I spent six years in the Navy and never once thought about human resources as a career. Not once. HR was the office you went to when paperwork got messed up. It was admin. It was boring.

Then I got out. I started applying for federal jobs across six different career fields. I sat on hiring panels. I reviewed resumes. I built onboarding processes. And I realized something. I had been doing HR work my entire military career. I just never called it that.

If you ran counseling checklists, wrote evaluations, tracked training records, handled UCMJ actions, or managed a sponsorship program, you did HR work. You did it in uniform. You called it "taking care of your people." Civilian companies call it human resources. And they pay well for it.

This guide covers the main HR career paths open to veterans. We will walk through certifications, federal HR jobs in the GS-0201 series, resume tips, and salary data from BLS. If you already know you want HR, skip ahead to the certification section. If you are not sure yet, start here.

Why Does HR Make Sense for Veterans?

Every branch runs on people management. You tracked leave. You processed awards. You counseled service members on performance. You ran check-in and check-out sheets. You ensured training was current. That is human resources.

The gap is just language. The military calls it "personnel management" or "admin." Civilian companies call it "talent acquisition," "benefits administration," or "employee relations." The work is the same.

Here are the military tasks that map straight to HR functions:

• Performance counseling and evaluations: Maps to performance management and employee development
• Tracking qualifications and training records: Maps to learning and development (L&D) coordination
• Processing awards, promotions, separations: Maps to compensation and personnel actions
• UCMJ and NJP processes: Maps to employee relations and workplace investigations
• Sponsorship and onboarding programs: Maps to new hire onboarding and orientation
• Equal Opportunity (EO) duties: Maps to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs

Some veterans did this as their primary job. Think Army 42A (Human Resources Specialist), Navy PS (Personnel Specialist), or Air Force 3F0X1 (Personnel). But many more did it as a collateral duty. Every NCO who wrote evaluations, tracked quals, and counseled junior service members built HR experience without the title.

What HR Career Paths Can Veterans Target?

HR is not one job. It is a field with distinct tracks. Each one uses different military skills. Pick the track that fits your experience and your interest.

HR Generalist

This is the broadest role. Generalists handle a little of everything. Onboarding, benefits questions, policy compliance, employee relations, and basic recruiting. Small and mid-size companies rely on generalists because they cannot afford specialists for every function.

If you were an NCO who handled everything from leave requests to disciplinary paperwork, this role will feel familiar. Entry-level HR Generalist jobs often require just a bachelor's degree and one to two years of experience. Your military time counts.

Recruiter and Talent Acquisition

Recruiters find, screen, and hire candidates. Sound familiar? If you ran a recruiting station, served as a career counselor, or managed reenlistment programs, you already know this work.

Corporate recruiters earn well. Tech companies, healthcare systems, and staffing agencies all need them. Many veterans also go into defense contractor recruiting because they understand the clearance process and military culture. That gives you an edge no civilian recruiter has.

Benefits and Compensation

This track manages employee pay, health plans, retirement accounts, and leave policies. It is detail work. You build spreadsheets, run audits, and ensure compliance with federal regulations like ERISA and COBRA.

If you managed a unit budget, processed BAH changes, or helped service members with SGLI and TSP, you have a head start here. This track also feeds into federal HR work because government benefits programs are complex and well-funded.

Training and Development

Also called Learning and Development (L&D). This track builds training programs, tracks completion rates, and measures how well employees perform after training. If you ran a training department, built POIs (Programs of Instruction), or managed a command qualification program, this is your lane.

Training roles exist everywhere. Hospitals, tech companies, manufacturing plants, and government agencies all need people who can design and deliver training. The military is one of the largest training organizations on the planet. That background has real value.

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How Do You Break Into HR Without a Degree in It?

Good news. You do not need an HR degree to work in HR. Many hiring managers care more about certifications and experience than a specific degree title. A bachelor's in anything plus a relevant certification gets you in the door.

Here are the four most common entry points for veterans:

1. Start as an HR assistant or coordinator. These roles are entry-level. You will process paperwork, schedule interviews, and maintain employee files. It sounds basic, but it teaches you how HR departments actually work. Many people move to generalist or specialist roles within 12 to 18 months.

2. Use your GI Bill for an HR-related degree. Business administration, organizational leadership, and human resource management all work. Online programs through the GI Bill let you study while working. SHRM has a list of aligned degree programs on their website.

3. Earn a certification first. The aPHR (Associate Professional in Human Resources) from HRCI requires zero experience. It proves baseline HR knowledge and gets your resume past initial screens. We will cover this in detail below.

4. Target defense contractors. Companies like Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, and CACI hire veterans into HR and talent management roles. They value your clearance and your understanding of military culture. Many of these roles are in program support or people operations, which is HR with a different title.

Which Certifications Should Veterans Get First?

Certifications matter in HR. They are not optional. Hiring managers use them to filter candidates. If two resumes look equal and one has a SHRM-CP, that person gets the interview.

Here are the certs that matter, ranked by where you are in your career:

aPHR (Associate Professional in Human Resources)

Issued by HRCI. No experience required. This is designed for people entering HR. The exam covers HR operations, recruitment, compensation, employee relations, and compliance. Cost is around $300 for the exam. Study time is four to eight weeks with a prep course.

This cert is your first move if you have zero civilian HR experience. It tells hiring managers you know the fundamentals.

SHRM-CP (Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional)

This is the industry standard. SHRM-CP requires a bachelor's degree plus one year of HR work, or three years of HR work with no degree. Military personnel management experience can count toward that requirement.

SHRM-CP covers behavioral competencies and HR knowledge. The exam costs around $300 to $475 depending on SHRM membership. Many veterans use their GI Bill or VA Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) benefits to cover prep courses.

PHR (Professional in Human Resources)

Also from HRCI. The PHR requires one to four years of HR experience depending on your education level. It focuses more on technical and operational HR knowledge than SHRM-CP. Some employers prefer SHRM. Others prefer HRCI. Both are widely respected.

Specialty Certifications

Once you have a foundation cert, consider these based on your track:

• CCP (Certified Compensation Professional): For benefits and compensation track
• CPLP (Certified Professional in Talent Development): For training and L&D track
• SHRM-SCP: Senior-level cert for HR managers and directors
• IPMA-HR: Specifically for public sector and government HR roles

What About Federal HR Jobs in the GS-0201 Series?

Federal HR is a strong path for veterans. The GS-0201 Human Resources Management series is the main one. But it is not the only option. Federal HR work spans several series.

Here are the GS series that veterans should consider:

• GS-0201 Human Resources Management: The core HR series. Covers staffing, classification, employee relations, labor relations, and benefits. Entry at GS-5 or GS-7 with a degree or equivalent experience.
• GS-0203 Human Resources Assistance: Support roles. Processes personnel actions, maintains records, and handles routine HR tasks. Good entry point at GS-4 or GS-5.
• GS-0260 Equal Employment Opportunity: Manages EEO complaints, conducts investigations, and ensures compliance. Veterans with EO experience have a direct match.
• GS-1701 General Education and Training: Designs and delivers training programs for federal employees. Perfect for veterans with instructor or training department experience.
• GS-1712 Training Instruction: Hands-on training delivery. If you taught courses in the military, this is a fit.
• GS-0235 Employee Relations: Handles disciplinary actions, grievances, and performance improvement. Your UCMJ and counseling experience maps here.
• GS-0233 Labor Relations: Works with unions and collective bargaining agreements. Found in DoD civilian agencies and VA hospitals.

Veterans' Preference gives you a real advantage in federal HR hiring. If you have a 30% or higher disability rating, you get 10-point preference. That moves you above most civilian candidates on the category rating list.

Federal HR jobs are posted on USAJOBS. Search for "human resources specialist" or "human resources assistant" and filter by your location. Many federal HR roles are now remote or hybrid. The VA, DoD civilian agencies, and DHS are the largest federal HR employers.

Your federal resume needs to be different from your private sector resume. It requires hours per week, supervisor names, and detailed duty descriptions. Keep it to two pages. Use keywords from the USAJOBS posting and match them to your experience.

How Should Your Resume Read for HR Roles?

HR hiring managers read resumes all day. They know what good ones look like. Yours needs to be clean, specific, and written in language they use.

Here is how to translate common military experience for HR positions:

More examples of how to translate your experience:

• "Processed NSIPS personnel actions" becomes "Processed personnel actions including promotions, transfers, and separations using HRIS databases"
• "Ran the command indoctrination program" becomes "Designed and delivered onboarding program for 50+ new hires per quarter"
• "Served as Command EO Advisor" becomes "Served as Equal Employment Opportunity advisor, investigating complaints and ensuring compliance with federal anti-discrimination regulations"
• "Managed unit training records in FLTMPS" becomes "Maintained training records and compliance tracking for 200+ employees using learning management systems"

Notice the pattern. Keep the numbers. Keep the scope. Swap the military system name for a civilian equivalent. HR managers care about how many people you supported, what systems you used, and what outcomes you drove.

Your resume also needs HR keywords. Terms like "employee relations," "talent acquisition," "HRIS," "onboarding," "compliance," "benefits administration," and "performance management" should appear where they honestly fit. BMR's resume builder handles the military-to-civilian translation and keyword matching for you.

What Do HR Salaries Look Like for Veterans?

HR pays well, and it scales with experience and certifications. Here is what BLS reports for 2024 median annual wages:

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024

A few things stand out. Entry-level HR specialist roles start around $67,000. That is competitive with many E-6 and E-7 base pay plus BAH combinations. And the growth is real. HR managers earn $136,000+ at the median. That puts you in GS-14 or GS-15 territory if you compare to federal pay.

Veterans with security clearances can earn even more at defense contractors. HR roles at Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and General Dynamics often pay above market because the work involves cleared personnel programs.

BLS projects 6% growth for HR specialist roles through 2033. That is faster than average. Every company needs HR. Recessions slow hiring, but they also increase layoffs, restructuring, and compliance work. HR stays busy either way.

Which Companies Hire Veterans for HR Roles?

Some companies actively recruit veterans into HR. Here are the categories to target:

Defense contractors: Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, CACI, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and General Dynamics all have large HR departments. They hire veterans because you understand the clearance lifecycle, military benefits, and the defense workforce. Many of these roles support military programs and require a security clearance.

Federal agencies: The VA is the largest federal employer and hires hundreds of HR specialists per year. DoD civilian agencies (DFAS, DCMA, DCSA) also hire heavily. DHS, DOJ, and the intelligence community all have dedicated HR offices.

Healthcare systems: Hospital networks like HCA Healthcare, Kaiser Permanente, and the VA hospital system need HR professionals who can handle credentialing, compliance, and large-scale staffing. Veterans with medical background (68W, HM, 4N0X1) have an advantage here because they understand both the clinical and administrative sides.

Staffing and recruiting firms: Robert Half, Kforce, and Aerotek hire veterans as recruiters and account managers. These roles pay base plus commission. Veterans with sales backgrounds or strong communication skills do well.

Tech companies: Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Salesforce all have veteran hiring programs. Their HR teams (often called "People Operations") need professionals who understand onboarding at scale, diversity programs, and employee engagement. Amazon alone has hired thousands of veterans into operations and support roles including HR.

What to Do This Week

You do not need to figure this out all at once. Here is a concrete plan for the next seven days.

Day 1: Run your MOS, rating, or AFSC through BMR's career crosswalk tool. See what civilian HR jobs match your specific background. The tool shows salary ranges and federal GS series for each match.

Day 2: Search USAJOBS for "human resources specialist" in your area. Read five job postings. Note the keywords, qualifications, and GS grades. This tells you exactly what federal HR hiring managers want.

Day 3: Visit SHRM.org and HRCI.org. Compare the aPHR, SHRM-CP, and PHR. Pick the one that matches where you are right now. If you have zero HR experience, start with aPHR.

Day 4-5: Build your resume. Use BMR's resume builder to translate your military experience into HR language. Paste an actual HR job posting and let the tool match your experience to what the hiring manager wants.

Day 6-7: Apply to two or three HR jobs. One federal, one private sector, one defense contractor. See what happens. Adjust your resume based on what you learn. Applying teaches you more than researching ever will.

HR is one of the most natural transitions for veterans. You managed people. You tracked compliance. You handled sensitive personnel issues. Now put that experience on paper in a way that HR hiring managers recognize. That is the only gap between where you are and where you want to be.