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ArmyMedicalRank #28 of 101 by 4-year cost
68D

Operating Room Specialist

55-week pipeline · BCT + AIT (clinical) · JBSA–Fort Sam Houston, TX
Training Pipeline
$95K
55 weeks
Annual MILPERS
$63K
E-4, 3 years service
Equipment Burden
$3K
per year (amortized)
4-Year Total Cost
$361K
DoD investment
4-Year Cost Breakdown
Training Pipeline
$95K26%
Military Personnel (MILPERS × 4yr)
$254K70%
Equipment Burden (× 4yr)
$12K3%
Training: 26% · MILPERS: 70% · Equipment: 3%= $361K
By the Numbers

Civilian surgical technologists earn $55K–$80K. The Army pays $32K base for the same certified skill — then spends $95K training them. Post-military employment in civilian ORs is nearly guaranteed.

Training Pipeline
Duration
55 weeks
Type
BCT + AIT (clinical)
Location
JBSA–Fort Sam Houston, TX
Pipeline Cost
$95K

68D training includes scrubbing for actual surgeries in military treatment facilities. They emerge qualified as Surgical Technologists — a civilian credential that takes 18–24 months in a community college program and costs $15,000–$25,000.

Equipment & Annual Burden
Assigned Equipment
  • ·Surgical Instrument Sets
  • ·Sterile Processing Equipment
  • ·OR Support Equipment
  • ·Medical Protective Equipment
Annual Equipment Burden
$3K/yr
Surgical support equipment amortized
Military Personnel Cost (Annual)
Grade BenchmarkE-4, 3 years service
Base MILPERS$63K/yr
Total Annual MILPERS$63K/yr
Force Structure Context
Annual Accessions~800
Avg Career Length6 years
Annual Training Bill$76.0M
Total Force 4yr Cost$288.4M
Other Army Profiles

Cost estimates derived from DoD Comptroller per-soldier analysis, RAND Corporation military personnel studies, CBO military compensation reports, service-specific training cost testimony, and published equipment unit costs. Error margin ±15%. Individual costs vary by duty station, assignment, and deployment tempo. This is Phase 3 of the Honest MOS DoD Budget Intelligence Roadmap.