Clark Howard

39 companies hiring U.S. veterans right now

Many U.S. companies have been putting more emphasis on hiring U.S. veterans lately — with some hosting big one-day events and others releasing goals of bringing on thousands of vets within a specific time period.

T-Mobile is one of the latest to announce its intent to hire 10,000 veterans and military spouses during the next five years. That announcement came as part of the rollout of the mobile carrier's new cellular plan geared towards military members and their families.

The T-Mobile ONE Military pricing plan offers our brave men and women in uniform and their families 20% off a first line of service and half off up to five additional voice lines. That's an annual savings of $665 compared with AT&T's military discount and a savings of $764 compared to Verizon.

But back to jobs!

In fact, the unemployment rate for military veterans has held steady year over year at 3.7%, according to April 2018 numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate is 3.9%, the BLS reports.

So as a veteran, you’ve got a better chance of being hired than the average citizen off the street. And with more and more companies focusing on hiring vets, there’s an increasing number of opportunities out there — including training programs and all types of jobs in various different industries.

RELATED:  Military & Veterans Guide: Free resources for getting your finances in order

The top 10 best companies for U.S. veterans

Each year in the fall, online employment company Monster released its annual ranking of companies that "give back to those who have served by providing best-in-class veteran-oriented recruitment, hiring, and retention programs."

"Our annual list of Best Companies for Veterans celebrates companies that are serious about hiring the brave individuals who have served our country," Jodi Hon, SVP and GM of enterprise business at Monster, said in a statement of the 2017 numbers.

“We’re gratified to see a continued commitment to veteran hiring across numerous industries. This year’s list shows increased acknowledgement that veterans’ experiences and skills are relevant beyond traditional industries like defense and aerospace, and also desired in transportation logistics, technology, financial services and more.”

Here’s a look at the most recent top 10 companies for U.S. veterans list, based on data from Monster.

2017 Rank

Company

Industry

2017: % of
Vet Hires


Workforce:
% Vets
(Total)

2016 Vet
Hires: %
Retained
12 Months

1

ManTech International

Technology

64

46

55

2

Intelligent Waves

Technology

37

47

80

3

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Law enforcement

31

29

87

4

Lockheed Martin

Aerospace

28

23

N/A

5

Booz Allen Hamilton

Consulting

27

30

79.5

6

Schneider National

Transportation Logistics

22

28

N/A

7

USAA

Financial Services

22

15

89

8

BAE Systems

Aerospace

21

16.5

84

9

Union Pacific Railroad

Transportation

20

17.5

61

10

Boeing

Aerospace

15

15

92

According to Monster, the ranking is based on a variety of information, including:

  • What 2018 recruitment plans the companies had for veterans
  • What percentage of the company's 2016 hires were veterans
  • What percentage of the total workforce is veterans
  • What the retention rate was for 2016 hires
  • Whether the company has a dedicated veteran recruitment team and whether any of that team is ex-military
  • What kind of special programs it offers for on-boarding, development and retention
  • Whether they accepted military training in place of civilian credentials
  • If the company's leadership is updated on the value of hiring veterans, military culture and veteran's issues.

39 companies hiring U.S. veterans

Military.com is a great resource for veterans and their families for when it comes to civilian job searching, training, finding the right career and more.

Here are a few services the site offers:

  • Career mapping – find a job that relates to your military experience.
  • Success stories – read about other veterans thriving at the company.
  • Professional development – learn how you can start a career and not just another job.
  • Military spouses – find a career that allows flexibility.

Here’s a list of companies currently hiring U.S. veterans now

Check out this list from Military.com of companies that are currently hiring vets. Just click on the company to learn more and search for available opportunities.

  1. Aerojet Rocketdyne
  2. Altria
  3. American Income Life Insurance Company
  4. Andrews International Government Services
  5. Caesars Entertainment
  6. Chevron
  7. CHS
  8. City National Bank
  9. Computershare
  10. Cupertino Electric
  11. DynCorp International
  12. Esterline
  13. Fairbanks Scales
  14. First Data
  15. Graphic Packaging International
  16. Home Depot
  17. KBR
  18. Leidos
  19. Love's
  20. ManTech
  21. Naval Nuclear Laboratory
  22. Novo Nordisk
  23. Odyssey Systems
  24. Oldcastle
  25. Paychex
  26. Penske
  27. PepsiCo
  28. Pilot Flying
  29. Sallyport
  30. Schnitzer
  31. Schweitzer Engineering Labs
  32. Sitel
  33. Suburban Propane
  34. T-Mobile
  35. Teradyne
  36. Trumpf
  37. UDR
  38. Verizon
  39. Wells Fargo

More Military stories on Clark.com: