Female Vets Earning More in Civilian Work

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Senior Airmen Ashley Hogan learns about career opportunities during the Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.
Leslee Guzman, BTS talent acquisitions, gives Senior Airmen Ashley Hogan, 88th Force Support Squadron manpower analyst, information about career opportunities during the Hiring Our Heroes Job Fair at the Hope Hotel & Richard C. Holbrooke Conference Center, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, April 27, 2023. (Airman 1st Class Elizabeth Figueroa/U.S. Air Force photo)

If you're one of the 1.7 million female service members ready to transition into the civilian workforce and feel a bit intimidated by your civilian job seekers, don't worry. Your military education and training give you an edge over your competition.

Employers hire female veterans for their strong work ethic obtained in the service, which can lead to a higher income for women with an education and military experience.

"Military education and work experience may translate into higher-paying civilian jobs than women with a high school degree would normally expect," Census Bureau demographer Kelly Holder said in a Census report.

In fact, female veterans earned more ($32,217) in 2005, compared to women with no military experience ($27,272), according to the U.S. Census Bureau. But even though female veterans made more than their civilian counterparts, they also worked longer hours.

According to Census Bureau data, 84.3% of female veterans are more likely to work 35-plus hours per week, compared to 77% of civilian women. And 73.1% of female vets work at least 50 weeks per year, compared to 71.6% of their civilian counterparts.

"Veteran status seems to offer an earnings advantage for women. However, female veterans are also more likely to work full-time hours," Holder said.

Additionally, male veterans fared better against civilians, averaging $42,128 in yearly income compared to $39,880 for nonveterans. But Holder says that gap is deceiving. When the Census Bureau compared demographic characteristics -- age, race, marital status, education -- and similar work hours between male veterans and men without military experience, they found that male vets earned significantly less.

"Male veterans may have less job experience, and thus lower earning, than similar nonveterans for their age because they enter the civilian labor force later," Holder said.

Male veterans can close that gap by using the new GI Bill to get a professional certificate or degree that will push them ahead of nonveterans. Just visit Military.com's Education Center to learn more about this benefit.

Find the Right Veteran Job

Whether you want to polish your resume, find veteran job fairs in your area or connect with employers looking to hire veterans, Military.com can help. Subscribe to Military.com to have job postings, guides and advice, and more delivered directly to your inbox.

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