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NavyIntelligenceRank #10 of 101 by 4-year cost
CTI

Cryptologic Technician Interpretive

64-week pipeline · Recruit Training + DLI + A-School + C-School · DLI Monterey, CA + Pensacola, FL
Training Pipeline
$148K
64 weeks
Annual MILPERS
$83K
E-5, 4 years service (post-DLI)
Equipment Burden
$5K
per year (amortized)
4-Year Total Cost
$498K
DoD investment
4-Year Cost Breakdown
Training Pipeline
$148K30%
Military Personnel (MILPERS × 4yr)
$332K67%
Equipment Burden (× 4yr)
$18K4%
Training: 30% · MILPERS: 67% · Equipment: 4%= $498K
By the Numbers

CTIs are the rarest linguists in the military. The combination of a Cat IV language (Arabic, Mandarin, etc.), TS/SCI clearance, and SIGINT training creates post-military salaries starting at $100K+ in the IC and private sector.

DLI tuition for a Cat IV language: ~$90,000. Civilian Mandarin interpreters with clearances earn $120K–$160K. The Navy pays $40K base for the same skill set.

Training Pipeline
Duration
64 weeks
Type
Recruit Training + DLI + A-School + C-School
Location
DLI Monterey, CA + Pensacola, FL
Pipeline Cost
$148K

CTIs spend 18+ months at the Defense Language Institute learning languages rated among the hardest for English speakers. DLI costs approximately $500/student/day. One CTI's Arabic or Mandarin training alone can exceed $90,000.

Equipment & Annual Burden
Assigned Equipment
  • ·Classified SIGINT Equipment
  • ·Language Analysis Tools
  • ·JWICS/SIPR Workstations
  • ·NSA-Approved Hardware
Annual Equipment Burden
$5K/yr
Classified equipment allocation
Military Personnel Cost (Annual)
Grade BenchmarkE-5, 4 years service (post-DLI)
Base MILPERS$73K/yr
Specialty Pay(Foreign Language Proficiency Pay (FLPP), Cryptologic Duty Pay)+$10K/yr
Total Annual MILPERS$83K/yr
Specialty pays account for $10K annually (12% of total compensation).
Force Structure Context
Annual Accessions~500
Avg Career Length8 years
Annual Training Bill$74.0M
Total Force 4yr Cost$249.0M
Read CTI Reviews →← All MOS ProfilesAverage Per-Soldier Cost →
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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.