Posted on Nov 1, 2015
Need advice on whether I should stay in or get out?
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I have a wife and 6 kids and I'm a SPC in Active Army. I don't know whether or not I should try the soldier for life program or reenlist and stay in the army. I've heard good things like you can make anywhere from 70k-90k a year doing various jobs outside of the military. But on the flip side of the coin I don't want to get out and not be able to provide for my family. HELP!
Fort Sill
Re-enlistment
Civilian Career
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 75
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With 6 kids and a wife, plus the limited training and development from the Army, you'd be better off staying in for now. Unless you had extremely valuable professional attributes before the Army, you will not get out and make more than about 30k per year. This is just a generalization, of course, but I don't think the livelihood of your family is worth the risk. Stay in, try to take advantage of tuition assistance (get a bachelor's degree), and volunteer for every school you can get your unit to send you to. All of this will help pad your resume for when you do get out.
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SSG Daniel Miller
I can't even imagine the healthcare/insurance costs with 6 kids.
I can't even imagine the healthcare/insurance costs with 6 kids.
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CW3 Jim Norris
Wow, wife and six kids - quite a lot of responsibility you've created. You've not accumulated enough experience, education or certification to permit the kind of wages you'd have to make to just cover down on your current benefit package. I know it sounds like adding to your load, but get your tail enrolled and complete a bachelors degree before you consider walking away from the Army. Your an HR guy? If you stay in that career field on the 'outside', you will be competing with an almost unlimited supply of degree holding experienced people. Here's a link to a certification site that can set you apart - http://www.hrci.org/our-programs/our-hr-certifications/phr. I'm an IT guy, but I talk to our recruiters and other HR folks alot and it, as they say 'ain't no walk in the park' to get and entry level position that pays anywhere near what you're talking about. Get a plan, get an education and then get the job you want.
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SSG Brian Lovins
I already wrote an essay in comment but to add to what CW3 Jim Norris stated, my wife has a Master degree in Business management with emphasis on HR and after 5 years of not finding a job she works for our local school district as an aide and is going back to school to get her teaching degree. Grant it if we lived in a larger metropolitan area she probably could have found an entry level position. The civilian world is tough and cut throat and many of the common degrees have been pushed so hard over the last 20 years there are more with degrees than there are jobs to fill. I was going back to school in 01 hoping to get a degree in wildlife management/biology until I found out how much an entry level biologist makes after years of interning, with a house and family of 4 at the time (family of 5 a few years later) the starting pay was significantly less than I was making so I stayed with the job I am good at making more money, sure I had the potential to make more but when you have bills potential does not put food on the table. I could not imagine having a family of 8 and trying to make ends meat today.
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MCPO Steve Spence
Make sure your civilian job will be secure. I was making $85,000 a year when I was informed my position was terminated. Luckily I am retired military. I am getting by, but there isn't money for vacations, eating out, etc... I would recommend wait to see what happens after the next election.
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I assure you that unless you are doing contract work in the desert, you are probably not going to pull that type of coin without a 4 year degree.
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MSgt John Carroll
And the contract positions in the desert are paying less and less unless you have a very unique skill set.
And the contract positions in the desert are paying less and less unless you have a very unique skill set.
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Col Joseph Lenertz
Agree. Or even with a 4 year degree. Or a couple 6 year degrees. You can never be sure of getting a $90K job.
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Are you a SPC or a PFC as your profile suggests? Discuss all of these comments and birth control with your wife before you do anything rash.
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Persevere and take advantage of what is available through the military. Civilian employers will not offer the same medical, housing or educational benefits that are at your finger tips now, nor will you be in a community (coworkers, supervisors, programs) that offers assistance in manners you probably don't recognize at the moment. Use the tuition assistance program and other training opportunities that arise until you build a resume' competitive enough to increase your potential for success when you decide to leave. Get some Aces in your pocket before you make a gamble with your future.
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Only you can decide. But, an observation from an old man. Salaries you hear about are rarely what is truly available unless you have special qualifications. I would not get out based on such salaries unless I had personal knowledge of the situation and knew I had a shot at that, Also the high salaries one hears about are usually in an area where the cost of living is also very high.
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LCpl Don Rowley
I have to agree with you Don, I was tree yeas findig a job that was sufficient to support my family
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6 kids? It's better to just stay in and keep rolling in that sweet security blanket of BAH until you have a degree or a highly specific field of expertise that translates into a well paid civi job.
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Sooo... all the smart people here are saying stay... and I agree with them. You are in a position where you have a lot of opportunities at your fingertips and the civilian world is still pretty cold. Here's some benefits to think about:
1. Tricare (x7). There is no better health plan out in the civilian world. Every shot, every boo-boo, every sickness, every surgery (if needed) covered.
2. Steady Pay. On time, every time. And even when it MAY not be because of budget issues, many banks (USAA) will cover your pay until you get it.
3. Predictable raises. Every year. Every two years. Whenever you get promoted. Even when the country was in a recession and people were getting laid off left and right, the military got a raise.
4. Education. Not just the GI Bill, but Tuition Assistance - you can easily get a 4 year degree using TA and have ALL of your GI Bill left over. Every ounce of education you can get is $ later in life.
5. Training - The Army offers countless certifications in numerous fields which cost thousands to get on the outside. Take advantage of every one you can get.
6. If you do good and like it, you can make it a career, maybe go to the Dark Side (Commissioned Officer) and fix all the broken things you saw as a Private!
70-90k SOUNDS like a lot, but with 6 kids, it's really not that much.
1. Tricare (x7). There is no better health plan out in the civilian world. Every shot, every boo-boo, every sickness, every surgery (if needed) covered.
2. Steady Pay. On time, every time. And even when it MAY not be because of budget issues, many banks (USAA) will cover your pay until you get it.
3. Predictable raises. Every year. Every two years. Whenever you get promoted. Even when the country was in a recession and people were getting laid off left and right, the military got a raise.
4. Education. Not just the GI Bill, but Tuition Assistance - you can easily get a 4 year degree using TA and have ALL of your GI Bill left over. Every ounce of education you can get is $ later in life.
5. Training - The Army offers countless certifications in numerous fields which cost thousands to get on the outside. Take advantage of every one you can get.
6. If you do good and like it, you can make it a career, maybe go to the Dark Side (Commissioned Officer) and fix all the broken things you saw as a Private!
70-90k SOUNDS like a lot, but with 6 kids, it's really not that much.
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SSG Roderick Smith
On your last sentence... ditto. That's a lot of kids. A single man can do a lot with 70k. Paying for vehicles, health and dental coverage, moving costs, rent... it will all add up pretty quick.
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If you were single I would say go ahead and try your chances. With a wife and 6 kids, you have to stay in until you can get a degree, if you don't have one already. It is very tough to make the kind of money you need in the civilian world without a ton of experience and a degree. Do a pro and con list, but be very brutally honest with yourself.
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SSG (Join to see)
Since you are single, there isn't additional considerations to account for. With that being said, unless you have a military job skill directly relating to a civilian job, or at least a bachelor's degree, I would also use the pro/con list with your current salary and benefits versus what you expect if you were to leave the military. Please be really honest with yourself, as the only one you would hurt with not being totally honest is yourself. Good luck!
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So most said stay. You need to be realistic on the TOTAL VALUE piece. That's where you price everything. On the outside you get salary with similar deductions plus a few more. You'll pay state disability. You'll pay for a big share of medical insurance. Unless you exclusively buy from COSTCO, groceries are typically more on the outside. You'll have to pay the full ride on whatever you're doing on housing.
Military gets taxed on base pay. You don't get taxed on BAH. Your TSP isn't taxed going in but on the outside, good luck finding anybody that matches the first 5% except as a civil service Fed.
So run the numbers to see how "bad" but more likely near to "good" you are. The $70-90K salary is typical for graduate engineers who are possibly registered but is typical of a project engineer or team lead. In other words, take a look at the positions and see what the prerequisites are.
Military gets taxed on base pay. You don't get taxed on BAH. Your TSP isn't taxed going in but on the outside, good luck finding anybody that matches the first 5% except as a civil service Fed.
So run the numbers to see how "bad" but more likely near to "good" you are. The $70-90K salary is typical for graduate engineers who are possibly registered but is typical of a project engineer or team lead. In other words, take a look at the positions and see what the prerequisites are.
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