Also called: Army 13A, Marine 0802, Fire support officer
Plans and controls artillery and rocket fire, from howitzers to HIMARS launchers, in support of ground troops.
Artillery officers turn targets into firing data, coordinate with drones and aircraft, and command batteries of cannons or rocket launchers. The job is heavy on math, geometry, and fast decisions.
RMC (base pay + housing/food allowances + tax advantage) for officers O-1 (2nd Lieutenant/Ensign) to O-5 (Lieutenant Colonel/Commander), 2026 estimate. A 20-year career also earns a lifetime pension starting right after retirement.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
Bachelor's degree (4-year), about 4 years after high school. Bachelor's degree plus a commission through ROTC, a service academy, or Officer Candidate School, then the Field Artillery Basic Officer Leader Course. 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, 4-year college. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Mathematics, Engineering, Physics.
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 in 5 years, medium in 10. AI targeting turns sensor data into firing solutions faster; officers still approve fires and lead batteries.
Classes: AP Calculus, AP Physics, Leadership class.
Official data: O*NET occupation 55-1014.
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.