Skip to main content
HonestMOS
InvestigationsCongress made VA disability claims free to file. An entire industry charges veterans anyway — and nobody can stop them.
MOS COMPARISON

92R vs 92D

Parachute Rigger (USA) vs Aerial Delivery and Materiel (USA)

Intel

Both recruiters said this was "the best job in the Army." Statistically, they can't both be right.

[Ken Burns pan across a DD Form 4] The 92R, in their own words: rigger certification (FAA Senior or Master Parachute Rigger) is the civilian credential and is achievable during service. [Slow zoom on a different DD Form 4] The 92D, equally unscripted: you will pack T-11 and MC-6 personnel parachutes following technical manuals that exist because the consequences of deviation are fatal. [Somber fiddle music. The narrator says nothing. Nothing more needs to be said.] The person who designed the recruiting poster for both of these probably did neither.

92RArmy
Parachute Rigger
Overall ratingNo reviews yet
Do It Again
Civilian Pay
$56K
92DArmy
Aerial Delivery and Materiel
Overall ratingNo reviews yet
Do It Again
Civilian Pay
$57K
Head to Head
92R
92D
Getting In
ASVAB Line Scores
OF 87
GM 88
Pay Grade
Enlisted
Enlisted
Training
Training Length
12 wk
8 wk
Pipeline Type
BCT + AIT + Airborne School
Basic Combat Training
Training Location
Fort Liberty, NC (Parachute Rigger Course) / Fort Gregg-Adams, VA
Fort Liberty, NC (Quartermaster Airborne School)
Day-to-Day
Career Field
Quartermaster
Quartermaster
After You Get Out
Civilian Median Pay
$56K
$57K
Top Civilian Career
Riggers
Airfield Operations Specialists
DoD 4-Year Investment
$315K

After the Uniform

The part the recruiter skips: what each job actually translates to once you're a civilian — and what it pays.

92RParachute Rigger
Civilian Median Pay
$56K/yr
What It Becomes on the Outside
RiggersStrong
Job market: Average (3%)
$56K
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair WorkersStrong
LogisticiansRelated
Job market: Faster than average (18%)
$79K
Occupational Health and Safety SpecialistsRelated
Job market: Average (5%)
$81K
92DAerial Delivery and Materiel
Civilian Median Pay
$57K/yr
What It Becomes on the Outside
Airfield Operations SpecialistsStrong
Job market: Average (4%)
$57K
LogisticiansRelated
Job market: Faster than average (18%)
$79K
Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck DriversRelated
Job market: Average (4%)
$50K

Salary data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program. A guide, not a guarantee.

Recruiter vs. Reality

The pitch versus what people who actually did the job report back.

92RParachute Rigger
What the Recruiter Says

You'll pack, maintain, and inspect the parachute systems that support Army airborne operations — individual personnel parachutes, cargo delivery systems, and the specialized rigging that gets equipment to where roads don't go. Every pack must be right because there is no acceptable error rate in this specialty. Airborne soldiers trust riggers with their lives, and that trust is earned through documented, inspected, zero-defect work. The discipline and precision this MOS develops is genuine and transferable. Industrial rigging, aerial delivery support contracting, and civilian skydiving operations are civilian pathways.

What It's Actually Like

You pack parachutes. The T-11, the MC-6, the HALO/HAHO systems, cargo parachutes, whatever the jump is. The packing process is precise, documented, and subject to inspection because the consequences of a wrong fold in the wrong place are immediate and severe in a way that makes the quality standard self-enforcing. Your name goes on every parachute you pack. That accountability is intentional. The parachute rigger community is small, specialized, and takes its standards seriously in a way that few Army communities match — not because the Army enforces it specifically, but because the practitioners enforce it on themselves. Rigger certification (FAA Senior or Master Parachute Rigger) is the civilian credential and is achievable during service. Sport parachuting drop zones, aerial delivery companies, military contractor support, and specialized logistics companies all hire FAA-certified riggers. The certifying authority recognizes your military packing experience toward certification requirements. Some 92R soldiers transition to skydiving instructors, which pays modestly but is its own reward for the people drawn to it. The rigger community — civilian and military — is the kind of small professional world where reputation travels and competence is respected.

92DAerial Delivery and Materiel
What the Recruiter Says

You will be responsible for one of the most critical and unforgiving jobs in the Army: packing the parachutes that soldiers and equipment depend on to survive an airdrop. You'll rig personnel parachutes, pack cargo chutes, configure equipment bundles for aerial delivery, and operate the ACRES rigging facility that prepares loads for C-130 and C-17 operations. Airborne operations depend entirely on the quality of your work. There is no margin for error. The soldiers who jump trust that you got it right.

What It's Actually Like

Aerial delivery is a precision trade with zero tolerance for shortcuts. You will pack T-11 and MC-6 personnel parachutes following technical manuals that exist because the consequences of deviation are fatal. Every pack job is inspected and logged. Every rigging configuration for cargo and equipment bundles has to be done to standard because an improperly rigged load doesn't just fail — it can injure jumpers, damage aircraft, or destroy the equipment the unit needs on the ground. The ACRES facility is where the real work happens: you will rig everything from HMMWVs to artillery pieces to palletized supplies for LAPES and CDS drops. This MOS requires physical strength, precision, and the ability to follow technical procedures exactly under pressure. You will support airborne units and work alongside Rigger-qualified officers and NCOs who maintain an exacting professional standard. The work is demanding and the standard is non-negotiable — and that is exactly what makes it worth doing.

Recent Reviews

92R
No reviews yet. Be the first to review 92R.
92D
No reviews yet. Be the first to review 92D.

Community Takes

Be the first to share your take on 92R vs 92D

Compare Other MOS

Search by code or title, or browse by branch

vs