Also called: Army 38B, Marine 0531
Enlisted specialist who works directly with civilians and local officials during military operations and disaster relief.
Civil affairs specialists survey damaged towns, organize aid deliveries, and build relationships with local mayors and aid groups, often in small teams. Most Army civil affairs soldiers serve in the Reserve.
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 0.5 years after high school. High school diploma and ASVAB, then basic training plus about 10 weeks of Civil Affairs job 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: International Relations, Anthropology.
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. AI translation helps; surveying towns and organizing aid with locals stays human.
Classes: A foreign language, Geography, Health / first aid.
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.