Also called: Marine 0317, Army Sniper (B4 identifier)
Expert marksman and observer who watches the battlefield from hidden positions and takes precise long-range shots.
Snipers spend hours perfecting camouflage suits, practicing stalking without being seen, and calculating wind and distance. Much of the real job is observing and reporting. Former snipers become police SWAT officers, firearms instructors, and game wardens.
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 2 years after high school. Several years in infantry, then a demanding sniper school of ~8-12 weeks. 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, Wildlife Management.
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. Ballistics computers and drones assist; stalking, observing and the shot decision stay human.
Classes: Physics, Math, 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.