The Employment, Earnings, and 

Occupations of Post-9/11 Veterans

American Community Survey Reports

Issued November 2020

ACS-46

By Clayton Gumber and Jonathan Vespa

INTRODUCTION

As the most recent and youngest veteran cohort, 

Post-9/11 veterans represent a large and growing 

segment of the veteran population. Among veterans, they are the group who are most likely to 

be engaged in the labor force today. Yet they also 

face job markets that are very different from those 

experienced by veterans of the Vietnam Era or Gulf 

War when they returned to civilian life.

To better understand the labor market experiences 

of Post-9/11 veterans, this report looks at their 

employment, earnings, and occupations between 

2014 and 2018.1

 This report focuses on the civilian, 

noninstitutionalized population between the ages 

of 18 and 54.2 Of the 154.4 million people from this 

population from 2014–2018, about 3 million were 

Post-9/11 veterans (see Appendix Table 1 and the 

text box “Terms and Definitions”).

The data in this report come from the 2014–2018 

American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, which pools 5 years of respondent data 

together to provide better estimates of subgroups, 

such as detailed occupations. The report also uses 

the 2018 Census Occupation Code List, which 

1

 The U.S. Census Bureau reviewed this data product for 

unauthorized disclosure of confidential information and has 

approved the disclosure avoidance practices applied to this release. 

CBDRB-FY19-245. 2 The noninstitutionalized population refers to people who are 

not residing in institutional group quarters, such as prisons, hospitals, barracks, and nursing homes. This report excludes people living 

in such facilities.

provides an updated look at the occupations of 

Post-9/11 veterans.3

HIGHLIGHTS

• Employment. About 80 percent of Post-9/11 

veterans were employed. Conversely, only about 

75 percent of civilians who never served were 

employed. Among men, Post-9/11 veterans 

had a lower unemployment rate than men who 

never served (4.7 and 5.4 percent, respectively). 

However, among women, veterans were more 

likely to be unemployed than nonveterans (4.9 

and 4.6 percent, respectively).

• Work characteristics. Among the employed, 

Post-9/11 veterans were more likely than nonveterans to work year-round, full-time jobs (81 

percent compared with 71 percent); to work longer hours per week (43.1 hours compared with 

39.4 hours); and to work for the federal, state, or 

local government (33.3 percent compared with 

12.4 percent).

• Enrollment and work history. Among those who 

were not working, Post-9/11 veterans were more 

likely than nonveterans to be enrolled in school 

(32 percent compared with 26.4 percent) and 

3 The 2018 Census Occupation Code List (derived from the 2018 

Standard Occupation Classification Manual) is available at 

<https://census.gov/topics/employment/industry-occupation

/guidance/code-lists.html>. For more information on how 

the Census Occupation Code List is revised, see 

<https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys

/demo/guidance/industry-occupation

/revising_the_standard_occupational_classification_2018.pdf>.
2 U.S. Census Bureau

to have worked in the last 12 

months (33.9 percent compared with 26.1 percent).

• Earnings. Post-9/11 veterans out-earn their peers: the 

median earnings for a Post9/11 veteran is nearly $11,000 

more per year than a nonveteran ($46,000 compared with 

$35,000).

• Earnings and education. Post9/11 veterans with less than a 

college degree had a substantial earnings advantage over 

nonveterans. Those with at 

most a high school education 

earned about $8,000 more 

per year, and those with some 

college earned about $11,000 

more per year than nonveterans with similar levels of 

education.

• Occupations. Compared with 

nonveterans, Post-9/11 veterans were more likely to work 

in several occupation groups: 

protective services; installation, maintenance, and repair; 

transportation; computer and 

mathematical; architecture 

and engineering; and business 

and financial operations.

• Most over-represented 

occupation. Approximately 9 

percent of all Post-9/11 veterans worked in protective services—more than three times 

the proportion of nonveterans 

employed in the same field.

EMPLOYMENT PATTERNS OF 

POST-9/11 VETERANS

Post-9/11 veterans are distinctive, standing apart both from 

other veterans and from the 

broader population. With a 

median age of 37 years, they 

are among the youngest cohort 

of veterans.4 As a result, they 

are the most likely to be in the 

labor force out of all veterans, 

although they also have the 

highest rates of serviceconnected disability and are 

more likely to be living in or near 

4 In comparison, the median age of Gulf 

War veterans is 50 and the median age of 

Vietnam Era veterans is 71.

poverty than Gulf War veterans.5

Compared with the broader 

population (see the text box 

“Terms and Definitions”), Post9/11 veterans had higher levels 

of educational attainment, which 

may affect their employment 

5 For more information on the characteristics of veterans from different service 

periods, see Vespa, 2020, <www.census

.gov/library/publications/2020/demo/acs

-43.html>.

TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

A veteran is an individual who served in the military (even for a 

short time), but is no longer serving on active duty in the 

U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Marine Corps, or the 

U.S. Coast Guard.

Post-9/11 veterans served on active duty since September 2001. 

This report excludes veterans who only served in other eras. 

A civilian is an individual who is not serving on active duty in the 

armed forces. It includes those who never served (i.e., a nonveteran)* as well as those who served in the past but are not on 

active duty now (i.e., a veteran). This report looks at the civilian population and does not include those on active duty in the 

armed forces.

A nonveteran is an individual who has never served in the armed 

forces. 

This report defines the working-age population as people who 

are 18–54 years old. Although the traditional definition includes 

those up to age 64, this report excludes 55- to 64-year-olds.** 

Because Post-9/11 veterans are young compared with the traditional working-age population, this report references nonveterans of a similar age range to better compare their work experiences, earnings, and occupations with the broader population. 

For more information on the sample of people featured in this 

report and the number of older or institutionalized veterans who 

were not included in this analysis, see Appendix Table 1.

* This report looks at the 154.4 million people in the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States who are 18–54 years old. The term 

“civilians who never served” refers specifically to the population of 148.4 

million noninstitutionalized adults who were nonveterans during the 2014–

2018 period. See Appendix Table 1 for additional information on the sample 

used in this report.

** The report excludes about 232,000 noninstitutionalized Post-9/11 veterans who were between the ages of 55 and 64 (see Appendix Table 1). 

Compared with the veterans included in this report, the 232,000 older 

veterans were more likely to have a college education, to be out of the labor 

force, and to have a disability.
U.S. Census Bureau 3

and earnings, as well as the type 

of jobs they pursue after returning to civilian life. More than 75 

percent of Post-9/11 veterans 

had some college experience, 

compared with 63 percent of 

nonveterans aged 18–54 (see 

Table 1). Examining education 

by sex highlights even starker 

differences. For instance, among 

men, 76 percent of Post-9/11 

veterans had some college education or more, compared with 

58 percent of male nonveterans. 

Among women, 86 percent of 

Post-9/11 female veterans had 

some college education, compared with 67 percent of women 

who never served (see Table 1).

For men and women alike, Post9/11 veterans were more likely to 

be employed than the population of nonveterans aged 18–54 

(see Figure 1). Among Post-9/11 

veterans, nearly 82 percent of 

men and 72 percent of women 

were employed, compared with 

80 percent and 70 percent of 

their nonveteran peers, respectively (Figure 1). Overall, this 

group of veterans was less likely 

to be unemployed or not in the 

labor force (Table 1).

Characteristics of the 

Employed Population: Post-9/11 

Veterans Were More Likely to 

be Employed Full-Time, YearRound than Nonveterans

Not only were Post-9/11 veterans 

more likely to be employed, they 

worked more hours per week, 

earned more, and were more 

likely to be enrolled in school 

than nonveterans. Among the 

employed, Post-9/11 veterans 

were more likely than nonveterans to be working full-time, 

year-round (Table 2a). Post-9/11 

veteran men also worked an 

average 2 hours longer each 

week compared with nonveteran men, and about 4 hours 

longer than veteran women. 

Nonveteran women worked the 

fewest hours each week, and 

almost 3 hours less than veteran 

women.

Employed Post-9/11 veterans 

were enrolled in college at 

a higher rate than nonveterans (see Table 2a), consistent 

with studies showing Post-9/11 

veterans are more likely to be 

enrolled in college than similar 

nonveterans (Humensky et al., 

2013; Kleykamp, 2013). Among 

employed Post-9/11 veterans, 

15 percent of men and 23 percent of women were enrolled 

in college. Over 75 percent of 

employed Post-9/11 veterans 

had completed some college 

or more. Compared with men, 

women had higher levels of educational attainment: 44 percent 

of employed Post-9/11 veteran 

women and 38 percent of nonveteran women held a bachelor’s 

degree or higher. Although military enlistment generally delays 

college enrollment (Martorell et 

al., 2013), the Post-9/11 GI Bill 

has significantly increased veterans’ access to higher education 

(Barr, 2015; Zhang, 2018). 

Characteristics of the 

Nonemployed: Post-9/11 

Veterans Were More Likely 

to Have a Disability than 

Nonveterans

Among people who were not 

employed (those who were 

either unemployed or not in the 

Percent

Employed

Nonveteran men

Post-9/11 veteran men

Nonveteran women

Post-9/11 veteran women

Figure 1.

Employment Status of the Population Aged 18–54 

by Sex and Veteran Status: 2014–2018

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014-2018 5-Year American Community Survey.

79.8 20.2

81.5 18.5

70.4 29.6

71.5 28.6

Nonemployed
4 U.S. Census Bureau

labor force), Post-9/11 veterans 

tended to have more education, 

were more likely to have a disability, and were more likely to 

have worked recently compared 

with nonveterans (Table 2b). 

With some exceptions, these 

differences also extended to 

both men and women who were 

not employed. Just under half of 

nonemployed Post-9/11 veterans 

had a disability that stemmed 

from their military service, which 

suggests a strong link between 

disability and employment.

Looking in more detail at these 

trends, nonemployed Post9/11 veterans had higher levels 

of education than their nonveteran peers, with over half 

of male and female veterans 

having completed some college, and 17.5 percent and 

28.5 percent, respectively, 

holding a bachelor’s degree 

or higher. Over 30 percent of 

Post-9/11 veterans who were 

not employed were enrolled in 

college. Moreover, the enrollment rate for veteran women 

was about 11 percentage points 

more than it was for women 

who did not serve in the Armed 

Forces. In contrast, enrollment 

among veteran men who were 

not employed was lower than 

Table 1.

Characteristics of Post-9/11 Veterans and Nonveterans: 2014–2018

(Civilian, noninstutionalized population, 18 to 54 years old. Numbers in thousands)

Characteristics Post-9/11 

veterans Nonveterans

Men Women

Post-9/11 

veterans Nonveterans

Post-9/11 

veterans Nonveterans

Total 18 to 54 years old. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,048 148,400 2,521 70,920 526 77,510

Percent of total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Age

18 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.3 20.0 8.0 20.9 9.9 19.2

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43.8 28.1 43.5 28.5 45.3 27.8

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27.9 25.6 27.7 25.4 28.8 25.8

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.0 26.3 20.9 25.2 15.9 27.2

 Median age (years). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34.6 35.7 34.7 35.2 34.0 36.1

Education and Enrollment

High school graduate or less. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.1 37.4 23.8 42.2 14.4 33.1

Some college, no degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47.5 32.5 47.8 30.3 46.3 34.5

Bachelor’s degree or higher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30.3 30.1 28.5 27.5 39.3 32.4

Enrolled in school. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19.5 15.7 18.2 14.6 25.7 16.7

Race and Hispanic Origin1

White alone, non-Hispanic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64.8 57.9 66.8 58.1 55.3 57.8

Black alone, non-Hispanic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14.9 12.6 13.3 11.8 22.3 13.4

Asian alone, non-Hispanic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8 6.5 2.8 6.4 3.2 6.6

Other, non-Hispanic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3 3.2 4.1 3.1 5.5 3.2

Hispanic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13.1 19.8 13.0 20.6 13.6 19.0

Health Insurance Coverage and Disability2

Uninsured. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.2 14.7 6.4 17.0 5.0 12.6

One or more ACS-defined disabilities. . . . . . 13.5 7.9 13.8 7.9 11.9 7.9

Employment Status

Employed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79.8 74.9 81.5 79.8 71.5 70.4

Nonemployed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.2 25.1 18.5 20.2 28.5 29.6

 Unemployed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.8 5.0 4.7 5.4 4.9 4.6

 Not in the labor force. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.4 20.1 13.7 14.8 23.6 25.0

1

 Federal surveys now give respondents the option of reporting more than one race. Therefore, two basic ways of defining a race group are 

possible. A group such as White may be defined as those who reported White and no other race (the race-alone or single-race concept) or as 

those who reported White regardless of whether they also reported another race (the race-alone-or-in-combination concept). This report shows 

data using the first approach (race alone). Use of the single-race population does not imply that it is the preferred method of presenting or analyzing data. For further information, see the 2010 Census Brief, Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010 (C2010BR-02) at <www.census.gov

/library/publications/2011/dec/c2010br-02.html>. 2 ACS-defined disabilities are different from a service-connected disability. The former include self-reported difficulty with vision, hearing, 

mobility, cognitive functioning, independent living, or self-care. A service-connected disability is an injury, disease, or disability that was the result 

of service in the Armed Forces. Importantly, a veteran with a service-connected disability might not report having a limitation or functional difficulty for ACS-defined disabilities.

Note: Post-9/11 veterans are veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since September 2001 or later. Veterans who served only in 

earlier periods are excluded from this table and analysis. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, 

nonsampling error, and definitions, see <www.census.gov/acs>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014–2018 5-Year American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 5

their nonveteran peers by about 

1 percentage point. Regarding 

work status, a majority of those 

not employed were not in the 

labor force at all, while nonveterans were substantially more 

likely to have never worked or 

worked more than 5 years ago.

EARNINGS AND EDUCATION 

OF POST-9/11 VETERANS

Education is an important factor 

affecting both employment and 

earnings. People with higher levels of education are more likely 

to be employed (U.S. Bureau 

of Labor Statistics, 2018) and 

earn more over the course of 

their lifetime (Tamborini, Kim, 

and Sakamoto, 2015). This trend 

extends to those with vocational 

training and some college experience. Depending on the field 

of training or study, people with 

vocational certificates or associate’s degrees—notably in physical and health sciences, computer and information services, 

and engineering and drafting—

earn as much or more than those 

with certain bachelor’s degrees 

(Kim and Tamborini, 2019).

These patterns did not always 

extend to veterans during the 

2014 to 2018 period covered in 

this report. For example, among 

people with the highest levels of 

education, a bachelor’s degree 

or higher, Post-9/11 veterans 

were slightly less likely to be 

employed than nonveterans, a 

pattern that held for men and 

women (see Figure 2).

Nonetheless, Post-9/11 veterans often had greater earnings compared with those who 

never served. In total, Post-9/11 

veterans out-earned nonveterans by about $11,000 per year 

(Table 3). However, differences 

in annual earnings between 

veterans and nonveterans were 

smaller—about $7,000 per year—

when comparsions were made 

separately among men and 

women (Table 2a). Further, Post9/11 veterans had a substantial 

earnings advantage at every 

educational level. This advantage was especially pronounced 

among high school graduates 

and those with some college 

experience but no degree (see 

Table 3). For example, among 

those with a high school education or less, Post-9/11 veterans 

earned about $34,000 per year, 

compared with $26,000 for nonveterans—an earnings advantage 

of about $8,000. This advantage 

grew to almost $11,000 for those 

Table 2a.

Characteristics of the Employed Population: 2014–2018

(Civilian, noninstutionalized population, 18 to 54 years old. Numbers in thousands)

Characteristics

Men Women

Post9/11 

veteran

Nonveteran

Post9/11 

veteran

Nonveteran

Total number 18 to 54 years old. . . . . . . . . . . . 2,055 56,570 376 54,600

Percent of total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Age

18 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7.4 15.7 10.0 16.4

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43.1 30.1 44.3 28.9

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28.5 27.7 29.6 26.7

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21.0 26.5 16.1 27.9

 Median age (years). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34.9 36.4 34.2 36.7

Education and Enrollment

High school graduate or less. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.5 38.6 12.8 27.2

Some college, no degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46.6 29.8 43.6 34.9

Bachelor’s degree or higher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31.0 31.6 43.6 37.9

Enrolled in school. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15.2 10.0 22.7 14.3

Disability Status1

One or more ACS-defined disabilities. . . . . . . 9.4 4.0 7.6 4.3

Service-connected disability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31.4 X 29.5 X

Current Work Status2

Less than full-time, year-round. . . . . . . . . . . . . 17.6 23.4 26.7 35.7

Full-time, year-round. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82.4 76.6 73.3 64.3

Average hours worked per week . . . . . . . . . 43.7 41.7 39.9 37.0

Median earnings (dollars) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48,100 40,790 37,760 30,670

Class of worker3

 Private sector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63.3 80.7 56.3 78.4

 Local, state, or federal government. . . . . . . 32.1 9.8 40.2 15.2

 Self-employed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.5 9.3 3.4 6.3

X Not applicable.

1

 ACS-defined disabilities are different from a service-connected disability. The former 

include self-reported difficulty with vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive functioning, independent 

living, or self-care. A service-connected disability is an injury, disease, or disability that was the 

result of service in the Armed Forces. Importantly, a veteran with a service-connected disability 

might not report having a limitation or functional difficulty for ACS-defined disabilities. 2 Full-time, year-round is defined as working 35 hours or more per week and 50 weeks or 

more during the year. 3 Excludes unpaid family workers.

Note: Post-9/11 veterans are veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since 

September 2001 or later. Veterans who served only in earlier periods are excluded from this 

table and analysis. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see <www.census.gov/acs>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014–2018 5-Year American Community Survey.
6 U.S. Census Bureau

with some college education but 

no degree.

Overall, the difference between 

earnings of veterans and nonveterans was greatest among those 

with some college education but 

no degree (see Table 3). This 

relationship is roughly consistent 

with (although no evidence of) 

Kleykamp’s (2013) hypothesis 

that the earnings advantage of 

Post-9/11 veterans is stronger 

among those with lower levels 

of educational attainment. The 

Armed Forces may function as 

a bridging environment that 

provides individuals with job 

training and an opportunity to 

develop skills and abilities that 

are useful in civilian occupations 

(Browning et al., 1973). As a 

result, military service may prove 

especially beneficial for populations that are typically disadvantaged in the labor market.

The Earnings Advantage of 

Female Veterans

Veteran women had greater 

returns to education than veteran men. Among individuals 

with a high school education 

or less, female veterans earned 

about 20 percent more, whereas 

male veterans earned about 16 

percent more, than their nonveteran peers. Furthermore, the 

veteran wage premium among 

those with a bachelor’s degree 

or higher only extended to 

women. Earnings for men with 

a 4-year college degree were 

similar regardless of veteran status (see Table 3). Women with 

a 4-year degree, on the other 

hand, earned about $3,500 

more per year if they were 

Post-9/11 veterans, which suggests that military experience 

has a distinctive effect on their 

earnings.

While this report does not 

explore why veteran women 

experienced a greater earnings 

advantage than veteran men, 

it is possible that their higher 

returns were associated with an 

additional factor such as occupation. For example, veteran 

women are more likely to work 

in male-dominated occupations 

that have higher earnings (e.g., 

protective services), and as a 

result, have higher earnings than 

nonveteran women. Studies 

examining veterans’ wages also 

point to the role of occupation 

as a possible mediating factor 

for explaining these sex differences in earnings. In one study 

examining only Post-9/11 veteran 

women, Padavic and Prokos 

(2017) found that veterans 

earned more than those without 

military service, with occupation 

accounting for about one-quarter of the earnings difference. 

Similarly, in a study of adults 

aged 25–40, Vick and Fontanella 

(2017) found that veteran 

men, but not veteran women, 

Table 2b. 

Characteristics of the Nonemployed Population: 2014–2018

(Civilian, noninstutionalized population, 18 to 54 years old. Numbers in thousands)

Characteristics

Men Women

Post-9/11 

veterans

NonveteranPost-9/11 

veterans

Nonveteran

Total number 18 to 54 years old. . . . . . . . 466 14,360 150 22,910

Percent of Total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0

Age

18 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10.8 41.6 9.6 25.7

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45.1 22.0 48.1 25.1

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24.1 16.1 26.7 23.7

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20.0 20.3 15.7 25.4

 Median age (years). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33.5 28.0 33.5 34.7

Education and Enrollment

High school graduate or less. . . . . . . . . . . 29.4 56.4 18.3 47.3

Some college, no degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53.1 32.1 53.2 33.5

Bachelor’s degree or higher. . . . . . . . . . . 17.5 11.4 28.5 19.2

Enrolled in school. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31.6 32.7 33.3 22.4

Disability Status1

One or more ACS-defined disabilities. . . 33.3 23.0 22.7 16.6

Service-connected disability. . . . . . . . . . . 48.4 X 44.1 X

Current Work Status

Unemployed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25.7 26.8 17.3 15.6

Not in labor force. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74.3 73.2 82.7 84.4

Last Worked

Within past 12 months. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35.7 31.7 28.5 22.5

1 to 5 years ago. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36.5 20.7 40.8 23.7

Over 5 years ago or never worked. . . . . . 27.8 47.6 30.7 53.8

X Not applicable. 

1

 ACS-defined disabilities are different from a service-connected disability. The former 

include self-reported difficulty with vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive functioning, independent 

living, or self-care. A service-connected disability is an injury, disease, or disability that was the 

result of service in the Armed Forces. Importantly, a veteran with a service-connected disability 

might not report having a limitation or functional difficulty for ACS-defined disabilities.

Note: Post-9/11 Veterans are veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since 

September 2001 or later. Veterans who served only in earlier periods are excluded from this 

table and analysis. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see <www.census.gov/acs>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014–2018 5-Year American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 7

experienced a wage penalty 

since veteran men were in direct 

competition with nonveteran 

men in the labor market. In 

contrast, veteran women worked 

more often in high-paying occupations and less often in lowpaying occupations than their 

nonveteran counterparts, and 

thus they did not compete. In 

summary, occupation may be an 

important factor for explaining 

earnings differences between 

veteran men and women. 

OCCUPATIONS OF POST-9/11 

VETERANS

Among workers who were 

employed full-time, year-round, 

over 50 percent of Post-9/11 veterans and nonveterans worked 

in just six occupation groups 

(see Figure 3a).6 Of those six 

groups, both Post-9/11 veterans 

and nonveterans shared four of 

them: management (11.1 percent 

and 11.9 percent, respectively); 

office and administrative support (8.7 percent and 11.4 percent); business and financial (6.8 

percent and 6.3 percent); and 

production (6.6 percent and 6.5 

percent). For the two groups 

that were not held in common 

among full-time, year-round 

workers, Post-9/11 veterans were 

more often employed in protective services (9.9 percent) 

and installation, maintenance, 

and repair (8.8 percent), and 

nonveterans were more often 

employed in sales and related 

(9.4 percent) and healthcare 

practitioners and technical (6.2 

percent).

6 Compared with nonveterans, the 

percentage of Post-9/11 veterans employed 

full-time, year-round was significantly 

different for all occupation groups except 

production.

These data suggest that veterans’ military occupational 

specialty or the training they 

received while in the Armed 

Forces may influence their civilian occupation. For example, 

about one-quarter of enlisted 

service members had a military 

occupation in electronic and 

electrical equipment repair or 

vehicle and machinery mechanics. A further 13 percent of 

enlisted service members and 21 

percent of officers had an engineering, science, and technical 

military occupation (Bureau of 

Labor Statistics, 2019).

Differences in Post-9/11 veterans 

and nonveterans’ occupations 

also varied by sex (see Figures 

3b and 3c).7 Among full-time, 

year-round workers, about 

one-third of veteran men were 

employed among three occupation groups: management (11.2 

percent); protective services 

(10.7 percent); and installation, 

maintenance, and repair (9.9 

percent). In contrast, about onethird of nonveteran men were 

employed among management 

(12.5 percent), construction and 

extraction (10 percent), and 

sales and related occupations 

(9.6 percent).

7 Compared with nonveteran men, 

the percentage of Post-9/11 veteran men 

employed full-time, year-round was significantly different for all occupation groups 

except educational instruction and library.

Compared with nonveteran women, the 

percentage of Post-9/11 veteran women 

employed full-time, year-round was 

significantly different for all occupation 

groups except the following: life, physical, and social science; material moving; 

legal; community and social service; and 

management.

Percent

Nonveteran men

Post-9/11 veteran men

Nonveteran women

Post-9/11 veteran women

Figure 2.

Employed and Nonemployed Populations With 

a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher: 2014–2018

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014-2018 5-Year American Community Survey.

91.6 8.4

88.7 11.3

82.5 17.5

79.3 20.7

Employed Nonemployed
8 U.S. Census Bureau

Table 3.

Median Yearly Earnings by Educational Attainment: 2014–2018

(In dollars. Civilian, noninstutionalized population, 18 to 54 years old)

Earnings and education Post-9/11 

veterans Nonveterans

Men Women

Post-9/11 

veterans Nonveterans

Post-9/11 

veterans Nonveterans

Total yearly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46,170 35,360 48,100 40,790 37,760 30,670

Educational Attainment

High school graduate or less. . . . . . . . 33,810 25,700 35,310 30,120 25,050 20,570

Some college, no degree. . . . . . . . . . . 41,040 30,250 42,490 36,450 30,970 25,800

Bachelor’s degree or higher. . . . . . . . 68,060 58,240 72,200 71,720 54,180 50,660

Note: Earnings are shown only for those who are employed. Post-9/11 veterans are veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since 

September 2001 or later. Veterans who served only in earlier periods are excluded from this table and analysis. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see <www.census.gov/acs>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014–2018 5-Year American Community Survey.

Table 4.

Percentage Employed in Select Detailed Occupations Among Currently Employed Post-9/11 

Veterans and Nonveterans: 2014–2018

(Civilian, noninstutionalized population, 18 to 54 years old)

Occupations

Percentage of

Post-9/11 

veterans

Margin of

error (±)

Percentage of

nonveterans

Margin of

error (±)

Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.9 0.13 9.5 0.03

 Managers, all other. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 0.08 2.3 0.01

 General and operations managers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.8 0.05 0.6 0.01

 Computer and information systems managers. . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.5 0.03 0.4 <0.01

Protective services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9.1 0.17 2.0 0.01

 Police officers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 0.10 0.5 0.01

 Security guards and gambling surveillance officers. . . . . . . . . 2.2 0.07 0.6 0.01

 Correctional officers and jailers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 0.06 0.2 <0.01

Office and administrative support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.9 0.13 11.4 0.04

 Customer service representatives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4 0.06 2.0 0.01

 First-line supervisors of office and administrative 

  support workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 0.05 0.8 0.01

 Office clerks, general. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.7 0.04 0.9 0.01

Installation, maintenance, and repair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8.1 0.15 2.9 0.01

 Aircraft mechanics and service technicians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 0.06 0.1 <0.01

 Maintenance and repair workers, general. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.9 0.05 0.3 <0.01

 Automotive service technicians and mechanics. . . . . . . . . . . . 0.8 0.04 0.6 0.01

Sales and related . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.6 0.12 10.4 0.03

 First-line supervisors of retail sales workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6 0.06 2.1 0.01

 Retail salespersons. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.6 0.07 2.3 0.01

 Cashiers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.7 0.04 2.3 0.02

Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.4 0.11 5.7 0.02

 Other production workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.9 0.04 0.8 0.01

 First-line supervisors of production and operating 

  workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.8 0.04 0.6 0.01

 Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighters. . . . . . . 0.7 0.05 0.5 <0.01

Business and financial operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6.1 0.11 5.3 0.03

 Human resources workers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 0.06 0.6 <0.01

 Accountants and auditors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.7 0.04 1.3 0.01

 Logisticians. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.7 0.04 0.1 <0.01

< Indicates the estimate is smaller than 0.01.

Note: Post-9/11 veterans are veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since September 2001 or later. Veterans who served only in 

earlier periods are excluded from this table and analysis. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, 

nonsampling error, and definitions, see <www.census.gov/acs>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014–2018 American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates.
U.S. Census Bureau 9

While differences among 

women appear less distinct, 

the proportion of veterans and 

nonveterans among the top 

occupation groups also varied. 

Over half of veteran women 

working full-time, year-round 

were employed in office and 

administrative support (18.1 percent), healthcare practitioners 

and technical (14.6 percent), 

management (10.7 percent), and 

business and financial operations (10.6 percent).8 Like their 

veteran counterparts, nonveteran women were commonly 

employed in office and administrative support (18.8 percent), 

8 The percentage of veteran women 

employed full-time, year-round in management was not significantly different from 

the percentage employed in business and 

financial.

management (11.1 percent), 

and healthcare practitioners 

and technical (10.4 percent). 

However, a large proportion of 

nonveteran women also were 

employed among sales and 

related (9.2 percent), and educational instruction and library 

occupations (8.7 percent).

Figure 3a.

Percent Distribution of People (Employed Full-Time, Year-Round) by Occupation and 

Veteran Status: 2014–2018

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014-2018 5-Year American Community Survey.

Management

Protective services

Installation, maintenance,

and repair

Oce and administrative support

Business and financial operations

Production

Computer and mathematical

Sales and related

Transportation

Construction and extraction

Healthcare practitioners 

and technical

Architecture and engineering

Material moving

Educational instruction and library

Food preparation and 

serving related

Building, grounds cleaning, 

and maintenance

Community and social service

Healthcare support

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, 

and media

Life, physical, and social science

Legal

Personal care and service

Farming, fishing, and forestry

20 15 10 5 0 0 5 10 15 20

Post-9/11 Veterans Nonveterans

Top 5 occupation groups
10 U.S. Census Bureau

Post-9/11 veterans often were 

employed in occupations 

whose job duties may overlap 

with military training. In general, findings were reminiscent 

of Schulker’s (2017) study on 

veterans’ representation in 

certain occupations. Relative to 

nonveterans, Post-9/11 veterans 

were over-represented in several 

occupation groups including 

protective services; installation, maintenance, and repair; 

transportation; computer and 

mathematical; architecture 

and engineering; and business and financial operations 

(see Figure 4a). Post-9/11 male 

veterans were especially overrepresented in protective service 

occupations and installation, 

maintenance, and repair occupations. Post-9/11 female veterans 

were over-represented in protective services as well as healthcare practitioners and technical 

occupations (see Figures 4b and 

Figure 3b.

Percent Distribution of Men (Employed Full-time, Year-Round) by Occupation and 

Veteran Status: 2014–2018

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014-2018 5-Year American Community Survey.

Management

Protective services

Installation, maintenance,

and repair

Production

Oce and administrative support

Construction and extraction

Computer and mathematical

Business and financial operations

Transportation

Sales and related

Healthcare practitioners 

and technical

Architecture and engineering

Material moving

Educational instruction and library

Building, grounds cleaning, 

and maintenance

Food preparation and 

serving related

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, 

and media

Community and social service

Life, physical, and social science

Healthcare support

Legal

Personal care and service

Farming, fishing, and forestry

20 15 10 5 0 0 5 10 15 20

Post-9/11 Veteran Men Nonveteran Men

Top 5 occupation groups
U.S. Census Bureau 11

4c). Some of these occupation 

groups were common among 

active duty service members as 

well. About 7 percent of enlisted 

service members have a military 

occupation in protective services, whereas 11 percent of officers have a military occupation 

in healthcare (Bureau of Labor 

Statistics, 2019).

Using the 5-year data from the 

ACS gives us the ability to look 

at subgroups, such as workers in 

detailed occupations. Looking at 

specific jobs among all people 

who were employed (regardless 

of full- or part-time), about 5 

percent of all Post-9/11 veterans 

were employed as police officers 

or security guards and gambling 

surveillance officers (see Table 

4). In contrast, only 1 percent 

of all employed nonveterans 

worked in the same detailed 

occupations. Post-9/11 veterans 

Figure 3c.

Percent Distribution of Women (Employed Full-time, Year-Round) by Occupation and 

Veteran Status: 2014–2018

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014-2018 5-Year American Community Survey.

Oce and administrative support

Healthcare practitioners 

and technical

Management

Business and financial operations

Sales and related

Protective services

Computer and mathematical

Educational instruction 

and library

Healthcare support

Community and social service

Food preparation and

serving related

Production

Installation, maintenance, 

and repair

Transportation

Legal

Material moving

Personal care and service

Architecture and engineering

Life, physical, and social science

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, 

and media

Construction and extraction

Building, grounds cleaning, 

and maintenance

Farming, fishing, and forestry

20 15 10 5 0 0 5 10 15 20

Post-9/11 Veteran Women Nonveteran Women

Top 5 occupation groups
12 U.S. Census Bureau

were also over-represented in 

jobs related to aircraft maintenance and service. They were 

less commonly employed within 

the sales and related occupation 

group, with only 1.6 percent of 

all Post-9/11 veterans employed 

as retail salespersons, 1.6 percent as first-line supervisors 

of retail sales workers, and 0.7 

percent as cashiers. Conversely, 

a significantly higher percentage of nonveterans worked in 

the aforementioned occupations 

(2.3 percent, 2.1 percent, and 2.3 

percent, respectively). Due to 

its broad nature and inclusion of 

many different kinds of managerial jobs, one common occupation among Post-9/11 veterans 

and nonveterans was managers, 

all other.9

9 “Managers, all other” is a diverse occupational category that encompasses a wide 

range of occupational titles that are not 

directly mentioned in other managerial categories. Occupational titles in this category 

include workers found across a variety of 

specific industries, and also in industries 

or establishments that were not elsewhere 

specified. For a detailed accounting of 

occupational titles within this category, 

please refer to Census Code 0440 in the 

Alphabetical Indexes of Industry and 

Occupation at <https://census.gov/topics

/employment/industry-occupation

/guidance.html>.

Figure 4a.

Occupations Where Post-9/11 Veterans Are Over-Represented: 2014–2018

(Percentage-point dierence in the percent of veterans in each occupation compared with nonveterans)

Note: Point estimates are shown only for dierences that are statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014-2018 5-Year American Community Survey.

Protective services

Installation, maintenance, and repair

Transportation

Computer and mathematical

Architecture and engineering

Business and financial operations

Production

Life, physical, and social science

Material moving

Construction and extraction

Farming, fishing, and forestry

Legal

Community and social service

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

Management

Healthcare practitioners and technical

Building, grounds cleaning, and maintenance

Personal care and service

Healthcare support

Food preparation and serving related

Educational instruction and library

Oce and administrative support

Sales and related

Under-represented

Occupations where veterans are:

Over-represented

7.6

5.3

2.1

2.1

1.2

0.5

-0.1

-0.2

-0.2

-0.3

-0.4

-0.4

-0.7

-0.8

-0.9

-1.2

-1.3

-1.6

-2.0

-2.4

-2.7

-3.5
U.S. Census Bureau 13

SUMMARY

Post-9/11 veterans represent a 

unique and growing segment 

of the veteran population, and 

they significantly differ from 

nonveterans in terms of their 

demographics and employment characteristics. Overall, 

Post-9/11 veterans, who were 

younger than those with no military service, had a higher level 

of educational attainment and 

were more likely to be enrolled 

in school. Furthermore, Post9/11 veterans were more likely 

to be employed full-time, yearround relative to nonveterans, 

had higher median earnings, and 

worked more hours per week. 

The report also finds evidence 

that female veterans had an 

earnings advantage, especially 

among those with a 4-year 

college degree. Their earnings advantage may stem from 

the occupations they pursue 

after returning to civilian life. In 

particular, female veterans work 

more often in traditionally maledominated fields with higher pay 

than women who never served 

in the military.

Figure 4b.

Occupations Where Male Post-9/11 Veterans Are Over-Represented: 2014–2018

(Percentage-point dierence in the percent of male veterans in each occupation compared with male nonveterans)

Note: Point estimates are shown only for dierences that are statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014-2018 5-Year American Community Survey.

Protective services

Installation, maintenance, and repair

Oce and administrative support 

Business and financial operations 

Healthcare practitioners and technical 

Computer and mathematical 

Transportation 

Architecture and engineering

Community and social service

Healthcare support

Educational instruction and library

Life, physical, and social science

Legal

Personal care and service 

Farming, fishing, and forestry 

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media 

Material moving 

Management

Production

Building, grounds cleaning, and maintenance 

Food preparation and serving related 

Sales and related

Construction and extraction

Under-represented

Occupations where male veterans are:

Over-represented

7.5

3.8

1.7

1.1

1.0

0.8

-0.1

-0.3

-0.6

-0.7

-1.3

-1.4

-1.6

-2.1

-3.6

-3.8

0.7

-0.3

0.4

0.1

0.1

-1.3
14 U.S. Census Bureau

Figure 4c.

Occupations Where Female Post-9/11 Veterans Are Over-Represented: 2014–2018

(Percentage-point dierence in the percent of female veterans in each occupation compared with female nonveterans)

Note: Point estimates are shown only for dierences that are statistically significant at the 90 percent confidence level.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014-2018 5-Year American Community Survey.

Healthcare practitioners and technical

Protective services

Business and financial operations

Computer and mathematical

Installation, maintenance, and repair

Transportation 

Construction and extraction

Architecture and engineering

Community and social service

Legal

Life, physical, and social science

Material moving

Farming, fishing, and forestry

Management 

Oce and administrative support

Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media

Healthcare support

Building, grounds cleaning, and maintenance

Production

Food preparation and serving related 

Personal care and service

Educational instruction and library 

Sales and related

Under-represented

Occupations where female veterans are:

Over-represented

4.1

3.9

2.8

2.0

0.9

-0.1

-0.7

-0.8

-1.5

-1.6

-1.7

-3.8

-4.1

0.6

-1.5

2.8

0.6

-1.7
U.S. Census Bureau 15

In addition to general employment differences between 

veterans and nonveterans, 

Post-9/11 veterans were concentrated in select occupation 

groups. They were disproportionately represented among the 

protective services and installation, maintenance, and repair. 

Post-9/11 veterans often worked 

in specific occupations within 

broader occupation groups. 

Most notably, 5 percent of Post9/11 veterans were employed as 

police officers or security guards 

and gambling surveillance officers. Considered jointly, these 

findings suggest that Post-9/11 

veterans may work in civilian 

occupations where their military skills could overlap with job 

duties.

Although this report found that 

Post-9/11 veterans were more 

likely to be employed full-time, 

year-round, and to have an earnings advantage over nonveterans, it did not explore other factors that could affect whether 

veterans were employed, how 

much they earned, and what 

kind of jobs they held. It did not 

explore interactions between 

age, education, disability status, 

or race and ethnicity. It also did 

not consider the role of work 

history and experience, specific skills and training learned 

in school or the military, or the 

selectivity that underlies who 

chooses to serve. Moreover, 

veteran status is a broad proxy 

for numerous characteristics and 

factors that were not directly 

measured in this report, such as 

length and branch of service, 

combat experience, rank, and 

duties performed while serving, 

all of which could affect employment and earnings in the civilian labor force. The U.S. Census 

Bureau’s experimental Veteran 

Employment Outcomes10 data, 

which covers only recent Army 

veterans, could help explore the 

role of some of these factors, 

notably rank, military occupation, and years of service. 

Examining the labor force experiences of Post-9/11 veterans is 

important for understanding the 

transition to civilian life as well 

as the broader well-being of 

the nation’s youngest and most 

recent group of veterans.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, 

go to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 

Web site on veteran statistics at 

<www.census.gov/topics

/population/veterans.html>. For 

10 See the Veteran Employment 

Outcomes Web site for more information: 

<https://lehd.ces.census.gov/data/veo

_experimental.html>.

more information about industry 

and occupations, go to 

<www.census.gov

/topics/employment

/industry-occupation.html>.

SOURCE AND ACCURACY

Data presented in this report 

are based on people and households that responded to the 

ACS in 2014 through 2018, and 

are subject to sampling and 

nonsampling error. All comparisons presented in this report 

have taken sampling error into 

account and are significant at 

the 90 percent confidence level 

unless otherwise noted. Due to 

rounding, some details may not 

sum to totals. For information on 

sampling and estimation methods, confidentiality protection, 

and sampling and nonsampling 

errors, please see the “ACS 

Accuracy of the Data” documents for 2014–2018 located at 

<https://census.gov/programs

-surveys/acs/technical

-documentation/code-lists

.html>.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Gumber, Clayton and Jonathan 

Vespa, “The Employment, 

Earnings, and Occupations of 

Post-9/11 Veterans,” American 

Community Survey Briefs, 

ACS-46, U.S. Census Bureau, 

Washington, DC, 2020.
16 U.S. Census Bureau

REFERENCES

Barr, Andrew, “From the 

Battlefield to the Schoolyard: 

The Short-term Impact of the 

Post-9/11 GI Bill,” Journal of 

Human Resources, 50: 580–613, 

2015.

Browning, Harley L., Sally C. 

Lopreato, and Dudley L. Poston, 

“Income and Veteran Status: 

Variations Among Mexican 

Americans, Blacks and Anglos,” 

American Sociological Review,

38(1): 74-85, 1973.

Kleykamp, Meredith, 

“Unemployment, Earnings 

and Enrollment Among Post 

9/11 Veterans,” Social Science 

Research, 42: 836–851, 2013.

Humensky, Jennifer L., Neil 

Jordan, Kevin T. Stroupe, and 

Denise M. Hynes, “How Are Iraq/

Afghanistan-Era Veterans Faring 

in the Labor Market,” Armed 

Forces & Society, 39(1): 158–183, 

2013.

Kim, ChangHwan and 

Christopher R. Tamborini, “Are 

They Still Worth It? The LongRun Earnings Benefits of an 

Associate Degree, Vocational 

Diploma or Certificate, and 

Some College,” RSF: The Russel 

Sage Foundation Journal of the 

Social Sciences, 5(3): 64–85, 

2019.

Martorell, Paco, Trey Miller, 

Lindsay Daugherty, and Mark 

Borgschulte, “Effects of Military 

Service on Earnings and 

Education, Revisited: Variation 

by Service Duration, Occupation, 

and Civilian Unemployment,” 

RAND Corporation, 2014.

Padavic, Irene, and Anastasia 

Prokos, “Aiming High: Explaining 

the Earnings Advantage for 

Female Veterans,” Armed Forces 

& Society, 43(2): 368–386, 2017.

Schulker, David, “The Recent 

Occupation and Industry 

Employment Patterns of 

American Veterans,” Armed 

Forces & Society, 43(4): 695–710, 

2017.

Tamborini, Christopher R., 

ChangHwan Kim, and Arthur 

Sakamoto, “Education and 

Lifetime Earnings in the United 

States,” Demography, 52(4): 

1383–1407, 2015.

U.S. Bureau of Labor 

Statistics, “Table 5.1: 

Unemployment Rates and 

Earnings by Educational 

Attainment: 2018,” U.S. Bureau 

of Labor Statistics, Washington, 

D.C., 2018.

U.S. Bureau of Labor 

Statistics, “Occupational Outlook 

Handbook,” Military Careers, 

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 

Washington, D.C., 2019, 

<https://www.bls.gov/ooh

/military/military-careers.htm>.

U.S. Census Bureau, “Veteran 

Employment Outcomes,” 

U.S. Census Bureau, Washington, 

D.C., <https://lehd.ces.census

.gov/doc/VEO_Tech_Doc.pdf>.

U.S. Department of Veterans 

Affairs, “Profile of Post-9/11 

Veterans: 2016,” <https://www

.va.gov/vetdata/docs

/SpecialReports/Post_911

_Veterans_Profile_2016.pdf>.

Vespa, Jonathan E., “Those 

Who Served: America’s Veterans 

from World War II to the War 

on Terror,” U.S. Census Bureau, 

American Community Survey 

Reports, ACS-43, Washington, 

D.C., 2020, <https://www

.census.gov/content/census/en

/library/publications/2020

/demo/acs-43.html>.

Vick, Brandon, and Gabrielle 

Fontanella, “Gender, Race, and 

the Veteran Wage Gap,” Social 

Science Research, (61): 11–28, 

2017.

Zhang, Liang, “Veterans 

Going to College: Evaluating the 

Impact of the Post-9/11 GI Bill on 

College Enrollment,” Educational 

Evaluation and Policy Analysis,

40(1): 82–102, 2018.
U.S. Census Bureau 17

Appendix Table 1.

Total Civilian and Veteran Populations Aged 18 Years and Over1: 2014–2018

(Numbers in thousands)

Populations Number

Margin of

error (±) Percent

Margin of

error (±)

   Total population aged 18 years and over . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 249,300 153.4 100.0 X

Nonveterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230,700 113.3 92.5 0.02

Veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,610 48.1 7.5 0.02

 Post-9/11 veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,357 16.7 1.3 0.01

   Civilian population2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245,100 140.4 98.3 0.01

Nonveterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226,500 100.2 90.8 0.02

Veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,610 48.1 7.5 0.02

 Post-9/11 veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,357 16.7 1.3 0.01

   Civilian, noninstitutionalized population3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241,400 140.7 96.8 0.01

Nonveterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223,100 100.4 89.5 0.02

Veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18,300 47.9 7.3 0.02

 Post-9/11 veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,328 16.6 1.3 0.01

   Civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 18–64 . . . . . . . 194,900 119.3 78.2 0.01

Nonveterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185,600 98.3 74.4 0.01

Veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9,280 28.6 3.7 0.01

 Post-9/11 veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,280 16.4 1.3 0.01

   Civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 18–54 . . . . . . . 154,400 95.8 61.9 <0.01

Nonveterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148,400 82.5 59.5 0.01

Veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5,970 21.2 2.4 0.01

 Post-9/11 veterans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,048 15.5 1.2 0.01

X Not applicable.

< Indicates the estimate is smaller than 0.01.

1

 Excludes Puerto Rico.

2 Excludes active duty military and reservists.

3 Excludes people living in institutionalized group quarters, such as prisons, correctional facilities, barracks, nursing facilities and hospitals.

Note: Post-9/11 veterans are veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since September, 2001. Veterans who served only in earlier 

periods are excluded from this table and analysis. Data based on sample. For information on confidentiality protection, sampling error, nonsampling error, and definitions, see <www.census.gov/acs>.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014–2018 5-Year American Community Survey.
18 U.S. Census Bureau

Appendix Table 2.

Margins of Error for Characteristics of Post-9/11 Veterans and Nonveterans: 2014–2018

(Civilian, noninstutionalized population, 18 to 54 years old. Numbers in thousands)

Characteristics Post-9/11 

veterans Nonveterans

Men Women

Post-9/11 

veterans Nonveterans

Post-9/11 

veterans Nonveterans

Total number 18 to 54 years old. . . . . . . . . . . . 15.5 82.5 14.0 36.1 5.3 49.6

Percent of total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X X X X X

Age

18 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.13 0.01 0.14 0.01 0.34 0.01

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.19 0.01 0.21 0.02 0.51 0.01

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.20 0.01 0.22 0.01 0.47 0.01

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.17 0.01 0.20 0.01 0.38 0.01

 Median age (years). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.04 <0.01 0.05 0.01 0.10 0.01

Education and Enrollment

High school graduate or less. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.19 0.17 0.22 0.17 0.36 0.16

Some college, no degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.23 0.03 0.25 0.05 0.48 0.04

Bachelor’s degree or higher. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.22 0.17 0.24 0.16 0.50 0.18

Enrolled in school. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.16 0.04 0.19 0.05 0.53 0.04

Race and Hispanic Origin1

White alone, non-Hispanic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.24 0.01 0.24 0.01 0.50 0.01

Black alone, non-Hispanic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.14 0.01 0.16 0.02 0.39 0.01

Asian alone, non-Hispanic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.06 0.01 0.07 0.01 0.19 0.01

Other, non-Hispanic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.10 0.02 0.10 0.02 0.25 0.02

Hispanic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.16 0.01 0.17 0.01 0.42 0.01

Health Insurance Coverage and Disability2

Uninsured. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.11 0.14 0.13 0.16 0.23 0.12

One or more ACS-defined disabilities. . . . . . . 0.13 0.02 0.15 0.03 0.35 0.02

Employment Status

Employed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.19 0.07 0.21 0.07 0.51 0.08

Nonemployed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.19 0.07 0.21 0.07 0.51 0.08

 Unemployed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.10 0.02 0.10 0.02 0.24 0.02

 Not in the labor force. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.16 0.06 0.18 0.06 0.47 0.07

X Not applicable.

1 Federal surveys now give respondents the option of reporting more than one race. Therefore, two basic ways of defining a race group are 

possible. A group such as White may be defined as those who reported White and no other race (the race-alone-or-single-race concept) or as 

those who reported White regardless of whether they also reported another race (the race-alone-or-in-combination concept). This report shows 

data using the first approach (race alone). Use of the single-race population does not imply that it is the preferred method of presenting or analyzing data. For further information, see the 2010 Census Brief, Overview of Race and Hispanic Origin: 2010 (C2010BR-02) at <www.census.gov

/library/publications/2011/dec/c2010br-02.html>. 2 ACS-defined disabilities are different from a service-connected disability. The former include self-reported difficulty with vision, hearing, 

mobility, cognitive functioning, independent living, or self-care. A service-connected disability is an injury, disease, or disability that was the result 

of service in the Armed Forces. Importantly, a veteran with a service-connected disability might not report having a limitation or functional difficulty for ACS-defined disabilities.

Note: Post-9/11 veterans are veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since September 2001 or later. Veterans who served only in 

earlier periods are excluded from this table and analysis. A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability. The larger the margin of error 

in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. This number when added to or subtracted from the estimate forms the 90 

percent confidence interval.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014–2018 5-Year American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 19

Appendix Table 3.

Margins of Error for Characteristics of the Employed Population: 

2014–2018

(Civilian, noninstutionalized population, 18 to 54 years old. Numbers in thousands)

Characteristics

Men Women

Post9/11 

veteran

Nonveteran

Post9/11 

veteran

Nonveteran

Total number 18 to 54 years old. . . . . . . . . 12.3 75.6 4.3 92.9

Percent of total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X X X

Age

18 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.15 0.03 0.37 0.02

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.22 0.02 0.63 0.03

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.24 0.02 0.64 0.02

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.22 0.02 0.46 0.03

 Median age (years). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.05 0.01 0.12 0.01

Education and Enrollment

High school graduate or less. . . . . . . . . . . . 0.24 0.19 0.41 0.15

Some college, no degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.27 0.06 0.59 0.06

Bachelor’s degree or higher. . . . . . . . . . . . 0.27 0.18 0.59 0.19

Enrolled in school. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.18 0.05 0.51 0.05

Disability Status1

One or more ACS-defined disabilities. . . . 0.15 0.02 0.34 0.02

Service-connected disability. . . . . . . . . . . . 0.30 X 0.65 X

Current Work Status2

Less than full-time, year-round. . . . . . . . . . 0.22 0.05 0.51 0.07

Full-time, year-round. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.22 0.05 0.51 0.07

Average hours worked per week. . . . . . . . 0.06 0.01 0.13 0.01

Median earnings (dollars). . . . . . . . . . . . . . 260 85 516 43

Class of Worker3

Private sector. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.28 0.06 0.66 0.08

Local, state, or federal government. . . . . . 0.26 0.07 0.67 0.08

Self-employed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.12 0.03 0.24 0.03

X Not applicable. 

1

 ACS-defined disabilities are different from a service-connected disability. The former 

include self-reported difficulty with vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive functioning, independent 

living, or self-care. A service-connected disability is an injury, disease, or disability that was the 

result of service in the Armed Forces. Importantly, a veteran with a service-connected disability 

might not report having a limitation or functional difficulty for ACS-defined disabilities. 2 Full-time, year-round is defined as working 35 hours or more per week and 50 weeks or 

more during the year.. 3 Excludes unpaid family workers.

Note: A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability. The larger the margin of 

error in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. This number when 

added to or subtracted from the estimate forms the 90 percent confidence interval.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014–2018 5-Year American Community Survey.
20 U.S. Census Bureau

Appendix Table 4.

Margins of Error for Characteristics of the Nonemployed 

Population: 2014–2018

(Civilian, noninstutionalized population, 18 to 54 years old. Numbers in thousands)

Characteristics

Men Women

Post9/11 

veterans

Nonveteran

Post9/11 

veterans

Nonveteran

Total number 18 to 54 years old. . . . . . . . 5.9 46.7 3.3 47.6

Percent of total. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X X X X

Age

18 to 24 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.35 0.12 0.58 0.06

25 to 34 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.61 0.07 0.87 0.06

35 to 44 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.48 0.09 0.78 0.05

45 to 54 years. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.47 0.08 0.66 0.06

 Median age (years). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.14 0.05 0.17 0.03

Education and Enrollment

High school graduate or less. . . . . . . . . . . 0.54 0.11 0.74 0.15

Some college, no degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.56 0.09 1.00 0.07

Bachelor’s degree or higher. . . . . . . . . . . 0.33 0.08 0.86 0.14

Enrolled in school. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.53 0.13 1.03 0.08

Disability Status1

One or more ACS-defined disabilities. . . 0.59 0.09 0.89 0.05

Service-connected disability. . . . . . . . . . . 0.59 X 0.94 X

Current Work Status

Unemployed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.47 0.10 0.76 0.06

Not in labor force. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.47 0.10 0.76 0.06

Last Worked

Within past 12 months. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.56 0.16 0.77 0.12

1 to 5 years ago. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 0.58 0.13 0.98 0.18

Over 5 years ago or never worked. . . . . . 0.66 0.25 0.94 0.28

X Not applicable. 

1

 ACS-defined disabilities are different from a service-connected disability. The former 

include self-reported difficulty with vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive functioning, independent 

living, or self-care. A service-connected disability is an injury, disease, or disability that was the 

result of service in the Armed Forces. Importantly, a veteran with a service-connected disability 

might not report having a limitation or functional difficulty for ACS-defined disabilities.

Note: A margin of error is a measure of an estimate’s variability. The larger the margin of 

error in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. This number when 

added to or subtracted from the estimate forms the 90 percent confidence interval.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014–2018 5-Year American Community Survey.
U.S. Census Bureau 21

Appendix Table 5.

Margins of Error for Median Yearly Earnings by Educational Attainment: 2014–2018

(In dollars. Civilian, noninstutionalized population, 18 to 54 years old)

Earnings and education Post-9/11 

veterans Nonveterans

Men Women

Post-9/11 

veterans Nonveterans

Post-9/11 

veterans Nonveterans

Total yearly earnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238 75 260 85 516 43

Educational Attainment

High school graduate or less. . . . . . . . . . . . . 420 22 292 31 796 37

Some college, no degree. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 32 280 75 366 36

Bachelor’s degree or higher. . . . . . . . . . . . . 476 75 585 148 598 52

Note: Earnings are shown only for those who are employed. Post-9/11 veterans are veterans who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since 

September 2001 or later. Veterans who served only in earlier periods are excluded from this table and analysis. A margin of error is a measure 

of an estimate’s variability. The larger the margin of error in relation to the size of the estimate, the less reliable the estimate. This number when 

added to or subtracted from the estimate forms the 90 percent confidence interval.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2014–2018 5-Year American Community Survey.