Also called: Army 91E, Marine 1316 Metal Worker, Navy MR Machinery Repairman
Machines, welds, and fabricates parts to keep military vehicles, ships, and weapons running.
Allied trades soldiers run lathes and mills, weld broken armor, and fabricate parts that aren't available. On ships, Navy machinery repairmen make parts at sea.
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 4 months of machining and welding 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: Machine Tool Technology, Welding Technology.
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. CNC machines help; welding armor and fabricating parts in the field stay hands-on.
Classes: Machine shop CTE, Welding CTE, Geometry.
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.