What is a combat engineer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025
3 min read

The primary duty of a combat engineer is to oversee building engineering, construction, and inspection in combat situations. He/She supervises and assists team members when moving through rough terrain in combat situations. He/She constructs fighting positions, bridges, obstacles, and defensive positions. As a combat engineer, you will build defenses to protect the troops. Likewise, you'll be tasked with destroying obstacles on the combat troop's path. You'll lay or clear minefields and prepare and install firing systems for demolition and explosives.

For this position, enlisted members must take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. This is to know the best Army jobs for them. After this, they would undergo weeks of One Station Unit Training (OSUT), Basic Combat Training, and Advanced Individual Training. Candidates must possess analytical, decision-making, problem-solving, communication, leadership, and basic construction skills. Combat engineers make an average salary of $44,825 per annum. This varies between $27,000 and $74,000.

ScoreCombat EngineerUS Average
Salary
4.3

Avg. Salary $55,188

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability Level
-

Growth Rate 3%

Growth Rate 0.3%

Diversity
2.1
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.62%

Asian 4.35%

Black or African American 6.38%

Hispanic or Latino 11.35%

Unknown 6.07%

White 71.23%

Gender

female 3.11%

male 96.89%

Age - 34
Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 34

Combat Engineer career paths

Key steps to become a combat engineer

  1. Explore combat engineer education requirements

    Most common combat engineer degrees

    High School Diploma

    38.3 %

    Bachelor's

    32.1 %

    Associate

    19.3 %
  2. Start to develop specific combat engineer skills

    Skills
    ascdesc
    Percentages
    ascdesc
    Demolition35.51%
    Vehicle Maintenance14.87%
    Weapon Systems4.55%
    Platoon4.45%
    Construction Projects3.48%
  3. Research combat engineer duties and responsibilities

    • Lead the operational planning and logistical support of personnel and equipment deployments for exercises and combat operations.
    • Provide intelligence support and secure top secret communications for multiple combat operations throughout Afghanistan.
    • Train in anti- terrorism evasive driving.
    • Prepare ribbon bridge equipment for air transport.
  4. Prepare your combat engineer resume

    When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your combat engineer resume.

    You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a combat engineer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

    Choose From 10+ Customizable Combat Engineer Resume templates

    Build a professional Combat Engineer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your Combat Engineer resume.
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    Combat Engineer Resume
  5. Apply for combat engineer jobs

    Now it's time to start searching for a combat engineer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

    1. Browse job boards for relevant postings
    2. Consult your professional network
    3. Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
    4. Watch out for job scams

How Did You Land Your First Combat Engineer Job

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Average combat engineer salary

The average Combat Engineer salary in the United States is $55,188 per year or $27 per hour. Combat engineer salaries range between $25,000 and $119,000 per year.

Average Combat Engineer Salary
$55,188 Yearly
$26.53 hourly

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Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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