If you’re sitting behind a desk or lugging equipment to a job site each day knowing there has to be a better, more adventurous fit for your skill set – we may have the industry for you. Civilian contractors are sent to different locations across the globe, often in or near dangerous territories, and can make a pretty penny from a mostly tax free income.

The list of sectors filled with civilian contractors is extensive. Most workers make anywhere from $50,000 to $250,000+ in fields of health care, security, engineering, education, construction, transportation, interpreters, advising, truck drivers, food prep, telecommunications, accounting, mine removal, or military. The brave civilian workers are often sent to areas of conflict during or after war to help the regions recover and rebuild.

Most Popular Civilian Contractor Jobs

While there are numerous industries with a need for civilian contractors, nearly 50% of the jobs are security based. From truck drivers in Baghdad, interrogators in Afghanistan or personal protection for high ranking businessmen, most contractors work in military or security.

For those without a military background, other sectors with a large need include administration, agriculture, construction, human resources, information technology, mining, sports and fitness, or transportation.

Become A Civilian Contractor

Just like applying for a job in America, civilian contractors are expected to have experience within their field of interest. A job overseas may develop from your current employer, or you can apply independently to different companies. You can work in a number of different countries, like Afghanistan, Caribbean, China, Colombia, France, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Kosovo, Liberia, Qatar, or Turkey.

Civilian Contractor Preparing

As a civilian contractor you’ll appreciate a healthy income. The truth is, you’re likely to be compensated handsomely, in part, because of the dangerous locations and environments of many of the overseas jobs. For this reason, you need to prepare yourself for accepting employment in another country. Even without military or law enforcement training, you can learn how to protect yourself.

Security, weapons and active shooter training will help you understand how to operate in a dangerous or combative situation. However, you’ll want to know more than how to pull the trigger. Life saving techniques like close quarters battle, medical training, and defensive tactics will help you feel more confident and safer in your environment.

Optimum Defense Services, Inc. management team has been involved in multiple successful contracts with USDoS, USDoD, USDHS and USACE. Courses with our top weapons trainers in Georgetown, SC, will help civilian contractors protect themselves, prepare for real life attack situations, and enable you to offer disaster relief in your specific industry.