Also called: Army 12B, Marine 1371
Clears obstacles and minefields, builds fighting positions, and blows things up to help troops move.
Combat engineers practice breaching walls with explosives, build barbed-wire obstacles, and sweep roads for mines. It's hands-on and physical. Civilian careers include construction, demolition, and blasting.
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, then ~14 weeks of 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: Construction Management, Civil Engineering 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. Robotic breaching vehicles help; clearing obstacles and building positions still need soldiers.
Classes: Construction CTE, Physics, PE / strength training.
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.