Military to Civilian Salary: What Your MOS Is Actually Worth
The gap between what the military pays and what the civilian market pays for the same skills — by MOS.
| # | Code | Branch | Civilian Path | Salary Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17C | army | Cybersecurity Analyst ($120K median) | Gap: +$68K civilian |
| 2 | 1B4X1 | air force | Cybersecurity Engineer ($130K median) | Gap: +$75K civilian |
| 3 | 25B | army | Systems Administrator ($80K median) | Gap: +$28K civilian |
| 4 | 68W | army | Paramedic ($48K) or RN ($77K median) | Gap: -$4K to +$25K |
| 5 | 11B | army | Police Officer ($66K median) | Gap: +$14K civilian |
| 6 | 42A | army | HR Assistant ($45K median) | Gap: -$7K civilian |
| 7 | 92G | army | Cook ($32K median) | Gap: -$20K civilian |
| 8 | IT | navy | Network Administrator ($80K median) | Gap: +$28K civilian |
BIGGEST GAP: An E-5 Cyber Ops Specialist makes ~$52K (total military comp). The same job in the civilian market pays $110-140K. That's a 2-3x gap — and it's why retention is a crisis.
BIGGEST GAP: Same story as 17C. Military comp ~$55K vs civilian $120-160K. The Air Force loses more cyber talent to the private sector than any other career field.
SIGNIFICANT GAP: E-5 IT Specialist at ~$52K vs civilian systems admin at $75-100K. The gap narrows in lower COL areas but DC metro makes it dramatic.
MODERATE GAP: E-5 Combat Medic at ~$52K vs civilian paramedic at $45-55K. BUT: the RN bridge pushes civilian salary to $70-90K. The gap depends on the civilian path you take.
SMALLEST GAP: E-5 Infantryman at ~$52K vs civilian law enforcement at $50-65K. Infantry skills are valuable but the direct civilian equivalents don't pay dramatically more.
NEGATIVE GAP: E-5 HR Specialist at ~$52K vs civilian HR assistant at $42-50K. Military HR actually pays comparable to or more than entry civilian HR in many markets.
NEGATIVE GAP: E-5 Cook at ~$52K (with BAH/BAS) vs civilian cook at $30-40K. Military culinary actually pays more than most civilian culinary jobs — until you reach chef level.
SIGNIFICANT GAP: E-5 IT at ~$52K vs civilian network admin at $70-95K. Add the clearance premium and the gap widens further — cleared IT pays $90-120K.
Military pay based on 2026 pay tables (base pay + BAH + BAS for typical duty stations). Civilian salaries from BLS OES national medians. Gap calculation shows the difference.
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