The military's growing IT and cyber job sector

Thousands of troops work in IT and cyber-related roles — occupations that are critical to how all six branches of the armed forces carry out their future missions.

The US military has plenty of technology-oriented careers. These jobs might be on the ground supporting front-line combat operations, or they might be at a desk in a modern, high-tech data center, away from the threat of bullets or bombs. 

Some of the military's IT and cyber jobs mirror civilian roles. People in these positions might set up laptop computers or email systems. But other tech-focused military careers do work that's unique to the armed forces, like conducting cyber warfare.

In either case, all of the military's IT and cyber jobs are essential to mission success. Continue reading to learn more about some of the unique and most in-demand jobs in cybersecurity and IT.

What's the military's outlook on tech jobs?

In the last five years, the military has continued to adapt and expand its IT and cybersecurity job ranks.

Cyber security specialists, cyber operations specialists, and network and database administrators are among the military's most in-demand cyber jobs. Every branch has these types of positions available, US Cyber Command said in a statement last year.

In October 2014, the Army celebrated a milestone — 15 West Point cadets entered directly into cyber officer careers for the first time. "Our cyberspace operators enjoy a dedicated career field, cutting-edge and adaptive training and education, and talent management to guide a path through an entire career conducting cyber operations," Lt. Gen. Stephen Fogarty said in a statement marking the cyber branch's fifth anniversary.

The Air Force and Space Force combined employed nearly 11,000 cyberspace operations officers in 2020, according to the Air Force Magazine annual almanac. Cyberspace operations officers engage in defense and offensive operations. They apply knowledge of electronics theory, information technology, and cryptography to support missions. This role may also be responsible for commanding weapons systems and crew members.

Earlier this year, the Marine Corps announced the creation of four new jobs: interactive on-net operator, exploitation analyst, host analyst, and network analyst. The Marines also updated the role of cyber warfare operator and eliminated the job of offensive cyberspace operator, according to Task & Purpose.

The responsibilities of exploitation analysts will include converting intelligence data into operational knowledge. They'll be technical experts, responsible for planning cyber operations, which may include disrupting or destroying an enemy's digital networks.

Looking ahead, software coders will likely have an important role in the Space Force, much like fighter pilots do in the Air Force, according to a recent article by Space News. "Software touches everything we do in the Space Force," said 1st Lt. Jackie Smith, who leads a Space Force software boot camp.

Branch breakdown: Who does what?

In 2021, the US military employed about 1.34 million soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, coast guardsmen, and Space Force Guardians. These service members filled hundreds of jobs worldwide. 

Although that seems like a huge number, military personnel represent a small percentage of the approximately 161 million people in America's civilian workforce. This group includes people at least 16 years old who have a job, or who are looking for work, and who are not in the military.

In the Army and Marine Corps, job titles are known as your military occupational specialty, or MOS. The Navy and Coast Guard call their job titles ratings, while the Air Force and Space Force call their job titles Air Force Specialty Codes, or AFSCs.

Some military jobs, like the Army's 13B MOS, cannon crewmember, are unique to the armed forces and don't have an exact civilian equivalent. But many other military jobs, including IT and cybersecurity, do have direct civilian counterparts.