How To Become A United States Marine: What It Is and Career Path

What is a united states marine and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

A United States marine works for the military, protecting the country from foreign threats. Training for combat is an important part of the job under the division of various specialized combat units performing different combat tasks.

Operating a wide variety of vehicles such as ships, trucks, battle tanks, and an array of weapons is an essential part of the position. Apart from combat, marines are responsible for the transportation of military supplies and constructing and maintaining military structures such as buildings and bridges.

If you are considering joining the marines, you must be passionate about serving your country and be mentally and physically fit. Apart from this, being a US citizen and having a GED or a high school diploma are the only requirements. And, ironically or not, a clear criminal record.

ScoreUnited States MarineUS Average

Salary

3.2

Avg. Salary $40,926

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

Growth rate -10%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

3.0

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.69%

Asian 6.82%

Black or African American 14.68%

Hispanic or Latino 19.95%

Unknown 5.87%

White 51.99%

Gender

female 18.07%

male 81.93%

Age - 22

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 - 22

Key steps to become a united states marine

Explore united states marine education requirements

Most common united states marine degrees

High School Diploma

37.3 %

Bachelor's

34.6 %

Associate

16.5 %

Start to develop specific united states marine skills

Skills	Percentages
Combat	11.65%
Non	8.23%
USMC	8.05%
Weapons Systems	6.35%
DOD	6.29%

Research united states marine duties and responsibilities

Gain leadership experience, inclement environment training, under pressure decision-making training, and physical fitness training.
Assist NCO's with small tasks ..
Qualify in (CPR) cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
Serve as an assistant gunner and M4 rifleman.

Prepare your united states marine resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your united states marine 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 united states marine resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable united states marine resume templates

Build a professional united states marine 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 united states marine resume.