Also called: Army 56M, Navy RP rating, Air Force 5R0
Supports chaplains, organizes religious services, and also serves as the chaplain's bodyguard (chaplains don't carry weapons).
Religious affairs specialists set up chapels, manage budgets, help with counseling referrals, and protect the chaplain in combat zones. Civilian paths: church administrator, counseling assistant, nonprofit manager.
Regular military compensation (RMC = base pay + housing and food allowances + their tax advantage) for typical E-1 to E-6 ranks, 2026 estimate. Cash in hand is lower early on because junior troops often live in free barracks and eat in dining halls. Enlistment bonuses can add thousands.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0.3 years after high school. High school diploma, then ~7 weeks of training. Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.
Ways in: Military, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Religious Studies, Social Work.
Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.
Low risk for 10 years. Setting up chapels, supporting chaplains and guarding them stay human.
Classes: Psychology, World religions, PE / fitness.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.