Also called: Space Force 13S, Orbital Warfare Officer, Space Electronic Warfare Officer
Space Force officer who flies satellites, tracks objects in orbit, and protects U.S. space systems.
Space operations officers sit in operations centers commanding GPS, missile-warning, or communications satellites, sending commands and fixing problems as satellites pass overhead. Some specialize in orbital warfare: maneuvering satellites to protect them. Afterward, they're hired by companies like SpaceX, Northrop Grumman, and satellite startups.
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 (STEM preferred) and commission through the Air Force Academy, AFROTC, or Officer Training School, then ~6 months of Undergraduate Space 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, 4-year college. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Aerospace Engineering, Physics, Astronautical Engineering, Computer Science.
Growing faster than average. Not in BLS projections. The Space Force (founded 2019, ~10,000 Guardians) is still growing and has more applicants than slots, so getting in is competitive.
Medium risk for 10 years. Satellites increasingly fly and fix themselves; officers supervise more systems with smaller crews.
Classes: AP Physics, AP Calculus, AP Computer Science.
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.