Also called: Army 74A, Marine 5702
Leads units that defend against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear threats.
CBRN officers plan decontamination, run hazard detection teams, advise commanders on threats like nerve agents, and sometimes support disaster response.
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 CBRN 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: Chemistry, Biology, Chemical 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. Sensors detect hazards faster; advising commanders and leading decon stays human.
Classes: AP Chemistry, AP Biology, Leadership class.
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.