projection for 2023 to 2033): 4 percent [9]

Education requirements: A high school diploma, previous experience in the field, or to complete the Basic Officer Leadership Course 

As a military police officer, you’ll help keep a military base safe, including personnel and equipment, and respond to emergency events. In this role, you may also conduct police investigations, sometimes in partnership with local law enforcement. 

Public safety dispatcher

Average annual base salary: $51,121 [18]

Job outlook (projection for 2023 to 2033): 4 percent [6]

Education requirements: A high school diploma and complete on-the-job training 

As a public safety dispatcher for the Department of Defense, you will work with various agencies to field calls for assistance and coordinate responses with police, fire, and paramedics. You will often be the first point of contact for individuals in crisis and provide instructions to callers to guide them until help can arrive. 

DOD jobs in human resources

Human resource (HR) professionals help manage the DOD’s various workforces. Two potential careers to choose from in this field include human resources assistant and human resources specialist. 

HR assistant

Average annual base salary: $47,007 [19]

Job outlook (projection for 2023 to 2033): 8 percent [10]

Education requirements: A high school diploma, although some organizations may prefer  a bachelor’s degree in business or human resources 

You will work with a team of HR professionals providing administrative support. As part of the HR team, you will assist with hiring new employees. In this role, you may help schedule appointments, run onboarding programs, and answer employee questions. 

Read more: HR Entry-Level Jobs Guide: Roles, Salaries, and Strategies to Get Hired

HR specialist

Average annual base salary: $71,343 [20]

Job outlook (projection for 2023 to 2033): 8 percent [10]

Education requirements: A bachelor’s in human resources, business, or a similar field. 

As a human resources specialist, you will work with leadership to understand the organization’s hiring needs and recruit, interview, and hire appropriate candidates. In this role, you will also work with employees through onboarding to welcome them to your team. 

Read more: HR Specialist Salary Information 

Learn more with Coursera.

If you’re interested in pursuing a job in the Department of Defense, consider taking a course with Coursera. For example, if you’d like to explore a career in human resources, you could take the HRCI Human Resource Associate Professional Certificate program to build your resume or Google’s Cybersecurity Professional Certificate to prepare for opportunities in cyber defense.