31 Marine Corps Careers: Information on Responsibilities and Pay

You can pursue a military career when you enlist in the Marine Corps career. More than 180 enlisted positions in the Marine Corps match your interests and skill set and can help you progress your career.

In this post, we will present a thorough list of careers available to Marine Corps members.

Typical Marine Corps careers

Military occupation specializations (MOS) are jobs that Marine Corps recruits can get. This branch of the armed forces uses a classification system to assign different professions with related functions, or occupational fields. Your MOS-specific abilities, however, can be applied to a range of other jobs in the industry and offer numerous prospects for professional growth when you leave the military.

The following is a list of potential careers for Marine Corps enlistees:

1. Radio operator

National average yearly salary: $27,167

Radio operators in the Marine Corps career for the Marine Corps are primarily responsible for communicating with their command station. They assist with the setup of sound devices and tune them to provide adequate quality via radio waves. They communicate with other field operators and stay on top of messages.

2. An auto mechanic

National average yearly salary: $27,933

Keeping battlefield vehicles intact and immaculate in shape is a mechanic’s main responsibility in the Marine Corps career. While mechanics are required to operate in a variety of environments, their primary responsibilities involve working on engines and fueling cars as needed.

3. Operations associate

National average yearly salary: $27,800

Prioritizing administrative activities for the Marine Corps is one of the main responsibilities of an operations associate in the Marine Corps career. Additionally, they provide feedback on initiatives that aim to improve military actions, like the allocation of funds and resources to various departments.

4. Infantryman

National average yearly salary: $29,490

A Marine Corps infantryman’s primary responsibilities in the Marine Corps career include identifying and eliminating enemies with lethal force and serving as a defense line against enemy attacks on held positions. They must negotiate hazy terrain to complete their task, which is given to them by a superior commander.

5. Administrative Professional

National average yearly salary: $30,043

Primary responsibilities include assisting others in developing their computer abilities, carrying out procedures as directed by an officer, and managing the database for the whole branch on behalf of Marine Corps administrative professionals.

6. Squad commander

National average yearly salary: $31,219

A Marine Corps squad commander’s main responsibilities in the Marine Corps career include preparing for missions and giving commands to their colleague infantrymen. Additionally, they assist in preparing the infantrymen in their unit to properly fulfill the mission assigned to them and handle additional requests as needed.

7. An air traffic controller

National average yearly salary: $31,855

Air traffic management in the Marine Corps career is one of a Marine Corps air traffic controller’s main responsibilities. A control tower is where tasks are carried out that are related to identifying airplane landing zones.

8. Intelligence expert

National average yearly salary: $32,688

Gathering, analyzing, and distributing information to the appropriate channels of communication for effective use are the main responsibilities of Marine Corps intelligence professionals in the Marine Corps career. To ensure that the appropriate individual receives classified information, they build relationships with officers and commissioned personnel.

9. Technician

National average yearly salary: $34,740

Marine Corps technicians in the Marine Corps career maintain and, where necessary, repair technology in equipment. They produce reports and place parts orders to carry out maintenance quickly.

10. A trucker

National average yearly salary: $35,989

A Marine Corps truck driver’s main responsibilities in the Marine Corps career include delivering supplies and people to certain locations. During war and emergency missions, they also help repair the truck and use tools specific to the truck they are working on.

11. Military police

National average yearly salary: $36,593

Officers of the Marine Corps Police in the Marine Corps career are responsible for managing detention operations, assisting foreign security staff, and providing emergency support. Additionally, they oversee detectives’ investigations into crimes and use dogs in certain tasks to acquire evidence.

12. A technician in air conditioning

National average yearly salary: $41,315

The main responsibilities of a Marine Corps air conditioning technician in the Marine Corps career include managing maintenance requests for warming and refrigeration equipment as well as the air conditioning of vehicles used for ground operations. To make sure the machinery is operating well, they disassemble and test it.

13. Communications supervisor

National average yearly salary: $44,364

The main responsibility of Marine Corps communication managers in the Marine Corps career is to maintain an open line of communication between commanders and personnel. They compose presentations, write branch materials, and have important conversations with staff members.

14. Accounting manager

National average yearly salary: $61,860

The primary responsibilities of an account manager in the Marine Corps career include managing the accounting division’s core operations, including maintaining financial documents and conducting audits when necessary. They must establish relationships with staff members to encourage department members to provide solutions, and they also follow procedures by federal rules.

15. IT expert

National average yearly salary: $70.286

Primary responsibilities of Marine Corps IT experts in the Marine Corps career include troubleshooting hardware and software issues with computers, installing and editing applications to protect private information, and compiling reports on quality assurance and the handling of significant data.

16. Commander

National average yearly salary: $72,063

The primary responsibility of a commander in the Marine Corps career is the conduct of the commanders and infantrymen under them. They primarily give instructions regarding combat missions and provide squad leaders with guidelines for how to execute tasks effectively. They are also in charge of maintaining the housing quarters on a station and are notified of any problems.

17. Counselor

National average yearly salary: $72,793

The main responsibilities of general counselors in the Marine Corps career are to organize and provide legal counsel to the side they are defending before a military court.

18. Pilot

National average yearly salary: $77,902

Marine Corps pilots in the Marine Corps career support infantry soldiers on the battlefield by piloting aircraft like helicopters and airplanes. Transporting troops to a predetermined destination, evacuating injured infantrymen, and supporting attacks during combat operations are some examples of missions.

14. Software developer

National average yearly salary: $87,004

Software development for computer systems is the main responsibility of software developers in the Marine Corps career. Applications can be used for a variety of tasks, including protecting and managing private data, gaining access to online browsers, and using spreadsheets for administrative tasks.

20. Software analyst

National average yearly salary: $87,464

A software analyst’s main responsibility in the Marine Corps career is to recommend ways to strengthen the branch’s corporate planning framework. To increase productivity and keep administrative projects on schedule, they seek to improve current procedures.

21. Combat Engineer

National average yearly salary: £42856

Combat engineers in the Marine Corps career are frequently regarded as jacks-of-all-trades, yet they specialize in the use and retrieval of explosives along with the building and demolishing of structures. Although society portrays engineers as nerds with calculators and pocket protectors, engineers are problem-solvers. Combat engineers frequently engage in close combat with their infantry counterparts.

A combat engineer’s day might involve developing and deploying breaching charges, removing enemy homes, searching for IEDs, creating and executing deep defense (forming numerous levels of barriers to secure a base or fighting position), and building bridges.

Combat engineers frequently enroll in specialized programs like Sapper School, which teaches cutting-edge techniques employed by special operations forces groups, making them well-versed in warfare.

22. Scout Sniper

National average yearly salary: £20,000

The considerable training that scouts snipers in the Marine Corps career receive in observation, fieldcraft, and long-range accuracy shooting has earned them a reputation as being among the best snipers in the world.

Marine snipers serve as the battalion commander’s ears and vision. They frequently arrive first when deployed into enemy territory to check out opposing camps, movements, weaponry, route choices, etc. They then relay this information to their superiors, who will incorporate it into the fighting strategy.

Even while scout snipers’ capability to shoot at targets while staying virtually undetectable is what they are most well-known for, this only accounts for roughly 10% of their work. Despite this, scout snipers do have unmatched trigger time.

23. Dog Handler

National average yearly salary: £16,844

You and your dog combat partner will be given a wide range of assignments to do all around the world, but in actuality, the majority of these missions will include searching for weapons, explosives, or illegal drugs. A military working dog warning the squad of the existence of IEDs has helped to save numerous of our heroic service members.

Of course, there might be other responsibilities you and your dog take on in the Marine Corps career, like searching for living people in demolished buildings, helping to clear and secure a questionable room or area, or even employing your dog as a self-defense weapon against an attacker.

24. Rifleman

National average yearly salary: £21,353

There is a Marine adage that states that every Marine is a rifleman, however, while it is true that every Marine possesses some fundamental infantry abilities, not every Marine is a rifleman in the infantry.

The use of grenades, shoulder-fired rockets, patrolling, land navigation, and other infantry abilities are all part of the extensive training that infantry riflemen get in the Marine Corps career.

You could argue that every other profession exists to assist “infantry rifleman,” one of the most esteemed positions in the Corps. Marine riflemen are unquestionably the Marine Corps’ core group. They have a difficult task, and the range of their mission might range from battling adversaries in a close battle to dispensing humanitarian relief.

Riflemen in the Marines are well aware of the difficulty of their work and take great satisfaction in it. They proudly carry on the legacy of volunteering to risk their lives for their country and taking the lead in numerous significant wars.

25. Recon Marine

National average yearly salary: £35,420

Recon Marines are extremely skilled infantry Marines that can work alone behind enemy lines. They are charged with the duty of informing commanders about their operational zone.

Recon Marines in the Marine Corps career gather information and describe the layout of the battlefield. They carry out small military raids, boat missions, naval operations, and ground reconnaissance. Once a person is eligible to become a recon Marine, they will probably be able to enroll in a variety of additional advanced programs, such as the Marine Corps Scout Sniper School, the Army Airborne School, the Army Pathfinder Course, and many more.

26. Explosive Ordnance Disposal

National average yearly salary: £48,310

Although this Marine Corps career is very essential and well-respected within the Corps, your parents will undoubtedly be unhappy if you pick it.

An expert in explosive ordnance disposal, often known as EOD, will respond to, assess, and eliminate risks brought on by explosive devices, chemical agents, biological agents, and radioactive contaminants. This will necessitate the mastery and application of numerous various forms of cutting-edge technology, including the Mini-Andros robot for environmental testing and bomb disarming. An EOD Marine needs to keep up with new developments in their field because chemicals and other technology used in weapons are evolving and changing.

A competent EOD Marine will focus more on training and adjusting than on making a split-second decision on which wire to cut. Being one of the most demanding positions in the Corps, this MOS isn’t suitable for the weak of the heart. We’re all grateful for those that choose EOD, even though it takes a particular kind of individual to do so!

27. Machine Gunner

National average yearly salary: £20,162

The machine gunner in the Marine Corps career is arguably the most prestigious MOS in the military.

Finding a retired Marine machine gunner without the numerals 0331 inked over their torso or across their triceps is difficult. Machine gunners have received extensive training in using and running heavy and medium-sized machine guns as well as the vehicles that support them. To assist rifle battalions and platoons, they deliver direct fire. Machine gunners commonly fire a.50-caliber machine gun or an MK-19 automated rocket launcher while mounted and carry a 7.62 M240 machine gun while scouting on foot.

28. Marine Raiders

National average yearly salary: £20,000

Recon Marines have already been discussed, yet many people are unaware of the existence of Marine Raiders in the Marine Corps career, another elite division of the Marine Corps.

The Marine Raiders are USSOCOM’s latest special ops forces group with a proud past dating back to World War II. They are part of the Marine Special Operations Command or MARSOC. Although their mission is fundamentally different, Marine Raiders have comparable skills to recon Marines. Although Marine Raiders are charged with aiding the government’s domestic security, antiterrorism operations, counternarcotics operations, guerrilla operations, social reform missions, and much more, Recon Marines are charged with sculpting the battlespace in the assistance of a Marine Expeditionary Force.

29. Specialist in human intelligence and counterintelligence

National average yearly salary: £34,976

As technology, warfare, and our political atmosphere change, counterintelligence is a profession that is continuously evolving and adapting to what is required. An intelligence expert for the Marines concentrates on implementing programs from numerous intelligence sources that may be external to the Marine Corps in addition to gathering and assembling crucial data for forensic and national defense objectives.

Treason, fraud, terrorism, espionage, and political upheaval are just a few instances of the kinds of circumstances you might concentrate on in this Marine Corps career. The HUMINT component primarily focuses on gathering relevant information from relevant persons. This would entail planning and monitoring data sources, contacts, and communication channels as well as anticipating movement and taking action concerning an activity that would be relevant to national defense. A human intelligence expert frequently has the responsibility of gathering and delivering crucial information that may be required for other defense or governmental operations. Be prepared to spend an unknown period deployed to distant parts of the globe!

30. Marine Parachutists

National average yearly salary: $47,056

Looking for a certain way to acquire your jump wings and land on an airplane? Riggers of parachutes can accomplish just that. Due to the misconception that Marines just recompress parachutes every single day, this is undoubtedly among the coolest Marine Corps career but is sometimes disregarded. In actuality, parachute riggers have a crucial role to play, and some of the best-trained Marines put their lives in their hands.

Air delivery professionals with training in parachute drop operations for both equipment and personnel are known as “parachute riggers.” They oversee all of the safety apparatus used during airdrop and airborne operations. They frequently act as managers and assist in choosing the most beneficial drop-off and landing zones. The work that parachute riggers do is extremely important to the planning and execution of aerial operations.

31. Artillery

National average yearly salary: £27219

As you’ve probably imagined, Marines who specialize in artillery typically employ explosive ordnance to neutralize, support, or suppress opposing targets.

Remember that there are a variety of roles in the artillery area. Some Marines assigned to the artillery field might well be charged with providing fireteams or command with environmental and weather information, whereas others could be charged with spotting and detecting the location of enemy artillery bombardment or assisting in the placement, mobility, and strategy for avoiding hostile artillery for forces in the field.

Although most Marines in this Marine Corps career won’t be conducting the firing, they still serve a crucial part in the general mission of the artillery regiment. There are a broad variety of positions and talents to master in this branch of the Marine Corps.

31. Cyberwarfare and Information Assurance Technician

National average yearly salary: £29,092

When they began their Marine Corps careers, information assurance specialists were specifically hired to guarantee the privacy and security of communications used in military and governmental applications. The function has gradually changed to focus more on cybersecurity as the risk of digital and electronic attacks increases with developing technologies.

All digital information must be protected, and suitable authentication processes must be followed and regularly updated, according to a PMOS cybersecurity technician. Since there are many different aspects to protecting digital data, your job within this PMOS may differ, but most cybersecurity experts will assume a more advisory role, placing them in contact with commanding officers directly and counseling them on which assets require additional security and which new cybersecurity issues need to be addressed. Although you might appreciate working in a dynamic collaborative atmosphere, you might also have to do activities that call for autonomous problem-solving, analysis, and research.

Once you reach the level of sergeant, you have the option to engage in cyber warfare as you progress through your education and assume a cybersecurity post. A separate organization inside the Marine Corps called cyber warfare and cyberspace control is in charge of making sure that American data and digital assets are protected from invasion, compromise, and penetration by adversarial forces. Gaining a career in cyber warfare is highly selective and competitive, but it is also incredibly rewarding monetarily and in terms of developing skills that may be applied in the commercial sector.

Conclusion

Many in-demand jobs now place a great emphasis on the qualities and skills acquired via military service.

Several professions, ranging from defense to logistics, are particularly applicable for service personnel who are shifting from active duty to the private industry.

There are many obstacles to overcome when transitioning from the military to civilian life, but if you’re able to go out and market yourself effectively through resumes, interviews, and skill demonstrations, it will make the process simpler.

The good news is that more businesses are searching for veterans and active duty personnel. When enlisting, make an effort to select the greatest Marine Corps MOS to position yourself as one of the top applicants for a number of the most sought-after positions in the field.

If you understand how to show hiring managers how your military experience, talents, and experience relate to their everyday operations, finding a job employing your military expertise and credentials shouldn’t be too difficult in the civilian world.

Frequently Asked Questions about Marine Corps Career

  • What exactly do you do in the Marine Corps?

Marines are excellent at carrying out land-based and water operations that are either defensive, offensive, humanitarian, security, or reconnaissance in character. These Marines, who have received training in the skill of land warfare, frequently arrive first to address challenges anywhere in the world.

  • What position does the average Marine hold?

The most popular role is military enlisted tactical operations, air/weapons experts, and crew members, however, the U.S. Marines Industry Group employs a disproportionately large number of these workers as compared to other businesses.

  • What subgroups of Marines exist?

The four divisions of the Marines are the operating forces, which conduct the actual combat, the headquarters, which serves as the center of command, the supporting establishment, which handles logistics, and the Marine Corps Reserve.

  • Is a Marine superior to a Navy officer?

Since 1921, the Marine Corps has taken priority over the Navy because it has consistently used the Continental Congress’s law as its source of origin for the Continental Marines’ establishment on 10 November 1775.