Joining the military as enlisted versus officer: What to know

Have you ever wondered what it's like to join the military? Generally, you have two options: joining as an enlisted service member or as a commissioned officer. Not sure you understand the differences? Here’s what you need to know.

While this article focuses on officer versus enlisted, we don’t want to forget about the valuable warrant officers because not all services have them. But, since the majority of military members are either enlisted or officer, we’ll focus on them.

Differences between officer and enlisted

To say commissioned officers are the leaders of the branches of the military and enlisted are the followers isn’t always accurate. I retired as a lieutenant colonel after 20 years in the U.S. Air Force and Air Force Reserves. So I had many opportunities to learn a lot of important leadership lessons from some of the senior enlisted I served with just as I did with the officers.

But officers maintain legal authority over their subordinates and have the ultimate leadership responsibility over enlisted service members. As an officer, while I was doing combat operations, I relied on the wisdom and expertise of the enlisted intelligence members I worked with, but in the end, I knew the responsibility was mine. I would be the one held accountable for the outcome of those combat missions.

Educational requirements

Enlisting doesn’t require a four-year degree but becoming an officer does. That’s why many 18-year-olds join as enlisted right after high school, but officers begin their service in their early to mid-20s.

Whether you’re enlisted or an officer, one of the benefits of joining the military is that you can get leadership experience at a young age. It’s not uncommon to see a 22-year-old enlisted member who’s been serving for four years leading a group of other enlisted who’ve just joined. However, you don’t see an enlisted member leading an officer because that goes against the chain of command.

Pay differences

Officers are paid more than enlisted service members. As with most careers, more education garners more responsibility and more pay. You can learn about different pay scales and how much you could earn in the military with USAA’s military pay calculator. Other benefits like health care, dental and vision are the same for all service members.

Job opportunities

Some jobs aren’t available to officers, and some aren’t available to enlisted. For example, command positions are only available to officers — the leaders of a squadron, platoon or battalion will always be officers. That’s part of the command structure.

If you want to be a fighter or cargo pilot in the military, you’ll need to be an officer. Only officers can be qualified to fly helicopters, planes or jets. Enlisted service members can be part of the plane’s crew, but officers are at the controls. But keep in mind that times are changing: The Air Force now trains enlisted airmen to fly many of its remotely piloted aircraft.

Why people join as enlisted

There are many reasons to choose the enlisted path. It’s often a personal decision, but many factors can help you pick the right option for you.

Start your career right away

If you’re ready to kick-start your military career and don’t want to wait four years while you go to college, the enlisted route might be right for you. This is the case for Gerardo “Tap” Tapia, a 31-year retired command chief master sergeant in the U.S. Air Force.

“I was 17 years old, I’d completed high school, and I was eager to get out of a tough neighborhood. I didn’t have any money for college and wanted to get out there and get started.”

College isn’t right for me — right now

Tap mentions that he didn’t have money for college, which leads to the enlisted path. “To become an officer, you have to earn your commission, normally by completing a bachelor's degree with either an ROTC unit or one of our service academies,” he says.

But just because an enlisted member doesn’t go to college right away, it doesn’t mean they won’t. The branches of the military provide assistance to help the enlisted pay for college and values a higher educated military force. This was the case for Tap who knew he would one day go back to school. In fact, it’s a promise he made his grandmother. He also knew the Air Force would help him accomplish that goal, and they did.

Personal influences

Enlisting in a particular branch of service can be a family tradition, and many people want to continue to honor their family’s legacy.

But just because an important person in your life went one path doesn’t mean you have to — or should. Remember, you’ll be the one going through basic training or deploying. Listen to their advice, do your own research, but make this your decision.

How to join as enlisted

Requirements and procedures to enlist can vary between the branches of the military. But it all starts with the recruiter who will help you through the process. You’ll also need to consider if you want to join active duty, National Guard or Reserves. Check out this article if these are foreign terms to you.

In general, most people will follow the same steps: Fill out an application and then take the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery, also called the ASVAB, test to determine which military jobs might be right for you. You’ll also need to pass a physical and complete a few more steps, but then you’re off to basic training.

Benefits of being enlisted

The biggest benefit: You get to serve your country. That’s not something to take lightly. Between Tap and I, we have 50 years of service and we agree on this one thing: While not every experience in the military was easy or fun, we would do it all over again.

There also are financial benefits. If you join at age 18 right after high school, you’ll have a regular paycheck coming in, plus health care, dental and vision benefits. You’ll also have access to a retirement plan through the military’s Thrift Savings Plan. And, when eligible, it provides both automatic and matching contributions. How many 18-year-olds do you know who can say that?

You’ll also immediately begin on-the-job skills training that you can take with you into your civilian career. And when you’re ready, you’ll receive leadership training and experience.

What should I do if I’m thinking about joining the military?

A good way to start is to visit USAA’s Joining the Military experience. You’ll find resources to help guide you, including a personalized timeline. For more tips, check out our Top 10 list of things to do when you join the military.

When you show up for your first day of basic training, you’ll need to have a checking account so the military can pay you via direct deposit. Joining the military makes you eligible for USAA membership, so you can send your paycheck directly into your new USAA Federal Savings Bank checking account.