Total VeteranWhere Do Veterans Work? Top Sectors for Veterans in the UK and US
Government and transport employ veterans at the highest rates on both sides of the Atlantic. Official data shows where veterans cluster, where they are scarce, and what that means for your search.
- 11.6% of employed veterans in England and Wales work in public administration and defence, against 5.9% of comparable non-veterans (Census 2021).
- 24.4% of employed US veterans work in government, against 13.0% of non-veterans; federal alone is 12.7% against 2.1% (BLS, 2025).
- Transport is over-represented in both countries: 9.8% against 7.0% in the UK and 8.0% against 4.9% in the US.
- US veterans are under-represented in education and health services: 9.2% against 16.6% of non-veterans.
- 59% of employed UK 2024/25 service leavers work in associate professional, professional or skilled trade roles.
Veterans in both the UK and the US are most over-represented in public administration and defence, and in transport. In England and Wales, 11.6% of employed veterans work in public administration and defence, almost double the 5.9% of comparable non-veterans (Census 2021). In the US, 24.4% of employed veterans work for federal, state or local government, against 13.0% of non-veterans (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2025). Both countries' veterans are under-represented in retail. The sections below set out the official figures sector by sector, explain where the two countries differ and show how to use the data in your own job search.
Where veterans work: UK and US compared
The table uses the latest official data from each country. The UK figures come from the ONS analysis of Census 2021 for England and Wales, which adjusts non-veterans to match veterans' age, sex and region. The US figures come from BLS Table 5, 2025 annual averages from the Current Population Survey. The two countries classify industries slightly differently, so read across rows with care. Where the ONS reported only that veterans and non-veterans differed by less than 2 percentage points, the table says so.
| Sector | UK veterans | UK comparable non-veterans | US veterans | US non-veterans |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public administration, defence and government | 11.6% | 5.9% | 24.4% | 13.0% |
| Transport and storage (UK) / transportation and utilities (US) | 9.8% | 7.0% | 8.0% | 4.9% |
| Construction | 11.1% | 13.1% | 6.6% | 6.2% |
| Wholesale and retail trade | 11.8% | 14.8% | 8.9% | 11.6% |
| Manufacturing | within 2 points | within 2 points | 12.0% | 9.0% |
| Professional and business services | within 2 points | within 2 points | 11.7% | 11.9% |
| Education and health services | within 2 points | within 2 points | 9.2% | 16.6% |
| Leisure and hospitality | within 2 points | within 2 points | 3.4% | 7.5% |
US wholesale and retail is the sum of the BLS wholesale (2.2% of veterans, 1.8% of non-veterans) and retail (6.7% and 9.8%) rows. The US 2025 averages cover 11 months because the October 2025 survey was not collected during the federal shutdown.
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The sectors veterans lean towards
Government and public administration
This is the clearest pattern in both countries. In the US, the gap is widest at federal level, where 12.7% of employed veterans work, against 2.1% of non-veterans. The BLS veterans release shows the pattern is stronger still among recent veterans and those with a service-connected disability.
| US group | Veterans in government work | Non-veteran comparison |
|---|---|---|
| All employed (2025 annual average) | 24.4% (federal 12.7%, state 4.7%, local 7.0%) | 13.0% (federal 2.1%) |
| Gulf War-era II men (2025) | 27.3% | 10.0% of male non-veterans |
| Gulf War-era II women (2025) | 33.4% | 16.2% of female non-veterans |
| Veterans with a service-connected disability (August 2025) | 38.7% | 20.2% of veterans with no disability |
In the UK, the public sector runs several dedicated entry routes. The government's VALOUR guide lists the Civil Service Great Place to Work for Veterans scheme, which moves eligible veterans who meet the minimum criteria straight to the next stage for most Civil Service vacancies; Going Forward into Employment, which places veterans and military partners in roles across government departments; the Ministry of Justice's Advance into Justice scheme, a two-year fixed-term contract for veterans and service leavers within 18 months of discharge; and local councils, every one of which has signed the Armed Forces Covenant. VALOUR lists the council roles that suit service experience: community safety, emergency planning, housing, transport and logistics, youth and community work, environmental services, project management, HR, finance, IT and digital, and regulatory or inspection work. Some councils also run guaranteed interview schemes for veterans, so check the council's website for its Armed Forces Covenant page. For how US federal hiring treats veterans, see our guide to veterans' preference in public sector hiring.
Transport, logistics and utilities
Transport is the second strong match in both countries. UK veterans are 9.8% of the employed in transport and storage, against 7.0% of comparable non-veterans. In the US, 8.0% of veterans work in transportation and utilities, against 4.9% of non-veterans. Military logistics, driving, aviation and engineering trades map directly onto these employers. Energy utilities also feature heavily among US employers recognised for veteran hiring: the 2025 HIRE Vets Medallion list includes NextEra Energy, Eversource Energy, Dominion Energy, Entergy and Southern Company.
Manufacturing and defence industry
US veterans are over-represented in manufacturing, at 12.0% against 9.0%, a category that includes aerospace and defence production. In the UK, the ONS found no manufacturing gap above 2 percentage points. Defence and aerospace firms are prominent on the US HIRE Vets list, including RTX, Bell Textron, Lockheed Martin and Leonardo DRS.
Construction
Here the countries diverge. UK veterans are slightly under-represented in construction (11.1% against 13.1%), and male veterans are less likely than male non-veterans to work in skilled trades (15.8% against 19.0%). US veterans are slightly over-represented (6.6% against 6.2%).
The sectors veterans under-use
Retail is under-represented in both countries. In the US, education and health services employ 9.2% of veterans, against 16.6% of non-veterans, and leisure and hospitality employ 3.4% against 7.5%. In the US, education and health services employ one in six non-veterans, so a veteran with relevant skills enters a large field with comparatively few former service personnel.
Occupations: what veterans actually do
Sector tells you who pays the salary. Occupation tells you the job. The ONS found male veterans in England and Wales more likely than comparable men to work in associate professional and technical roles (15.7% against 11.0%) and as process, plant and machine operatives (17.2% against 13.1%). Female veterans were more likely to work in professional occupations (24.4% against 21.0%). Veterans were also over-represented in protective service occupations.
Recent leavers follow a similar pattern. The Career Transition Partnership statistics for 2024/25 found that 59% of employed leavers worked in three occupational groups six months after leaving: associate professional and technical (23%), professional (19%) and skilled trades (17%).
Over-representation shows where veterans already cluster, which usually means employers who understand military experience and networks you can use. Under-representation can signal either a poor fit or an untapped opening. Use both to shape your search.
How to use this data in your job search
- Pick two sectors: one where veterans cluster (government, transport, defence industry) and one large sector where veterans are scarce (health, education).
- In the UK, start with the Career Transition Partnership, which supports service leavers from up to two years before discharge, as set out in the gov.uk employment support guidance.
- In the US, ask your command about DoD SkillBridge, which can grant up to 180 days of permissive duty in your last 180 days of service to train with an industry partner while you keep military pay.
- Match your trade to the occupational groups above, then search job boards by occupation title.
To see named employers in each country, read our guide to the best employers for veterans in the UK and US. For longer-range demand, see our analysis of the BLS 2033 employment outlook.
What to do this week
- Choose one sector where veterans cluster and one where they are scarce, and research three employers in each.
- Check whether the Civil Service Great Place to Work for Veterans scheme applies to you before your next Civil Service application.
- If you are a US service member within a year of leaving, ask your command about a SkillBridge placement.
- Translate your military trade into a civilian occupation title and search job boards by that title.
- Contact two veterans already working in your target sector and ask how they got in.
Questions people ask
What industries employ the most veterans?
What jobs do ex-military get in the UK?
Do veterans get priority for public sector jobs in the UK?
Why do so many US veterans work for the federal government?
- Office for National Statistics, "The labour market status of UK armed forces veterans, England and Wales: Census 2021" (7 June 2024). https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/armedforcescommunity/articles/thelabourmarketstatusofukarmedforcesveteransenglandandwales/census2021
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Table 5. Employed people 18 years and over by industry, class of worker, sex, veteran status, and period of service, 2025 annual averages". https://www.bls.gov/news.release/vet.t05.htm
- US Bureau of Labor Statistics, "Employment Situation of Veterans, 2025" (28 April 2026). https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/vet_04282026.htm
- Ministry of Defence, "Career Transition Partnership annual statistics: UK Regular Service Personnel Employment Outcomes 2024/25" (February 2026). https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/698b15cd95285e721cd71275/Career_Transition_Partnership_annual_statistics_UK_Regular_Service_Personnel_Employment_Outcomes__2024-25.pdf
- Cabinet Office, VALOUR, "Top routes into public sector careers for UK veterans and families" (2026). https://valour.campaign.gov.uk/public-sector-careers-after-service/
- Federal Register, "HIRE Vets Medallion Program; Announcement of HIRE Vets Medallion Award Recipients" (10 March 2026). https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/03/10/2026-04653/hire-vets-medallion-program-announcement-of-hire-vets-medallion-award-recipients
- US Department of Defense, DoD SkillBridge, "Program Overview". https://skillbridge.osd.mil/program-overview.htm
- Ministry of Defence, "Getting employment support when leaving the armed forces" (gov.uk). https://www.gov.uk/guidance/getting-employment-support-when-leaving-the-armed-forces
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