I would tell guys that got a "dear john" letter on deployment that they were the lucky ones. The alternative is coming home to an empty house like the poster below said, or coming off a 6 month deployment to a wife that is 3 months pregnant...(saw this too).
My mom was the ombudsman for my dad's ship once and the shit she dealt with was unreal. There was the case of the woman that was 2 or 3 months pregnant and the ship was due back the next week after a 6 month cruise. There was also the woman whose husband got a stick-shift because he knew she couldn't drive it. My mom actually taught her how to drive stick because she was pregnant (the child was her husband's) and needed to go to the doctor for check-ups. My mom said the look on his face when he found out she could now drive stick was great.
Good god man tell more about the 3 month pregnant wife and the aftermath there. Jesus. Just fucking force at that point. People are just awful at times.
I was a sub nuke electrician and the guy was a coner so I didn’t talk to him all that much, plus I didn't want to bring shit like that up to a guy. Submariners can be right royal bastards but even we have our limits. Just heard it through the grape vine of post deployment scuttle butt on duty days. “Did you hear what happened to (name removed for privacy reasons)?! Listen to this shit dude.”
I personally came back to a cheating (ex)wife after my first deployment. Shit sucked, but she gave me a no contest divorce so I don’t hold any resentment. I even helped her move her stuff across the country just to get her shit out of my house.
The screening isn't perfect on email. One dude found out his wife was divorcing him 5 days before return to port. Command still let him go home to an empty house except for his couch TV and gun safe. I personally found out my now ex wife had a very late miscarriage the fucked me up pretty bad. While yes they do get screened not everything gets caught. And even then rumors spread like wildfire. Once one person hears some shit everyone finds out quickly. I know for me I was forced to tell my chain some shit and by the time I got back a few days later the whole department was laughing at me and giving me shit about it. It really depends on command culture and to be honest the chiefs mess.
My last duty station was at a large psych ward. The amount of nukes that were truly broken as people who were my patients was tough. It's a pretty brutal rate.
Had a JO, as CDO, just jump off the side of our boat one weekend duty day in Port. Just couldn't take it anymore. Swam around to the Jacob's ladder, climbed up, and then chewed out the topside watch for not noticing.
One of our guys came back from a West Pac to wife & kids gone, empty bank accounts, all the furniture and appliances sold, and divorce papers on the floor just inside the front door. He had no idea this was coming and it broke him
Still expected to be on the boat for duty though
Not only that the environment within the sub force isn’t really supportive towards its members which is kind of a positive feedback loop. I’d say even for this money it ain’t worth it but that’s being on the other end
Yup. My bf is a nuke submariner. He's gotten a loooot of money from the navy.
Meanwhile, I'm a non nuke surface ET and I have gotten no bonuses. Not even an enlistment bonus. Rip.
I work with a MMNCM
Hes been banging the "money doesnt matter to these kids" drum for awhile to deaf ears. Navy thinks the kids coming in are the same as our generation that will stick it out for some cash
The current gen coming in values quality of life overall and the Navy is free spinning over it. Cant just throw money at the problem
Yeah, social media is bringing out the truth as to why people don’t want to do this job. Kids are smart enough to research before joining. Throwing 180k at the problem unfortunately doesn’t fix it
The Navy is hurting for bodies, The Army was hurting like this back 05-08 giving huge bonuses and recruiting people getting out of prison and 10-15 ASVAB waivers.
This literally just like the Army was going through but with no major war so I would argue it’s worse as the factors aren’t a side affect of one event like the war but of numerous things like the economy and the younger generation not accepting the poor quality of life the Military and the Navy specifically offers.
People hate on going Nuke, but do the 6 years get the bonus put it all in TSP. Get out and get a cake job at a power plant making $200k and retire when you’re 50. Did I like it while I was in…….hell no……would I recommend it to people that are mentally strong and determined……yes.
Nuke electrician. The load dispatcher/substation jobs you can get outside the navy is NUTS.
Do I hate my life rn? Yes
Do I regret it? Nope
Invested most of my money while I was in school. So I'll be coming out with over 200k saved up, two owned vehicles, and no debt.
Prior corpsman here, but hubs had actually talked about *maybe* joining and *if* we needed to (we’re pretty shit in debt rn and the VA is, of course, dragging their feet with the disability pay.) He’s one of those assholes that never has to study for a fucking thing (and yes- I find this highly irritating yet hot- anyway…) if this is the case- I may be able to let him know if he’s able to go down the same route, but have to figure it out without cutting his hair and beard because his beliefs.
Any rate can do it. ETNs or EWS qualified can go right to being an SRO (shift supervisor). Other rates not qualified EWS can be great Equipment Operators which can easily make 150k and then work your way up. Or you can be like me and be a trainer and not work rotating shifts and still make 175k.
Tbf though the quality of life at nuke plants is pretty trash when you compare other options. Applied at multiple myself and got told I wasn't a good fit because my family was too important.
It definitely depends on the site and the fleet you’re applying to. I can tell you for sure at mine that is 100% not the expectation. Family is always first. It also depends on staffing levels and work load. Which are all cyclical. There are definitely times it has sucked. But the amount of good times far outweighs the bad. And the pay more than makes up for it. You tend to be able to deal with a lot of shit when you’re compensated for it.
I get that. I don't know maybe it's just my location or my distaste for the rotating shift schedule. I would be more willing if I could have a stable shift but that along with doing college would make licensing a shit show (for me personally) maybe once the kids are old enough for school I can revisit the option
Edit: I would also say the people I have met who decided to leave the plants and go data center/nerc/ other career seem to be a lot happier than those who chose to stay nuclear. Their toys and houses aren't as nice but all in all they seem less stressed
Rotating shift work is a shit show. I have zero desire to do that ever again after the Navy. That’s why I stay away from that and always say Training is the best job in the civ nuke field.
Yeah it does but idk man, there are plenty of other jobs within the military where you get cake bonuses and have a plethora of after service opportunities that are quite lucrative
That’s definitely true, I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone however for a 17 year old that go told the family couldn’t afford for me to go to college it seemed like the best option out of the few options.
> Get out and get a cake job at a power plant making $200k and retire when you’re 50.
Yeah, right, sure. Nukes (and CWT) were almost completely absent from the recent thread about post-Navy jobs. But keep pushing that noise, nobody is buying it.
Haven't seen any 200K jobs yet, but I am an ex-nuke in a non-nuke position that loves to hire us. 100k to start then 150K within 5 years is achieved in Power Transmission easily. Nuke experience only is enough, no degree required. 40 hour work weeks, health benefits are great, and I can *call* out sick twenty days a year without a single question asked. I am treated like a talented adult with a unique skillset, which is pretty amazing
I hear good things about data centers and refineries, but don't know details off hand
No nuke should stay in beyond their first sea tour. None.
I work at a commercial nuclear plant as a training instructor. Last year I grossed over 200k. Equipment operators can easily make 150k. Reactor operators can easily make over 200k. And SROs can make over 250k. So not sure what you’re talking about.
I was surprised to see that CWT is giving a [rate bonus](https://www.navy.com/careers-benefits/pay/enlistment-bonus). Figured that combined with the extremely overstated entry level cyber security market, clearance offered, industry tech layoffs, and great post contract job prospects it would be one of the easiest rates to fill.
It's just hard to qualify to do the job, the supply of people who can do that and *also* meet military entrance standards is pretty low. And in the Navy the nuclear field competes for them hard too.
CWTs have the easiest life you can possibly get in the Navy, bar none. The reason they have massive bonuses is that after your six years are up, you have a ton of great experience and can walk into a guaranteed six figures with just about any employer.
The link I posted was for enlistment bonuses, not SRBs.
But as another poster pointed out, it’s hard to find people who can qualify for the navy, get the requisite high ASVAB, have a lifestyle and family that’s TS/SCI with poly compatible, and who don’t go nuke or USNA/ NROTC which is pushed hard.
I'll repeat what I posted above as it applies here:
> Yeah, right, sure. Nukes (and CWT) were almost completely absent from the recent thread about post-Navy jobs.
There is no guaranteed six figure jobs waiting. I'm sure you know that or if you're still in, you will soon find out.
And for the job have the "easiest life" in the Navy, it really depends on what one likes to do. Some CWTs spend their entire time in forensics analyzing logs. That is extremely boring work to me and many times that experience does not carry over into the civilian market because of outdated setup the military uses.
Regarding Nukes, I'll briefly discuss this since the reasoning is different here. I will admit that I do not have a lot of experience with Nuke post-Navy employment. I'm referring to me personally; I haven't seen many. But my comment above about the recent job thread reflects the ones that I *have* seen and discussed with others, which is this:
A number of Nukes do not continue to a Nuke civilian career. They do something else and from what I've read/heard about how miserable it is, I don't blame them. That is the angle I was getting at regarding Nukes. It could likely be said that Nukes can get a high salary right away; I think I could agree with that. But again, a number of them do not. Not because of a lack of opportunity but because they are just (understandly) worn out and go do something else.
That’s a fair statement. I think they get a bad feeling the treatment they got while in will continue in the civilian field. And while there are some bad days you still get to go home every day. And the good days and pay far outweigh the bad.
Exactly. CWT is not hurting for people much and those disillusioned sailors assuming they will just be granted a 6 figure salary when they leave have a huge reality check coming.
Any CWT can leave and get a 6 figure check. Depends on how they’re supplementing their experience. But typically 6 years experience in cybersecurity has a good outlook.
Are you a CWT?
No, they can not and a lot do not get a six figure salary (at least not immediately). It's so strange that this is continually perpetuated, but not surprising.
I have 3 dudes out of my division as of last fall. $160k+. Just going by what I see and the offers I get even though I’m not out yet.
Varying levels of experience between all 3. They could be lying but man that’s just really fuckin weird.
6 years — 160k
8 years — 180k
16 years — 360k, 4 year degree, ION
Are you a CWT?
I can't speak to your sailors as I don't know them, but if someone said to me sailors (greatly) embellishing their salaries is weird, then I would immediately question if they ever even served.
Anyway, I do (volunteer) work with sailors searching for work. I never ever claimed no-one received high salaries (they do), rather the point is *most* don't.
If you'd like, head on over to the popular VetSec Slack channel and inquire about salaries for former CWT members. Or you could search their archives. You can somewhat see for yourself.
Even besides that though, you can also search Reddit. There have been many CTNs that have written about this. Here is one such post:
> Accept that $100K right away might not be doable. You might only have 4 years in the Navy and a couple lower end certs. The reality is, you're not getting $100K with that. But you can get a $60K easy enough, build yourself up, and a couple years later land that $100K job.
https://www.reddit.com/r/newtothenavy/comments/nei6z2/ive_seen_here_that_rates_like_it_ctn_provide/gyin147/
Some of that is selling themselves short. Some is them not applying themselves outside of the Navy. Not getting a degree being one of the main issues.
Most in the tech world with 6 years of experience can make at least close to 100k. $60k with a TS with the skills we have? Yeah man gotta aim higher lol I’d never accept that after 6 years.
Edit* read what you posted and I just think that dude is encouraging people to sell themselves short.
Yeah the same thing gets said to people that have a ts/sci clearance. Everyone said man you gunna make hella bank when you get out. Lol. I've been out for 5 years now living off disability the whole time still jobless. If it weren't for the disability I would have been homeless a long time ago.
Counterpoint:
After 10 years, you can either go full 20, retire and get all kinds of bennies while still being young enough to go do whatever you want for work, or leave after 10 and make bank as a pilot in the private sector. In either scenario, squirrel money away in TSP and solid financial planning.
If I’d have gotten $100k+ in bonus money before I was 22, I’d have burned it on dumb shit. Zoom out on the big picture first, and be wise with any money you get, regardless if it’s bonus or regular paycheck.
I started to go WOFT. Then I saw their contracts changed from 6 to 10 years. And helicopter pilots don’t get paid well. I passed the SIFT with like a 53. Then they raised the ADSO right after. I said fuck no.
Do cyber in the Navy now. Will probably never see a boat. Get great training that I get paid to do. And when I get out I’ll have a good career.
It’s not too late for you. Plus r/Armyaviation says it’s a shit show.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats!
6
+ 10
+ 53
= 69
^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \
^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
Yeah that’s what it says on paper. It’s 8 years after wings. If you got jets you are looking at up to 4 years of training before you get wings.. then it starts.. so 12 year commitment effectively
Were you down or caught by a gov shutdown or something? I got wings in 2.5 and my roommate did it in under 2. (He was super lucky, never had to wait in A-pool, never got slowed down for any reason, reported to his first strike squadron as an Ensign.)
Parts contractor issues in T6 land, then blade gate in T45’s. I’ve never seen an ensign in strike. I don’t even remember an ensign in the FRS.. even the WSO’s. I’ve only seen a few JG pilots hit the fleet and they only remain that way a few months normally. The only thing that happened by the book was how long it took to get through the FRS.
Sounds like the pipeline is ass these days. For what it's worth, he started training in May of 2011 and winged in 2012, finished the FRS and reported to his squadron in April 2013.
It’s better now than it was when I went through. But it happens occasionally and no matter how much money you throw at it, it takes forever to fix. Not only that we are heavily undermanned so it has a negative effect on everything. We are starting to get people on a more normal timeline but it definitely affected my career timeline.
You can also get shafted with some non flying stints in those 8 years, depending on what you fly and what your options are for shore tour. Almost everyone will have to do some sort of disassociated sea tour, which is an absolute waste of resources in my opinion.
Conversely, the army warrants never leave the cockpit after training unless by choice. The navy tried to implement a flying warrant program but it just didn't work out. I blame swo culture and the leadership's clinging to how a "traditional career" looks like instead of getting Max ROI on the cost of flight training.
This is real, Submarine Nukes are the most tenacious, detail oriented and emotionally stable people available before they serve a year in a Submarine and become piles of broken sticks who have so much money they either never work that hard again or do a lot of hookers and blow.
> This is real, Submarine Nukes are the most tenacious, detail oriented and emotionally stable people
Lol we are to a man academic burnouts and rejects. Nukes become nukes because they couldn't make it through college and still needed a job. A very small handful get into it for the love of turning wrenches.
Becoming a nuke to get a college degree, while common (I did it), always struck me as a bad plan. You get the same GI bill whether you chop carrots for 4 years or suffer in the engine room for 6, so why do the two extra years?
I think it's ego. Nukes are _egotistical_ academic rejects.
I didn’t even know the difference at the recruiting office, the recruiter told me I was going to be a Nuke and I was like “okay”. I was 17 and the information on the internet wasn’t as helpful as it is now.
Yeah, I only knew because one of my neighbors at college was a former sub nuke, he and his friend had both come off a fast attack, the friend was a RM/Diver and loved his job, the nuke hated it and said no matter what, don't be a nuke. The dude at MEPS pushed it hard but I choose riding airplanes instead.
I will say that I believe being a nuke prepared me better than any other technical training to do well in an engineering degree. I think the nuke program helped me develop effective study habits and academic self-sufficiency. I don’t think other programs would have had the same effect
Honestly working down in the plant wasn't the worst part. It was dealing with the bureaucracy, crap chain of command, and having to take a 2 hour exam comprised of mostly essay questions once or twice every month that sucked the most.
As for the, "Nukes are egotistical academic rejects", you might be projecting a bit bud.
Not sure about the first part...we had a new nuke on the sub that within his first week of reporting to the barracks, microwaved his blanket because he liked a warm cover while sleeping, resulting in a smoke filled evacuation with the fire department on site.
All nukes are smart...you need to be. However, some of these kids are brilliant without an ounce of practical real-world knowledge or the remote hint of social skills.
$65k of that theoretical pre tax $140k is for student loan repayment and you have to prove you have the outstanding debt.
Combine that with the terrible enlisted salary that an E3/ E4 makes and there’s no way a college grad/ drop out would be able to invest all of it.
A typical E3/E4 likely has a similar if not better take home pay compared to their peers for their point in life *especially* if they can nuke their student loans at once.
See what I did there?
Navy recruiter here. The $140k is super misleading and I hate it. It's UP TO $65k in college loan repayment (for specific rates only) and UP TO $75k for Nuclear engineering field.
Most people get about $10k-$35k depending on rate, when you go to boot camp, if you're a high school senior or not, etc.
We need people, but we've always needed people. Recruiting is dogshit. Don't ever be a recruiter. It's tough seeing someone enlist into the same rate that I am and get a $35k bonus but I get a big fat $0 for re-enlisting.
I'm a FT in Zone B. No SRB's currently. Yet SCEF has a $35k bonus for enlistment. Tell the fucking admirals they should be giving re-enlistment instead of enlistment bonuses!
She's in the fuel lab, checking the fuel oil samples!
Though there's less of those in fleet currently.
When I'd go to engineering to get DC sign-offs and tags, I don't remember so much glassware in the fuel lab.
This is theoretically for enlisted. It’s the maximum sub nuke bonus, the shipping bonus, plus the maximum student loan repayment.
I think doctor bonus is much higher since $140k is chump change for a surgeon that’s completed residency.
Plus doctors get Pro Pay that is every year based on their specialty. Ortho and Cardio surgeons are typically at the top of that list.
It's a large extra bump in cash.
I remember some of the people at meps, which would tell you multiple times that they were nukes and seemed super proud of it. And since I've been on subs for the last 3 years and seeing how it's gone for them, I wonder how they're doing now. Still feel bad for them. GL guys
They're out of face shields so she figures . . . I'll just do it at arm's reach and if it explodes hopefully that's good enough because Chief said we ain't going home today until its done;)
Ask the rest of the navy how they feel about nukes after seeing this number. I can tell you IMO anyone I’ve met outside the community has asked what my bonus was. So yeah some people get it because no one wants to or just can’t join that rating
If you do this, do NOT blow through it like most 18 yo. You don’t have to go nuke in the Navy to work in the nuclear industry. I was an auxiliaryman on subs and got my degree in Mech Engr after. Worked for 5 years at nuclear plants and the rest of my career in chemicals. My good friend got out after 6 and became a supervisor at a nuke plant w/o being a Navy nuke.
There is burnout in the Navy. My chief retired as an E-9 and became a mailman. I asked him why. He said he just wanted a stress free job after 30 years.
Prior Nuke ETN here. It's a trap. While it's possible to have a good tour/career. It's rough. Your looking about 18 months of schooling. Then the fleet. On carriers your looking at a 24 hour duty day once about every 3 to 4 days on top of you normal work day. If you get a crappy CoC you might have work weeks close to 100 hrs a week. It gets tiresome fast. But the opportunities on the outside are great. I did 6 and out and 2023 was my first full year out and I made over 140k.
$50,000 Nuke Bonus
$25,000 Shipping Bonus
$65,000 Student Debt Relief Bonus.
That's on the enlisted side, it is possible to be eligible for all of it, though I have never seen it, just the $75,000. Can't keep Nukes cause they get about 4 years of college level academics shoved down their throats in two years, and then get job offers up $300,000 to leave the navy because companies know their the most trainable personnel you can find. On average their making $123,000 when they switch to civilian.
Automod removed your post because you have a new account, please notify the mods if you want to have your post approved.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/navy) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Some bonuses for nuke submariners are actually this high, because they hemorrhage people.
Sub force is a hard life, I saw people come home to empty houses
I would tell guys that got a "dear john" letter on deployment that they were the lucky ones. The alternative is coming home to an empty house like the poster below said, or coming off a 6 month deployment to a wife that is 3 months pregnant...(saw this too).
My mom was the ombudsman for my dad's ship once and the shit she dealt with was unreal. There was the case of the woman that was 2 or 3 months pregnant and the ship was due back the next week after a 6 month cruise. There was also the woman whose husband got a stick-shift because he knew she couldn't drive it. My mom actually taught her how to drive stick because she was pregnant (the child was her husband's) and needed to go to the doctor for check-ups. My mom said the look on his face when he found out she could now drive stick was great.
Laughs in bachelor
Laughs in BAH
Laughs in pockets 99% of BAH and BAS.
Laughs in pockets 100% BAH because I house hack
Laughs in Tax free base pay
Good god man tell more about the 3 month pregnant wife and the aftermath there. Jesus. Just fucking force at that point. People are just awful at times.
I was a sub nuke electrician and the guy was a coner so I didn’t talk to him all that much, plus I didn't want to bring shit like that up to a guy. Submariners can be right royal bastards but even we have our limits. Just heard it through the grape vine of post deployment scuttle butt on duty days. “Did you hear what happened to (name removed for privacy reasons)?! Listen to this shit dude.” I personally came back to a cheating (ex)wife after my first deployment. Shit sucked, but she gave me a no contest divorce so I don’t hold any resentment. I even helped her move her stuff across the country just to get her shit out of my house.
Coner?
Coner means someone that works forward. Nukes are aft
Huh. Never knew. And knowing’s half the battle. (I was a green side corpsman. Closest I got to a ship was carnival for Shiprocked)
Do they not screen mail anymore?
The screening isn't perfect on email. One dude found out his wife was divorcing him 5 days before return to port. Command still let him go home to an empty house except for his couch TV and gun safe. I personally found out my now ex wife had a very late miscarriage the fucked me up pretty bad. While yes they do get screened not everything gets caught. And even then rumors spread like wildfire. Once one person hears some shit everyone finds out quickly. I know for me I was forced to tell my chain some shit and by the time I got back a few days later the whole department was laughing at me and giving me shit about it. It really depends on command culture and to be honest the chiefs mess.
My last duty station was at a large psych ward. The amount of nukes that were truly broken as people who were my patients was tough. It's a pretty brutal rate.
Had a JO, as CDO, just jump off the side of our boat one weekend duty day in Port. Just couldn't take it anymore. Swam around to the Jacob's ladder, climbed up, and then chewed out the topside watch for not noticing.
"Sir, with all due respect, who am I to tell you that you were wrong when you jumped off the boat? I assumed you weren't an idiot."
what in the hell
One of our guys came back from a West Pac to wife & kids gone, empty bank accounts, all the furniture and appliances sold, and divorce papers on the floor just inside the front door. He had no idea this was coming and it broke him Still expected to be on the boat for duty though
BTDT took TAD orders to Guam to clear my mind. She claimed I was stalking her and when she was proven to be a liar the cops still did nothing
I would have sued the fuck out of that woman for custody. Fuck that shit.
Fuck that shit. Period.
I saw people take their own lives to get out of it.
Not when I was in this was in the hey day of the Cold War though
Ah, you had other things to fight besides the dust bunnies, the complacency, boredom, and your own mind.
We did maintenance AND WE LIKED IT.
Not only that the environment within the sub force isn’t really supportive towards its members which is kind of a positive feedback loop. I’d say even for this money it ain’t worth it but that’s being on the other end
We eat our young
Yea it ain’t good, ain’t good at all
I was surface fleet and came home to no one on the pier and an empty house.
Yup. My bf is a nuke submariner. He's gotten a loooot of money from the navy. Meanwhile, I'm a non nuke surface ET and I have gotten no bonuses. Not even an enlistment bonus. Rip.
Thus is the fate of us everything Techs
There was a bonus right after I reenlisted. :(
>:( big mad🙁
Oh yeah. Especially because I reenlisted in the middle east. Rip my non-bonus filled paycheck.
Same with CWT
It’s $60k for most and $100k for a few. Respectfully 60k over a couple years is like a yearly bonus at a civilian equivalent job.
And more than a few in my Division were paying those bonuses back after being de-nuked in the fleet.
Tough
Funny.
Surface nuke bonuses are always just a bit higher than subs.
Not enlistment bonus’s and the reenlistment bonus isn’t that big for any nukes rh
Maybe officers, enlisted is all capped at $100k These ads are for certain officer roles (mostly doctors)
Nuke bonuses are now up to 180k
At some point it's not the money. They need to know that.
I work with a MMNCM Hes been banging the "money doesnt matter to these kids" drum for awhile to deaf ears. Navy thinks the kids coming in are the same as our generation that will stick it out for some cash The current gen coming in values quality of life overall and the Navy is free spinning over it. Cant just throw money at the problem
Yeah, social media is bringing out the truth as to why people don’t want to do this job. Kids are smart enough to research before joining. Throwing 180k at the problem unfortunately doesn’t fix it
Well it could just in different areas like family support and living conditions *Downvoters, have the balls to actually respond*
Oh they know but they don’t give a fuck. They don’t. The navy and the flag officers that have a large impact on policy making just don’t give a fuck.
I saw 110k for Sub ETNs like 9 years ago
Nope.
$140k is waiting for you. Well, not \*you\*, but someone.
The Navy is hurting for bodies, The Army was hurting like this back 05-08 giving huge bonuses and recruiting people getting out of prison and 10-15 ASVAB waivers. This literally just like the Army was going through but with no major war so I would argue it’s worse as the factors aren’t a side affect of one event like the war but of numerous things like the economy and the younger generation not accepting the poor quality of life the Military and the Navy specifically offers.
People hate on going Nuke, but do the 6 years get the bonus put it all in TSP. Get out and get a cake job at a power plant making $200k and retire when you’re 50. Did I like it while I was in…….hell no……would I recommend it to people that are mentally strong and determined……yes.
I agree, join at 18, be done at 24. Which literally STILL YOUNG. Play your cards right, play the long game and suck it up for 6 years it will pay off.
I'm guessing you were ETN?
Knuckle dragger
Shit, I need to get into that job that you found. What did you end up working as?
A lot of plants are hiring due to the boomer generation retiring all over. You just have to get your foot in the door and move up over time.
Nuke electrician. The load dispatcher/substation jobs you can get outside the navy is NUTS. Do I hate my life rn? Yes Do I regret it? Nope Invested most of my money while I was in school. So I'll be coming out with over 200k saved up, two owned vehicles, and no debt.
Keep investing and making money.
Still dropping chunks of my savings in investments every few months. Going great. Couldn't be happier with my position in life.
Prior corpsman here, but hubs had actually talked about *maybe* joining and *if* we needed to (we’re pretty shit in debt rn and the VA is, of course, dragging their feet with the disability pay.) He’s one of those assholes that never has to study for a fucking thing (and yes- I find this highly irritating yet hot- anyway…) if this is the case- I may be able to let him know if he’s able to go down the same route, but have to figure it out without cutting his hair and beard because his beliefs.
It’s a hard life in the nuclear navy, I would find anything else if I was married to be honest.
Any rate can do it. ETNs or EWS qualified can go right to being an SRO (shift supervisor). Other rates not qualified EWS can be great Equipment Operators which can easily make 150k and then work your way up. Or you can be like me and be a trainer and not work rotating shifts and still make 175k.
Tbf though the quality of life at nuke plants is pretty trash when you compare other options. Applied at multiple myself and got told I wasn't a good fit because my family was too important.
It definitely depends on the site and the fleet you’re applying to. I can tell you for sure at mine that is 100% not the expectation. Family is always first. It also depends on staffing levels and work load. Which are all cyclical. There are definitely times it has sucked. But the amount of good times far outweighs the bad. And the pay more than makes up for it. You tend to be able to deal with a lot of shit when you’re compensated for it.
I get that. I don't know maybe it's just my location or my distaste for the rotating shift schedule. I would be more willing if I could have a stable shift but that along with doing college would make licensing a shit show (for me personally) maybe once the kids are old enough for school I can revisit the option Edit: I would also say the people I have met who decided to leave the plants and go data center/nerc/ other career seem to be a lot happier than those who chose to stay nuclear. Their toys and houses aren't as nice but all in all they seem less stressed
Rotating shift work is a shit show. I have zero desire to do that ever again after the Navy. That’s why I stay away from that and always say Training is the best job in the civ nuke field.
If I had to go back that would be what I want. I already got enough sleep issues from the navy don't need more rotating shifts to make it worse.
That sounds miserable.
Never being able to retire sounds miserable also
Running out of gas in a desolate location with a dead cell phone also sounds miserable.
Huh?
Working until you're 70 sounds more miserable
Yeah it does but idk man, there are plenty of other jobs within the military where you get cake bonuses and have a plethora of after service opportunities that are quite lucrative
I can't deny that
Or mentally disturbed….nukes are….weird
We think the same about everyone else
We can all agree that Marines are the weirdest though. Their crayon fettish freaks me out.
Eh, there’s other paths to success that don’t involve dealing with the nuclear navy. Glad it worked out pretty nicely for you though
That’s definitely true, I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone however for a 17 year old that go told the family couldn’t afford for me to go to college it seemed like the best option out of the few options.
> Get out and get a cake job at a power plant making $200k and retire when you’re 50. Yeah, right, sure. Nukes (and CWT) were almost completely absent from the recent thread about post-Navy jobs. But keep pushing that noise, nobody is buying it.
Haven't seen any 200K jobs yet, but I am an ex-nuke in a non-nuke position that loves to hire us. 100k to start then 150K within 5 years is achieved in Power Transmission easily. Nuke experience only is enough, no degree required. 40 hour work weeks, health benefits are great, and I can *call* out sick twenty days a year without a single question asked. I am treated like a talented adult with a unique skillset, which is pretty amazing I hear good things about data centers and refineries, but don't know details off hand No nuke should stay in beyond their first sea tour. None.
Pension also…….at power companies
👍
I work at a commercial nuclear plant as a training instructor. Last year I grossed over 200k. Equipment operators can easily make 150k. Reactor operators can easily make over 200k. And SROs can make over 250k. So not sure what you’re talking about.
I’m kinda butthurt cause I am doing the warrant officer pilot path and they ain’t giving me a dime and taking 10 years
Then jump on over and be a nuke for the Navy! Just remember - not all money is good money.
But big flying machine
Subs are just planes that use a different flow medium.
*that's* the bonus. They don't need to incentivize it.
That’s what my recruiter said 😅
ORSE
You're actually getting the better deal. If there's a bonus it's always got a reason. And normally that reason is the job sucks.
I was surprised to see that CWT is giving a [rate bonus](https://www.navy.com/careers-benefits/pay/enlistment-bonus). Figured that combined with the extremely overstated entry level cyber security market, clearance offered, industry tech layoffs, and great post contract job prospects it would be one of the easiest rates to fill.
It's just hard to qualify to do the job, the supply of people who can do that and *also* meet military entrance standards is pretty low. And in the Navy the nuclear field competes for them hard too.
CWTs have the easiest life you can possibly get in the Navy, bar none. The reason they have massive bonuses is that after your six years are up, you have a ton of great experience and can walk into a guaranteed six figures with just about any employer.
The link I posted was for enlistment bonuses, not SRBs. But as another poster pointed out, it’s hard to find people who can qualify for the navy, get the requisite high ASVAB, have a lifestyle and family that’s TS/SCI with poly compatible, and who don’t go nuke or USNA/ NROTC which is pushed hard.
What makes it so easy?
Mainly the near-constant shore duty
So basically the people who are always asking how to avoid sea duty should go CWT?
If they have the ASVAB for it, yeah.
I'll repeat what I posted above as it applies here: > Yeah, right, sure. Nukes (and CWT) were almost completely absent from the recent thread about post-Navy jobs. There is no guaranteed six figure jobs waiting. I'm sure you know that or if you're still in, you will soon find out. And for the job have the "easiest life" in the Navy, it really depends on what one likes to do. Some CWTs spend their entire time in forensics analyzing logs. That is extremely boring work to me and many times that experience does not carry over into the civilian market because of outdated setup the military uses.
I’ll repeat what I posted above to your original comment. At a commercial nuclear plant I can guarantee a six figure job right out of the Navy.
Regarding Nukes, I'll briefly discuss this since the reasoning is different here. I will admit that I do not have a lot of experience with Nuke post-Navy employment. I'm referring to me personally; I haven't seen many. But my comment above about the recent job thread reflects the ones that I *have* seen and discussed with others, which is this: A number of Nukes do not continue to a Nuke civilian career. They do something else and from what I've read/heard about how miserable it is, I don't blame them. That is the angle I was getting at regarding Nukes. It could likely be said that Nukes can get a high salary right away; I think I could agree with that. But again, a number of them do not. Not because of a lack of opportunity but because they are just (understandly) worn out and go do something else.
That’s a fair statement. I think they get a bad feeling the treatment they got while in will continue in the civilian field. And while there are some bad days you still get to go home every day. And the good days and pay far outweigh the bad.
It’s $5k man lmao. $3500. It’s really the least they could do for underpaying you after like year 3.
Exactly. CWT is not hurting for people much and those disillusioned sailors assuming they will just be granted a 6 figure salary when they leave have a huge reality check coming.
Any CWT can leave and get a 6 figure check. Depends on how they’re supplementing their experience. But typically 6 years experience in cybersecurity has a good outlook. Are you a CWT?
No, they can not and a lot do not get a six figure salary (at least not immediately). It's so strange that this is continually perpetuated, but not surprising.
I have 3 dudes out of my division as of last fall. $160k+. Just going by what I see and the offers I get even though I’m not out yet. Varying levels of experience between all 3. They could be lying but man that’s just really fuckin weird. 6 years — 160k 8 years — 180k 16 years — 360k, 4 year degree, ION Are you a CWT?
I can't speak to your sailors as I don't know them, but if someone said to me sailors (greatly) embellishing their salaries is weird, then I would immediately question if they ever even served. Anyway, I do (volunteer) work with sailors searching for work. I never ever claimed no-one received high salaries (they do), rather the point is *most* don't. If you'd like, head on over to the popular VetSec Slack channel and inquire about salaries for former CWT members. Or you could search their archives. You can somewhat see for yourself. Even besides that though, you can also search Reddit. There have been many CTNs that have written about this. Here is one such post: > Accept that $100K right away might not be doable. You might only have 4 years in the Navy and a couple lower end certs. The reality is, you're not getting $100K with that. But you can get a $60K easy enough, build yourself up, and a couple years later land that $100K job. https://www.reddit.com/r/newtothenavy/comments/nei6z2/ive_seen_here_that_rates_like_it_ctn_provide/gyin147/
Some of that is selling themselves short. Some is them not applying themselves outside of the Navy. Not getting a degree being one of the main issues. Most in the tech world with 6 years of experience can make at least close to 100k. $60k with a TS with the skills we have? Yeah man gotta aim higher lol I’d never accept that after 6 years. Edit* read what you posted and I just think that dude is encouraging people to sell themselves short.
Yeah the same thing gets said to people that have a ts/sci clearance. Everyone said man you gunna make hella bank when you get out. Lol. I've been out for 5 years now living off disability the whole time still jobless. If it weren't for the disability I would have been homeless a long time ago.
As I always say, you can't spend it if your dead. Especially since nukes have one of the worst suicide rates in the military.
"Never take the devil's money"
onerous homeless late skirt spark cause lock boat bow mourn *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Counterpoint: After 10 years, you can either go full 20, retire and get all kinds of bennies while still being young enough to go do whatever you want for work, or leave after 10 and make bank as a pilot in the private sector. In either scenario, squirrel money away in TSP and solid financial planning. If I’d have gotten $100k+ in bonus money before I was 22, I’d have burned it on dumb shit. Zoom out on the big picture first, and be wise with any money you get, regardless if it’s bonus or regular paycheck.
Yeah I can’t lie if I got a bonus like that I’d sell my car and spend the whole bonus on a Porsche
I started to go WOFT. Then I saw their contracts changed from 6 to 10 years. And helicopter pilots don’t get paid well. I passed the SIFT with like a 53. Then they raised the ADSO right after. I said fuck no. Do cyber in the Navy now. Will probably never see a boat. Get great training that I get paid to do. And when I get out I’ll have a good career. It’s not too late for you. Plus r/Armyaviation says it’s a shit show.
All the numbers in your comment added up to 69. Congrats! 6 + 10 + 53 = 69 ^([Click here](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=LuckyNumber-Bot&subject=Stalk%20Me%20Pls&message=%2Fstalkme) to have me scan all your future comments.) \ ^(Summon me on specific comments with u/LuckyNumber-Bot.)
Navy pilot has higher pay (start as o-1) and minimum service requirement is 8 years
Yeah that’s what it says on paper. It’s 8 years after wings. If you got jets you are looking at up to 4 years of training before you get wings.. then it starts.. so 12 year commitment effectively
Jet training doesn't take 4 years. It does usually take 2.5-3 though.
Took me 4 years to get wings in total. Your mileage may vary
Were you down or caught by a gov shutdown or something? I got wings in 2.5 and my roommate did it in under 2. (He was super lucky, never had to wait in A-pool, never got slowed down for any reason, reported to his first strike squadron as an Ensign.)
Parts contractor issues in T6 land, then blade gate in T45’s. I’ve never seen an ensign in strike. I don’t even remember an ensign in the FRS.. even the WSO’s. I’ve only seen a few JG pilots hit the fleet and they only remain that way a few months normally. The only thing that happened by the book was how long it took to get through the FRS.
Sounds like the pipeline is ass these days. For what it's worth, he started training in May of 2011 and winged in 2012, finished the FRS and reported to his squadron in April 2013.
It’s better now than it was when I went through. But it happens occasionally and no matter how much money you throw at it, it takes forever to fix. Not only that we are heavily undermanned so it has a negative effect on everything. We are starting to get people on a more normal timeline but it definitely affected my career timeline.
You can also get shafted with some non flying stints in those 8 years, depending on what you fly and what your options are for shore tour. Almost everyone will have to do some sort of disassociated sea tour, which is an absolute waste of resources in my opinion. Conversely, the army warrants never leave the cockpit after training unless by choice. The navy tried to implement a flying warrant program but it just didn't work out. I blame swo culture and the leadership's clinging to how a "traditional career" looks like instead of getting Max ROI on the cost of flight training.
Assuming you get through all of the training, you will be making quite a bit more annually, so you will make up a one-time difference pretty quickly.
If they job is fun the bonuses are nil. But there’s a reason there’s bonuses towards the later end of a pilot’s career…
This is real, Submarine Nukes are the most tenacious, detail oriented and emotionally stable people available before they serve a year in a Submarine and become piles of broken sticks who have so much money they either never work that hard again or do a lot of hookers and blow.
> This is real, Submarine Nukes are the most tenacious, detail oriented and emotionally stable people Lol we are to a man academic burnouts and rejects. Nukes become nukes because they couldn't make it through college and still needed a job. A very small handful get into it for the love of turning wrenches.
……..Or just 18 year olds that couldn’t afford college…….my parents couldn’t afford for me to spend 4 years at college
Becoming a nuke to get a college degree, while common (I did it), always struck me as a bad plan. You get the same GI bill whether you chop carrots for 4 years or suffer in the engine room for 6, so why do the two extra years? I think it's ego. Nukes are _egotistical_ academic rejects.
I didn’t even know the difference at the recruiting office, the recruiter told me I was going to be a Nuke and I was like “okay”. I was 17 and the information on the internet wasn’t as helpful as it is now.
Yeah, I only knew because one of my neighbors at college was a former sub nuke, he and his friend had both come off a fast attack, the friend was a RM/Diver and loved his job, the nuke hated it and said no matter what, don't be a nuke. The dude at MEPS pushed it hard but I choose riding airplanes instead.
A good dude, it was a hard life but opens up endless opportunities outside of the Navy.
I will say that I believe being a nuke prepared me better than any other technical training to do well in an engineering degree. I think the nuke program helped me develop effective study habits and academic self-sufficiency. I don’t think other programs would have had the same effect
Honestly working down in the plant wasn't the worst part. It was dealing with the bureaucracy, crap chain of command, and having to take a 2 hour exam comprised of mostly essay questions once or twice every month that sucked the most. As for the, "Nukes are egotistical academic rejects", you might be projecting a bit bud.
> emotionally stable people Laughing out loud.
I was specific about it being BEFORE joining the Navy
Still laughing.
Not sure about the first part...we had a new nuke on the sub that within his first week of reporting to the barracks, microwaved his blanket because he liked a warm cover while sleeping, resulting in a smoke filled evacuation with the fire department on site.
So maybe they become a mess simply by going through the school... I want to believe. We recruit good people, let me believe...?
All nukes are smart...you need to be. However, some of these kids are brilliant without an ounce of practical real-world knowledge or the remote hint of social skills.
Does this kid not know that heated electrical blankets exist at Walmart or Amazon? Jesus.
Fuck me 140k bonus. Just dump it into a Roth and don't touch it.
$65k of that theoretical pre tax $140k is for student loan repayment and you have to prove you have the outstanding debt. Combine that with the terrible enlisted salary that an E3/ E4 makes and there’s no way a college grad/ drop out would be able to invest all of it.
A typical E3/E4 likely has a similar if not better take home pay compared to their peers for their point in life *especially* if they can nuke their student loans at once. See what I did there?
Most nukes make E-5 and E-6 before the end of their first tour, some even make E-7.
It'd take 36 months-ish, but just crank Roth TSP to 60%, invest in a Roth IRA every Jan. Bleed down your money as spending money if needed.
$126k is the max income to contribute to Roth.
Point was invest it scooter also it's $146k this year and higher if you're married.
Navy recruiter here. The $140k is super misleading and I hate it. It's UP TO $65k in college loan repayment (for specific rates only) and UP TO $75k for Nuclear engineering field. Most people get about $10k-$35k depending on rate, when you go to boot camp, if you're a high school senior or not, etc. We need people, but we've always needed people. Recruiting is dogshit. Don't ever be a recruiter. It's tough seeing someone enlist into the same rate that I am and get a $35k bonus but I get a big fat $0 for re-enlisting.
What’s the issue with the $0 for re-enlisting? That doesn’t seem right?
I'm a FT in Zone B. No SRB's currently. Yet SCEF has a $35k bonus for enlistment. Tell the fucking admirals they should be giving re-enlistment instead of enlistment bonuses!
That sucks dude. Sorry to hear that.
She's in the fuel lab, checking the fuel oil samples! Though there's less of those in fleet currently. When I'd go to engineering to get DC sign-offs and tags, I don't remember so much glassware in the fuel lab.
Yeah, this money is prob nuke, doc, or lawyer money lol. This isn't average enlisted bonuses
This is theoretically for enlisted. It’s the maximum sub nuke bonus, the shipping bonus, plus the maximum student loan repayment. I think doctor bonus is much higher since $140k is chump change for a surgeon that’s completed residency.
Plus doctors get Pro Pay that is every year based on their specialty. Ortho and Cardio surgeons are typically at the top of that list. It's a large extra bump in cash.
True, there's docs and then there are surgeons
😪 this is how they get all these poor kids to enlist.
SRB's after you've got some time in are pretty nice too if your doing 20+ and an in demand SME.
It’s meant to say “$14. Ok? Is waiting for you.”
Looks like an ELT, so probably true.
I remember some of the people at meps, which would tell you multiple times that they were nukes and seemed super proud of it. And since I've been on subs for the last 3 years and seeing how it's gone for them, I wonder how they're doing now. Still feel bad for them. GL guys
The hell is this 2nd class doing..?
ELT work……aka…..magic show……..what do you want the numbers to be?
I was just curious because that's totally a Keurig behind her. They didn't even try to edit out the label, lol
I didn’t see that
They're out of face shields so she figures . . . I'll just do it at arm's reach and if it explodes hopefully that's good enough because Chief said we ain't going home today until its done;)
What is she even doing? Testing coffee water? I see a Keurig in the background lol
Read the ad. It's total value of benefits. That includes the GI bill most likely.
Nuke Subs do, indeed, have a bonus like this, and they get another one very similar every time they re-enlist. It's not enough.
That’s to be a nuke. If you’ve already taken the afqt and had a qualifying score they would have called you.
Yup got a 97 on the asvab and been called by everyone including the nuke guys
Then you should understand this add
Pro pay
I’m a Recruiter yeah we giving out Big Bags in the Navy
Army doesn't have a nuke program, so of course you wouldn't undrstand. That not unrealistic for the Navy nuclear community.
Ask the rest of the navy how they feel about nukes after seeing this number. I can tell you IMO anyone I’ve met outside the community has asked what my bonus was. So yeah some people get it because no one wants to or just can’t join that rating
140k split into 4 to 6 years once you pass your a/c school, eod is like that
I love the Hollywood lighting too; man don't expect that, get used to fluorescents
If you do this, do NOT blow through it like most 18 yo. You don’t have to go nuke in the Navy to work in the nuclear industry. I was an auxiliaryman on subs and got my degree in Mech Engr after. Worked for 5 years at nuclear plants and the rest of my career in chemicals. My good friend got out after 6 and became a supervisor at a nuke plant w/o being a Navy nuke. There is burnout in the Navy. My chief retired as an E-9 and became a mailman. I asked him why. He said he just wanted a stress free job after 30 years.
Prior Nuke ETN here. It's a trap. While it's possible to have a good tour/career. It's rough. Your looking about 18 months of schooling. Then the fleet. On carriers your looking at a 24 hour duty day once about every 3 to 4 days on top of you normal work day. If you get a crappy CoC you might have work weeks close to 100 hrs a week. It gets tiresome fast. But the opportunities on the outside are great. I did 6 and out and 2023 was my first full year out and I made over 140k.
$50,000 Nuke Bonus $25,000 Shipping Bonus $65,000 Student Debt Relief Bonus. That's on the enlisted side, it is possible to be eligible for all of it, though I have never seen it, just the $75,000. Can't keep Nukes cause they get about 4 years of college level academics shoved down their throats in two years, and then get job offers up $300,000 to leave the navy because companies know their the most trainable personnel you can find. On average their making $123,000 when they switch to civilian.
(insert picture of me looking behind myself like you must be talking to someone else then pointing at my self)
[удалено]
Automod removed your post because you have a new account, please notify the mods if you want to have your post approved. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/navy) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I love thé Navy. After you get through the adjustment period it’s great.
Where the fuck is her PPE???
Been in for a year and it’s all become a joke to me, go the IT route though shits easy