Royal Marines Commando

Typical Salary

£15,700 To £48,000

Typical Hours

Variable variable

evenings / weekends / bank holidays away from home

How To Become a Royal Marines Commando

You can get into this job through:

applying directly

College / University

Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship are not listed for this job.

Routes into this Career

Routes into this Career are not listed for this job.

You can apply directly to join the Royal Navy as a commando. You don't need any specific qualifications, but you will need to meet the Navy's eligibility requirements. For example, you must:

be aged between 16 and 32
be at least 151.5cm tall (no limit for women)
pass fitness tests

If your application is accepted, you'll be invited to talk to someone at your local armed forces careers office about what you want to do. You'll then attend an interview and assessment.

Other Routes

Other Routes are not listed for this job.

Skills And Knowledge

You'll need:

physical fitness and endurance
persistence and determination
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
concentration skills and quick reactions
active listening skills and the ability to work in a team
the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
thinking and reasoning skills for making quick decisions
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

Day To Day Tasks

You'll have a specialism like:

landing craft officer, planning and leading beach assaults
signals officer, overseeing radio communications
heavy weapons officer, in charge of weapons deployment and tactics
weapons training officer, advising on the use of small arms and training snipers
Special Boat Service (SBS) officer, carrying out special missions
mountain leader, leading and instructing commando troops in mountain exercises
intelligence officer, collecting, coordinating and interpreting intelligence reports
pilot officer, flying aircraft and helicopters
physical training and sports officer, developing and supervising training
staff duty officer, dealing with administration, training, planning and logistics

Working Environment

You could work in a warzone, at a military base or on a ship.

Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and outdoors in all weathers.

You may need to wear a uniform and protective clothing.

Career Path & Progression

With training and experience you could move up through the ranks and get a commission to become an officer.

You could go into a wide range of careers after leaving the marines. The Career Transition Partnership, Quest and Troops to Teachers have more information on careers outside the armed forces.

Volunteering Opportunities

You can join the Royal Marines Reserve to get some experience of what life is like in the service and to learn new skills at the same time. You'll do the same commando training as the regulars, but over a longer period.

If you're between 13 and 18 years old, you can join the Royal Marines Cadets.

Tips & Information

Further information

You'll find more details about how to become a commando from the Royal Navy.

Restrictions & Requirements

You'll need to:

be a UK, Republic of Ireland or Commonwealth citizen
have a good level of fitness
pass a medical check
pass security checks
pass enhanced background checks