Also called: Jumpmaster, Black Hat (Airborne School instructor), HALO instructor
Trains soldiers to parachute safely, from static-line jumps to high-altitude freefall.
Airborne instructors ('Black Hats') teach landing falls, inspect parachutes, and run jumps from towers and aircraft. Freefall instructors fly with students at 12,000+ feet. Civilian paths: skydiving instructor, drop zone manager.
RMC (base pay + housing/food allowances + tax advantage) for typical E-1 to E-7 ranks, 2026 estimate, plus the special-duty, hazardous-duty, or skill pays this specialty usually earns. Enlistment/reenlistment bonuses for this field can be $10k-$50k+.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 4 years after high school. Experienced paratrooper NCO plus jumpmaster and instructor courses. 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: Physical Education, Aviation.
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. Inspecting chutes and running jumps safely stays human.
Classes: Physics, 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.