Army 68W · enlisted
68W to Civilian Careers: Combat Medic
Provides emergency and routine medical care — assessing patients, performing life-saving interventions, managing trauma, and documenting treatment — in fast-paced, high-pressure environments.
Civilian careers this maps to
Where 68W experience goes.
Civilian occupations your Combat Medic background translates to (matched via the U.S. Department of Labor O*NET military crosswalk).
Emergency Medical Technician
O*NET 29-2042.00Licensed Practical / Vocational Nurse
O*NET 29-2061.00Medical Assistant
O*NET 31-9092.00Surgical Assistant
O*NET 29-9093.00Phlebotomist
O*NET 31-9097.00What it pays
Civilian salary range.
$41,340
median / year · Emergency Medical Technician
National figures, BLS OEWS 2024. Your pay depends on location, employer, and experience.
Beat the resume scanner
Keywords recruiters screen for.
Applicant tracking systems scan for these terms on a Emergency Medical Technician resume. Make sure the ones that match your service are on yours — in plain civilian language.
Resume bullets to start from
Example Combat Medic bullets.
Starting points drawn from real O*NET task statements — edit them and add your own numbers (people led, equipment value, response times). The builder translates the rest of your service automatically.
- Administered emergency first aid and life-support care to sick and injured patients in high-pressure prehospital and field settings
- Assessed the nature and extent of illness or injury to establish and prioritize patient treatment and medical procedures
- Performed airway management, heart monitoring, and emergency diagnostic procedures during patient transport
- Immobilized patients using backboards and spinal-immobilization devices for safe stretcher placement and transport
- Communicated patient condition, treatment provided, and medication reactions to receiving physicians and treatment-center staff
- Coordinated on-scene emergency care with medical team members, police, and fire department personnel
- Maintained vehicles, medical equipment, and communication gear and replenished first-aid supplies to ensure mission readiness
- Administered medications orally, by injection, and via intravenous procedures under established medical protocols
Certifications that help
Civilian credentials.
- EMT (NREMT)
- Paramedic (NREMT)
- BLS (AHA)
- ACLS (AHA)
- PALS (AHA)
- PHTLS
- Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
- Certified Phlebotomy Technician (CPT)
FAQ
68W questions, answered.
Turn your 68W experience into a civilian resume.
Answer a few questions in plain words — we translate the military language and format it so a recruiter (and their resume scanner) actually reads it.
By Christion Calegon, veteran & founder of GetVetsHired. Last updated June 2026.
Sources: O*NET Military Crosswalk — 68W, O*NET — Emergency Medical Technicians 29-2042.00, BLS OEWS — Emergency Medical Technicians (median wage), BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook — EMTs and Paramedics. Career data from the U.S. Department of Labor (O*NET) and BLS.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, or any branch of the Armed Forces.