Joining the U.S Navy provides you with a rare and prestigious opportunity to serve one of the greatest countries in the world. Many other benefits come with enlisting in the U.S. Navy. Furthermore, the Navy offers numerous positions that you can serve in. If you wish to enlist in the Navy, this article outlines the 8 best jobs in the Navy that you can apply for.
How to Join the U.S. Navy
According to U.S. military records, over 332,000 men and women are actively serving in the U.S. Navy. This branch of the U.S. armed forces is continuously enlisting recruits who wish to serve their country in different capacities within the maritime body.
But before you proceed to apply to join the U.S. Navy, you must ensure that you meet all the requirements for enlisting.
Here are the basic requirements for joining the Navy:
• You must be a U.S. citizen or a resident alien.
• You must be between the ages of 17 and 34 years. If you’re 17 years old, you must seek the consent of your parents or guardian.
• You should, with rare exceptions, be a holder of, at least, a high school diploma.
• You must pass the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) test.
• You should, with rare exceptions, be physically fit.
• As a female applicant, you are eligible to enlist in all occupational fields available in the Navy.
It’s important to note that veterans who have served in the army for at least 180 days and their broken service is not more than five years can apply to join the Navy. If successful, these applicants will be enlisted at the ranks of their separation without going through basic training.
It’s also important to emphasize the fact that only U.S. citizens and foreign nationals that are legally living in the United States are eligible to apply to be enlisted in the U.S. Navy.
As a foreign national residing in the U.S., you must have an Immigration and Naturalization Service Alien Registration Card, also known as a green card. You must also prove that you can comfortably read, write, and speak fluent English. This will likely be tested when you’re taking your ASVAB test.
One of the common questions asked by applicants who are not U.S. citizens is whether the Navy can help them to obtain U.S. citizenship. The straight answer is no. The U.S. Navy doesn’t assist foreign nationals in getting admitted into the United States.
Please also note that U.S. Navy regulations prohibit all applicants from forwarding their recruitment details through international mail, including U.S. citizens residing outside America. They’re supposed to send their applications through the online platform created by the Navy.
What Is an ASVAB Test?
The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery test is an examination designed to test your aptitude. It’s a combination of ten short separate tests touching on different subjects including your word knowledge, arithmetic reasoning, paragraph comprehension, general science, mathematics knowledge, mechanical knowledge, auto and shop information, electronics information, coding speed, and numerical operations.
After the test, you’ll receive the scores on every individual test, and the results of several individual tests put together to generate three academic combined scores: academic ability, math, and verbal. You’re free to take the ASVAB test before enlisting to see if you have a chance of getting enlisted.
Taking the test before enlisting also saves you the time and the hassle of going through the entire application process only to be turned down after the test.
Why Work in the U.S. Navy?
As noted above, there are numerous benefits of enlisting in the U.S. Navy. Most of these benefits will have a direct impact on you and your family. Here are the main benefits of working in the U.S. Navy.
1. Education Funding
Members of the U.S. Navy get education funding through the G.I. Bill. So, you can enroll in a college, graduate school, or any other training program. The G.I. Bill allows you to get financial support to pay for your education. It can cover some or all of the cost of your training.
Sometimes these benefits can extend to other members of your family. If you have a student loan, the G.I. Bill can forgive the debt or give you about $65,000 toward the student loan through the Navy Loan Repayment Program.
But you must pass your Armed Forces Qualification Test by at least 50 points to be eligible for this benefit. The Navy will also pay 33 percent of the outstanding student loan debt every year you remain in service.
2. College Credit
In the course of your military service, you’ll go through several courses. The credit from this training can be transferred over. Therefore, if you attend college after serving in the U.S. Navy, you won’t have to go through the entire training program because you’ll have completed some of the courses.
Apart from graduating early, the cost of your college degree will be lower because you won’t have to pay for all the courses.
3. More Employment Opportunities
Military training is quite comprehensive, covering many aspects of life. It provides you with many useful skills and experiences that can be effectively employed in many industries. That’s why many employers in the United States prefer employees with a military background.
Military training will provide you with important competencies such as communication, a solid work ethic, leadership, attention to detail, and decision-making. These skills will increase your chance of finding employment in different fields when you leave the Navy.
4. Home Loan
The Navy, through the Veteran’s Assistance (VA) department, offers its active-duty members and veterans home loans. With this loan, you can buy a home without a down payment. This loan is provided through approved lenders. But you have to meet the basic requirements like the minimum number of active-duty days to qualify for a VA home loan.
5. Insurance
All enlisted members of the U.S. Navy enjoy special life insurance policies that cover even their family members. They also have access to veteran healthcare programs that offer health insurance benefits to veterans and their dependents.
6. Retirement Benefits
The U.S. Navy allows its enlisted members to save money for their retirement through a thrift savings plan (TSP), which borders on the 401 (K) offered by private companies. If you serve actively for 20 years, you may be eligible for a military pension, which guarantees you a steady income after retirement.
7. Opportunities to Travel
Enlisted members of the U.S. Navy get a rare opportunity to visit different parts of the world. When you enlist, you’ll be deployed in different countries and ports across the world, depending on your job in the Navy.
8 Best Jobs in the Navy
As a branch of the U.S. military, the Navy offers a wide range of employment opportunities within its various departments. So, if you want to pursue a career in the military, you should identify an area in the U.S. Navy that suits you and apply for enlisting. Here are the best 8 jobs in the U.S. Navy.
1. U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman
This role involves treating sick and injured members of the Navy, including officers, dependents, and Navy veterans. Depending on your level of training, you’ll be required to work in pharmacies, do medical tests, assist dentists, and assist doctors with surgeries, radiology, managing patient records, and therapy sessions. A U.S. Navy HM earns a national average salary of about $29,634 per year.
2. U.S. Navy Master-at-Arms (MA)
The main duties of an MA, who’s essentially a military police officer, include anti-terrorism, physical security, law enforcement, and protection of the members of the force. They also perform force protection duties, such as watercraft protection, U.S. Customs inspection, investigations, control of base access points, and handling K-9s that check for narcotics and explosives. The average national annual salary for a U.S. Navy MA is about $38,364.
3. Diver
As a U.S. Navy Diver, you can be deployed anywhere in the world and under all kinds of circumstances. That’s why their motto is: “We Dive The World Over.” Your primary roles include performing seaworthiness inspections and repairs on pierside vessels and submarines, salvage, search and rescue missions, and retrieval of astronauts from space capsules. Your annual salary will be about $56,534.
4. U.S. Navy Culinary Specialist (CS or CSS)
As a U.S. Navy Culinary Specialist, you’ll be responsible for operating and managing the dining facilities (mess decks) onboard submarines, ships, and naval bases. You’ll plan, prepare, and serve meals to the crew. CSS is also responsible for maintaining cleanliness, food orders, financial records, and inventories. Your annual salary will be about $41,258.
5. U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist (MCS)
The primary duty of a U.S. Navy MCS involves presenting stories about the Navy’s general personnel to the general public. This means that you have to broadcast, write, and release stories for print, broadcast, and other mass communication outlets. Your annual salary will be around $43,929.
6. U.S. Navy Construction Mechanic (CM)
As a U.S. Navy CM, you’ll be part of the Seabees or the U.S. Naval Construction Battalions (CB) team. Your duties will mainly revolve around repairing and maintaining U.S. Navy’s construction and automotive equipment, such as buses, bulldozers, rollers, backhoes, tactical vehicles, dump trucks, etc. Your salary will be about $47,289 annually.
7. U.S. Navy Electronics Technician (ET)
The primary duties of a U.S. Navy ET include diagnosing and repairing issues in ship and aircraft electrical systems. As an ET, you’ll be part of the Navy’s cutting-edge electronics and computer fields. So, you must be proficient in handling different tools and systems to attune and rework complex equipment. Your annual salary will be about $43,413.
8. U.S. Navy Air Traffic Controller (AC)
An Air Traffic Controller in the U.S. Navy is responsible for directing pilots and captains in their missions from the air and naval traffic control towers on bases. So, you’ll be dealing with nodding and moving runways, malfunctions to land aircraft safely, and inclement weather conditions. Your salary will be $47,185 per year.
