This article is geared towards military spouses. After all, it is often their love and support that make our jobs possible as Soldiers. I think that while we focus on our careers, it is equally important to ensure that our spouses are able to pursue their own hopes and dreams. Being a spouse of someone in the military makes you a very unique and highly valuable person. That being said, there are jobs out there that are just perfectly suited for military spouses. Here is my list of the Top 10 Army Spouse Jobs.
10. ABA Therapist. Applied behavioral analysis (ABA) therapists work with patients to overcome mental and social disabilities—especially kids on the autism spectrum. ABA therapists can work full or part-time. The job, however, requires formal education in psychology, behavior analysis or a related field of study.
9. Healthcare. Especially Concerning The Elderly. The need for registered nurses and Healthcare employment is expected to grow. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, there is also opportunity in healthcare on the business side of the house. With many military spouses displaying skills and devotion to caring for others, healthcare is an excellent field to pursue.
8. Special Education Teacher or Aide. It is often a career dream for many to be a school teacher, but getting those jobs often requires that you spend a few years in the school system—which is hard to do when you move every other year. What if you break out of that crayon box and imagine yourself as a Special Ed teacher or a classroom assistant instead? The National Education Association says there is a greater need for special education teachers than for any other type of teacher. This requires some specialized training and the drive to make a difference in the world. Who more qualified than the devoted military spouse?
7. Marriage and Family Therapist. The Bureau of Labor projects that the need for marriage and family therapists will rise 29.8 percent in the coming years. The divorce rate is not climbing that fast; it is just that it is becoming more and more common for people to seek help from a therapist when their marriage gets rocky. This shortage is particularly great when it comes to military families dealing with the difficulties that arise from deployments, PTSD or other issues. Who more qualified to help others than those who have the experience first-hand themselves?
6. Pharmacist and Pharmacy technicians. There is a Rite Aid on every corner. A CVS in every strip mall. The opportunity for employment is there. Although it takes about six years to become a pharmacist, the salary is averaging over $100K and most of the training a pharmacy tech (salary $30K) gets is on the job. Demand for pharmacy techs is expected to increase with the elderly population. Pharmacies are also expected to look to cut costs by shifting responsibilities from pharmacists to pharmacy techs. With that type of job growth expectation, you can bet that this is a great career choice.
5. Social Worker With Military Credential. The National Association of Social Workers announced that they are launching a new credential for established social workers. Although social workers have to be certified and certification does not necessarily translate from state to state, this may be an area of expertise military spouses could capitalize upon. A social work who is also a military spouse who earns this credential would be ahead of the game and in a position to be in a supervisory position over other social workers. Something to think about….
4. VA Hospital or Home. Whenever you end up calling home, chances are that there is a local VA Home and/or Hospital that is willing to hire. VA careers can range from anything from healthcare, transportation (of Veterans, etc.), food, pharmaceuticals, etc. Depending on your qualifications or willingness/availability to be trained, the opportunities are seemingly endless.
3. Local College or University. I included this because of the additional benefits for your family. Most colleges and universities offer discounted or even free tuition for the dependents of their employees and/or spouses. Add that to the educational benefits that you would receive from your spouse’s service and we’re talking about creating a great opportunity to pursue your degree, your spouse’s ambitions or your children’s education. What a better way to earn a living!
2. Army Civilian. What better way to accompany your loved one in uniform than to join them working as an Army Civilian. My ex-Platoon Sergeant was a full time ADOS Soldier working at the Division level and his wife worked for the AG in his offices as a civilian. This situation may appeal to some couples and offer broad incentives as far as retirement, healthcare and other benefits available to Soldiers and Army Civilians.
1. Home Based Business. As a military spouse, you may constantly deal with military moves and separation from your loved one. It may be difficult to work away from home and raise a family at the same time. Coming up with the idea of starting a home based business makes sense since you can choose the hours that you wanted to work without sacrificing your family responsibility. More importantly, you are granted to flexibility to pursue one of your true passions and be your own boss, which is extremely rewarding.
Final Thoughts
These are the top 10 Army Spouse Jobs as I see it. What are your thoughts? If you have any comments or questions, just leave them below. Thank you.
Chuck Holmes
Former Army Major (resigned)
Publisher, Part-Time-Commander.com
Email: mrchuckholmes@gmail.com
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This is a very timely topic, for more and more often the second income is needed. The ideal situation for many families is to have the stay-at-home mom; however, this is not always feasible, and a part-time job, at least, could ease a financial burden. Several jobs on Justin’s list require state licenses which can create significant barriers, but there are now 35 states that now provide licenses by endorsement, a provisional license, or a temporary license to a military spouse. There are also opportunities to work from home in capacities such as virtual assistants and freelance writers. A good place to start researching is through social media. In my opinion, tutoring would be a good option as well, because often assignments are short-term. Substitute teaching are often in high demand and may prove to be a promising consideration as well.
Good points, Amy. Freelance writing is great work. Online virtual assistants could work too.
In addition to jobs, there are many business opportunities that would work for Army Spouses. In today’s day and age, only looking for a job might be a dead end road. Sometimes you have to take the buck by the horns and create your own job.
Thanks for sharing.
Chuck
I think the most important factor is what the Army Spouse wants to do with their career. This is a great list of 10 Army Spouse jobs, but it really all comes down to what the individuals skills are and how they would like to spend their work week. Also, sometimes you have to take what you can get.
That’s true. Everyone is different and has different skills, hopes and dreams. There is no cookie cutter answer. What works for one person might not work for another.
Another job I should have put on the list is “stay at home spouse.” In today’s world, it really helps to have one person (man or the woman) stay home with the kids. This also creates some tax incentives. Even though you the family might “earn” less per year, their quality of life could improve significantly by having one spouse stay home.
Thanks, for the feedback, Chuck. I think for our Army to be strong, our families have to be equally as strong. Many employers feel the same way and offer a great work environment that is geared towards military spouses. And, let’s face it, military pay is often not enough to make ends meet and spouses often wish to pursue a career of their own to contribute to the family income. Being an Army spouse is work enough as it is and requires many sacrifices so I think articles like this can help spouses narrow down their job interests and scope of what they might like to do.
I agree with you that strong families help build a strong Army. Soldiers need to know their spouse and children/dependents are taken care of while they are away at work or deployed.
This is a really good list of Army Spouse Jobs, Justin. It’s vital to find a job/career that the spouse enjoys and is flexible. All of the jobs you mentioned are a very good starting point for any Army Spouse.
Thanks for the comment.
Chuck