Also called: Army 11B, Marine Rifleman 0311, Infantry Soldier
The core ground combat soldier who patrols, defends positions, and fights on foot.
In garrison, infantry soldiers do morning PT, clean and maintain weapons, practice first aid, and rehearse squad tactics. Field exercises mean days of patrolling, digging in, and sleeping outdoors. Infantry experience leads naturally to police work, corrections, private security, and the trades, and many use the GI Bill for college.
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, ASVAB, then ~22 weeks of combined basic and infantry training (One Station Unit 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: Criminal Justice, Homeland Security.
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 robots change the fight, but holding ground on foot still takes soldiers.
Classes: PE / strength training, Health / first aid, Geography.
Official data: O*NET occupation 55-3016.
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.