Three Careers You Can Train for in the UK Armed Forces

Working in the British Army can be an excellent way to learn skills and develop job prospects across a range of industries. While it’s certainly not for everyone, UK military careers offer far more opportunities than you might think at first glance. From medical training to cyber security, working in the army is a path to developing world-class skills while earning a strong salary from day one.

Today, we’d like to highlight some less well-known careers you can pursue in the UK military. In this list of military careers, we’ll discuss three jobs that provide excellent training for your future career. We’ll also be covering basic recruitment requirements to help you decide if this is a path for you.

Military Dentist

When people think of the British Armed Forces, dentists are rarely the first people who spring to mind. Nonetheless, it’s a very important role to fill and one that you can fully fund through the British Army.

Although the Army doesn’t operate its own dental school, if you want to become a military dentist, the Army will fund your degree through university if you apply for a military bursary. That does mean you’ll be committed to serving as a Dental Officer for 5-6 years after graduating, so it’s certainly a decision worth considering carefully.

Once you complete your dental surgery degree, you’ll enter as a commissioned officer. Before taking on clinical duties, you’ll do an interview followed by a shortened officer training at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst. After learning the basics of military life (survival skills, weapons training, etc), you’ll complete a 14-week Entry Officers’ Course, after which you’ll begin your service.

You will also be required to pass a series of fitness tests, and you must be between the ages of 18 and 37 to join. Starting salaries are between £76,788 and £95,719.

Intelligence Analyst

Unlike many civilian intelligence roles, you don’t actually need a degree or a background in cyber technology to apply to become a military intelligence analyst. The British Army recruitment process provides its own fully paid, multi-year training pipeline.

Once you’ve completed this training, civilian intelligence agencies like MI5, MI6, and GCHQ will be more than happy to accept you. In fact, some even view military training as more valuable than an academic degree, as it comes with both experience and a high level of discipline.

Officer training is a 44-week course at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, followed by a specialist course preparing you to lead soldiers in the Intelligence Corps.

Entry requirements to become an intelligence officer include the standard fitness test along with 72 UCAS points. You’ll also need a minimum C/4 grade in your GCSE English, Maths, and Science. You’ll need to be between the ages of 18 and 29 to join, although you can begin your application early at 17 years and 9 months of age.

Starting salaries are between £35,925 and £42,948.

Military Police

If you want a career in law enforcement alongside traditional soldiering, the Royal Military Police offers a direct, fully funded entry route into the policing sector. RMP personnel uphold military law – a distinct and separate legal code from civilian law – while investigating crime across Armed Forces bases in the UK and overseas. They also provide close protection for high-profile figures and manage security operations during deployments.

Joining the RMP does not require prior policing experience or a degree. Following basic military training, recruits attend the Defence School of Policing and Guarding for an initial 24-Week Police and Driver Training course. You’ll cover police duties, military law, evidence gathering, criminal investigation techniques, and tactical driving.

Upon completing your training, you are automatically promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal and earn a Level 3 Diploma in Defence Knowledge of Policing alongside Home Office approved policing accreditations. As your career progresses, you can take specialist courses in serious crime investigation, forensic scene examination, or covert operations.

To join the RMP as a soldier, you’ll have to be between 18 and 35 years old. You’ll also need GCSEs at grade C/4 or above and be able to pass the standard fitness tests. You’ll also need to hold a full UK driving licence before you can start training. As for pay, you’ll earn £27,282 during training and £35,310 once you become a Lance Corporal.