Also called: Army 11A, Marine Corps 0302, Platoon Leader
Leads a platoon of 30-40 infantry soldiers or Marines, planning missions and taking responsibility for every one of them.
A lieutenant's day starts at PT with the platoon, then turns into planning a live-fire range, checking that squads have the gear and training they need, and counseling a soldier with a family problem. In the field it means reading maps at 2 a.m. and making fast calls under pressure. Leadership experience like this transfers well to management, consulting, law enforcement leadership, and business school.
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 Infantry Basic Officer Leader Course (~5 months) and often Ranger School. 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: History, Political Science, Any major (via ROTC), Engineering.
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. Drones and AI maps change tactics; leading 40 soldiers and owning their lives stays human.
Classes: PE / distance running, Leadership class, US history, Geography.
Official data: O*NET occupation 55-1016.
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.