Military Veteran to IT Support

Who This Is For

Veterans with comms/IT MOS or no specific tech background wanting the fastest foothold.

What Transfers

Discipline, equipment handling, comms experience, ability to learn systems fast.

Realistic First Role

Help Desk Technician — BLS median $61,860 (occupation-level; entry roles sit below it), ~40.8k annual openings, -3.7% projected change, job zone 3. BLS projects this occupation -3.7% over the decade — demand is steady through churn, not growth.

Cited figures from BLS (occupation-level): median $61,860 · outlook -3.7% · ~40.8k annual openings · job zone 3. The median is the BLS OEWS median for Computer User Support Specialists (SOC 15-1232), occupation-level. Source: BLS OEWS + BLS Employment Projections (see Citation Ledger).

The Pathway

Veteran → IT Support (entry) → Systems Admin (mid) → or pivot to high-growth cyber.

What to Study

CompTIA A+ (use GI Bill / VET TEC). If you held a clearance, consider routing toward cybersecurity (guide: military-veteran-to-cybersecurity) for the growth and clearance premium.

Reality Check

IT support is the fastest foothold, but flat-outlook — for veterans with clearances, cyber is the higher-upside target.

Next Step

Run the RoleMath planner to see which path fits you.

Sources

• Official source: https://www.bls.gov/oes/special-requests/oesm25nat.zip
• Official source: https://www.bls.gov/emp/ind-occ-matrix/occupation.xlsx
• Official source: https://www.onetcenter.org/database.html
• OEM certification page: https://www.comptia.org/en-us/certifications/a/

Citation Ledger