Special Forces

United States SOC 55-3018.00 Confidence ★★★☆☆

Also called: Advance Seal Delivery System Maintainer, Amphibian Crewmember, Basic Combatant Swimmer, Combatant Swimmer (SEAL), Joint Special Operations, Master Naval Parachutist, Naval Special Warfare Medic, Parachutist

Implement unconventional operations by air, land, or sea during combat or peacetime as members of elite teams.

Median annual pay

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National statistics

Top pay (est.)

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Top 10% —

Pay in 5 years

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2031

Pay in 10 years

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Outlook score

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☆☆☆☆☆ —

AI replacement risk

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Job growth (10 yr)

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BLS projections

What special forces do

Implement unconventional operations by air, land, or sea during combat or peacetime as members of elite teams. These activities include offensive raids, demolitions, reconnaissance, search and rescue, and counterterrorism. In addition to their combat training, special forces members often have specialized training in swimming, diving, parachuting, survival, emergency medicine, and foreign languages. Duties include conducting advanced reconnaissance operations and collecting intelligence information; recruiting, training, and equipping friendly forces; conducting raids and invasions on enemy territories; laying and detonating explosives for demolition targets; locating, identifying, defusing, and disposing of ordnance; and operating and maintaining sophisticated communications equipment.

Special Forces salary

No pay statistics are available for this occupation yet.

How median, percentiles and the pay range are defined →

Projected pay for Special Forces (3, 5 and 10 years)est.

No projection yet because pay statistics are missing.

Projected pay = current pay × (1 + annual growth)^years. The annual growth rate starts from a base wage-growth rate and adds or subtracts labor demand (BLS projected employment growth), wage momentum and AI replacement risk for each occupation. Projections are not guarantees. How it is calculated →

Outlook score for Special Forces

Not computed yet.

Will AI replace Special Forces? AI replacement risk

Not computed yet.

How AI is changing this job

A written analysis for this occupation is being prepared.

AI replacement risk compares the parts of a job that are easy to hand to AI or software (processing information, documentation, repetitive computer work) with the parts that are hard to automate (physical work, working closely with people, judgment in unpredictable settings), using O*NET work activities, work context, skills and knowledge. The result is a relative position among all occupations in the country, scaled to 0–100%. Methodology →

Labor demand for Special Forces

Employment

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BLS OEWS

Projected employment

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BLS projections

Projected change

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Annual openings

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growth + replacement needs

Demand score

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Typical entry education

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Work experience

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in a related occupation

On-the-job training

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Employment projections are from the BLS Employment Projections program (10-year). Annual openings include both new jobs and replacement of workers who leave the occupation.

Skills, education and requirements for Special Forces

How to become special forces

Typical education

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BLS

Related experience

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On-the-job training

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A step-by-step guide for this occupation is being prepared. The education, training and experience data above show the typical path.

Career path and how to earn more as special forces

Career-path guidance is being prepared.

Pay and employment figures are national statistics. Projected pay, outlook scores and AI replacement risk are estimates from the Shigoto Zukan model, not guarantees. To request a correction, use the contact form. How to read the data

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS; Employment Projections); O*NET 31.0 Database by USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0), modified by Shigoto Zukan. Pay ranges, projections and scores are Shigoto Zukan estimates.