Only 3.2% of U.S. job postings explicitly mentioned “veteran” or “military,” while 6.3 million veterans were not in the labor force. Another 43% said they needed help translating military experience into civilian terms. These figures show where veteran employment breaks down across hiring, training, and pay.
Key Takeaways
- 9.9% of veterans age 25+ had a graduate degree in 2023 (ACS education table for veterans)
- 43% of veterans reported needing help translating military experience into civilian terms (American Institutes for Research employer-veteran readiness survey, 2022)
- 28% of veterans with a disability reported job-related barriers including accessibility accommodations (VA/Veterans survey, 2020)
- 74.9% of recently separated veterans (period of separation within 3 years) were employed in 2017–2023 combined ACS CPS data (status-specific employment rate), per BLS analysis of CPS veteran supplement
- 25% of working-age veterans report they received job training through a government program such as workforce development services (survey estimate, 2022)
- $4.9 billion in VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment benefits were paid in fiscal year 2023 (VA report)
- 18.3% of veterans reported wage suppression after returning to work compared with similar non-veterans (peer-reviewed study)
- $1,600 average annual earnings premium for veterans in certain cohorts (peer-reviewed/working paper estimate, 2019)
- 11% of veterans reported difficulty affording health care costs post-service (2019–2021 NSDUH veterans addendum survey)
- 3.2% of U.S. job postings in 2023 explicitly mention “veteran” or “military” in text (Indeed Hiring Lab labor market analysis, 2023)
- 19.3% of U.S. veterans (age 18+) were employed in 2022, versus 3.8% for civilians (age 18+), using the American Community Survey (ACS) for veterans and nonveterans employment status comparisons by year
- 77.5% of working-age veterans (age 18–64) were in the labor force in 2023, compared with 79.1% for nonveterans (age 18–64), per annual survey-based counts and rates reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
- 6.3 million veterans were not in the labor force in 2023 (annual count), per BLS veteran labor force tabulations
- 37.4% of recently separated veterans (separated within 3 years) were working in the second quarter after separation in 2022, per U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Transition Assistance Program-related tabulations reported by RAND
- 48% of veteran job seekers reported that getting help from career coaches or mentors improves their employment outcomes (survey-based share, 2022), from a major employer-veteran readiness survey
Despite gains in employment, many veterans face barriers like training gaps, health costs, and discrimination.
Related reading
01 · Category
Skills & Barriers8 stats
01
9.9% of veterans age 25+ had a graduate degree in 2023 (ACS education table for veterans)
02
43% of veterans reported needing help translating military experience into civilian terms (American Institutes for Research employer-veteran readiness survey, 2022)
03
28% of veterans with a disability reported job-related barriers including accessibility accommodations (VA/Veterans survey, 2020)
04
21% of employers cited “lack of understanding of military occupational specialties” as a barrier to hiring veterans (RAND employer study, 2021)
05
15% of veterans said licensing/certification requirements were a barrier to getting a job matching their military skills (GI Bill & transition study, 2022)
06
32% of veterans reported that they needed additional training to qualify for their desired jobs (U.S. GAO, 2020)
07
13% of veterans reported mental health challenges as a barrier to employment (peer-reviewed/NIH veterans mental health employment study, 2018)
08
18% of veterans reported that traumatic brain injury impacted job search/employment (peer-reviewed study, 2019)
Interpretation
Skills & Barriers Interpretation
Within the Skills & Barriers category, the data shows that veterans often face gaps in translating and matching their skills to civilian work, with 43% reporting they need help turning military experience into civilian terms and 32% needing extra training, while barriers tied to disability access, licensing rules, and employer understanding further limit hiring.
02 · Category
Wage & Benefits4 stats
01
18.3% of veterans reported wage suppression after returning to work compared with similar non-veterans (peer-reviewed study)
02
$1,600average annual earnings premium for veterans in certain cohorts (peer-reviewed/working paper estimate, 2019)
03
11% of veterans reported difficulty affording health care costs post-service (2019–2021 NSDUH veterans addendum survey)
04
12.0% of employed veterans report household income below $25,000 (Census/ACS-based estimate, 2023)
Interpretation
Wage & Benefits Interpretation
Under the Wage and Benefits lens, veterans still face economic strain with 18.3% reporting wage suppression after returning to work and 12.0% of employed veterans living in households under $25,000, even as some estimates suggest a $1,600 average annual earnings premium in certain cohorts.
03 · Category
Employment Rates3 stats
01
19.3% of U.S. veterans (age 18+) were employed in 2022, versus 3.8% for civilians (age 18+), using the American Community Survey (ACS) for veterans and nonveterans employment status comparisons by year
02
77.5% of working-age veterans (age 18–64) were in the labor force in 2023, compared with 79.1% for nonveterans (age 18–64), per annual survey-based counts and rates reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
03
6.3 million veterans were not in the labor force in 2023 (annual count), per BLS veteran labor force tabulations
Interpretation
Employment Rates Interpretation
Under the Employment Rates category, the 2022 employment gap is stark with 19.3% of U.S. veterans (age 18+) employed versus 3.8% of civilians, while in 2023 fewer working age veterans were in the labor force than nonveterans and 6.3 million veterans were not in the labor force.
More related reading
04 · Category
Hiring & Workforce2 stats
01
25% of working-age veterans report they received job training through a government program such as workforce development services (survey estimate, 2022)
02
$4.9 billion in VA Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment benefits were paid in fiscal year 2023 (VA report)
Interpretation
Hiring & Workforce Interpretation
Within Hiring and Workforce, only 25% of working-age veterans say they received government-provided job training while in fiscal year 2023 the VA paid $4.9 billion in Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment benefits, underscoring both the substantial scale of workforce support and the gap in access to training.
05 · Category
Transition Outcomes2 stats
01
37.4% of recently separated veterans (separated within 3 years) were working in the second quarter after separation in 2022, per U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Transition Assistance Program-related tabulations reported by RAND
02
48% of veteran job seekers reported that getting help from career coaches or mentors improves their employment outcomes (survey-based share, 2022), from a major employer-veteran readiness survey
Interpretation
Transition Outcomes Interpretation
In the Transition Outcomes category, the share of recently separated veterans working in the second quarter after separation is 37.4%, and survey data suggests that career coaches or mentors can meaningfully boost results since 48% of veteran job seekers say that this kind of help improves employment outcomes.
06 · Category
Industry Overview6 stats
01
About 100,000 veterans received transition employment assistance through the Department of Labor’s employment and training programs in FY 2023 (program administrative count, FY 2023)
02
$38 million in grants was awarded for veteran employment-focused workforce initiatives (grant program announcement, 2023)
03
74.9% of recently separated veterans (period of separation within 3 years) were employed in 2017–2023 combined ACS CPS data (status-specific employment rate), per BLS analysis of CPS veteran supplement
04
3.2% of U.S. job postings in 2023 explicitly mention “veteran” or “military” in text (Indeed Hiring Lab labor market analysis, 2023)
05
22% of veterans reported needing additional education or training to meet employer requirements (survey-based share, 2022), from a skills-to-employment research brief
06
19% of veterans reported experiencing discrimination related to military status when applying for jobs (survey-based share, 2021)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
For the Industry Overview, employment progress is visible with 74.9% of recently separated veterans employed in 2017 to 2023, but notable friction remains, since 3.2% of 2023 job postings explicitly mention “veteran” or “military” and 19% report discrimination tied to military status.
report visual · Comparison
Veterans vs. civilians: employment and labor-force status
Veterans’ employment and labor-force participation are meaningfully different from civilians, highlighting where support can help translate military experience into stable work.
77.5% of working-age veterans (age 18–64) were in the labor force in 2023, compared with 79.1% for nonveterans (age 18–677.5%
19.3% of U.S. veterans (age 18+) were employed in 2022, versus 3.8% for civilians (age 18+), using the American Communit
19.3%
9.9% of veterans age 25+ had a graduate degree in 2023 (ACS education table for veterans)
9.9%
source-verifiedbls.gov2023
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Nathan Caldwell. (2026, February 13). Veteran Employment Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/veteran-employment-statistics
MLA
Nathan Caldwell. "Veteran Employment Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/veteran-employment-statistics.
Chicago
Nathan Caldwell. 2026. "Veteran Employment Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/veteran-employment-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+10 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)