The table shows each MOS, the number of Lieutenants who ranked it as their 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc., choice, the number of slots that were available, and how many Lieutenants from each tier (top 1/3, middle 1/3, bottom 1/3) received that MOS.
This is an actual breakdown from one of the 2013 TBS classes.
The best way to read the table is to search a specific MOS using the search bar and then scroll right to see the rest of the table.
| MOS | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st | 22nd | Slots | Top | Middle | Bottom | Any | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adjutant | 0180 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 13 | 16 | 24 | 49 | 92 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Ground Intel | 0203 | 10 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 12 | 17 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 10 | 9 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Human Intel | 0204 | 25 | 28 | 20 | 18 | 11 | 18 | 17 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Signals Intel | 0206 | 19 | 16 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 24 | 20 | 8 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 11 | 16 | 7 | 12 | 13 | 5 | 23 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Air Intel | 0207 | 10 | 17 | 20 | 22 | 18 | 16 | 8 | 16 | 11 | 21 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 10 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Infantry | 0302 | 50 | 13 | 9 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 6 | 12 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 9 | 25 | 48 | 16 | 16 | 16 | |
| Logistics | 0402 | 22 | 29 | 17 | 25 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 16 | 15 | 15 | 11 | 9 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 43 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 1 | ||||
| Command and Control Systems | 0602 | 5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 16 | 24 | 18 | 24 | 20 | 11 | 17 | 17 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 24 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |
| Field Artillery | 0802 | 18 | 19 | 28 | 27 | 29 | 19 | 15 | 13 | 17 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 |
| Combat Engineer | 1302 | 25 | 38 | 34 | 26 | 34 | 24 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | ||
| Tanks | 1802 | 15 | 23 | 25 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 22 | 12 | 11 | 16 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| AAV | 1803 | 9 | 10 | 21 | 18 | 22 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 19 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Ground Supply | 3002 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 9 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 12 | 17 | 15 | 37 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |
| Comptroller | 3404 | 4 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 8 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 21 | 13 | 39 | 43 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Public Affairs | 4302 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 15 | 8 | 11 | 10 | 19 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 16 | 14 | 12 | 8 | 18 | 31 | 26 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Military Police | 5803 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 16 | 14 | 21 | 18 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 7 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Aircraft Maintenance | 6002 | 6 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 18 | 14 | 14 | 20 | 16 | 22 | 14 | 13 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Aviation Supply | 6602 | 2 | 7 | 14 | 5 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 27 | 17 | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Low Altitude Air Defense | 7204 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 20 | 25 | 23 | 19 | 24 | 21 | 25 | 19 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |||
| Air Support | 7208 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 19 | 16 | 19 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 26 | 14 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | ||
| Air Defense Control | 7210 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 21 | 14 | 14 | 31 | 21 | 25 | 21 | 19 | 21 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Air Traffic Control | 7220 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 11 | 9 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 11 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 18 | 19 | 17 | 16 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Are the breakdowns of slots for each MOS generally consistent across TBS classes? Obviously the needs or the Corps are always changing and it’ll depend on what’s in demand, but generally speaking do the number of slots for a particular MOS consistantly stay small, medium or large?
If you were to classify the number of slots as “small, medium, or large” then I would say they remain relatively the same. There’s always going to be a handful of slots for tanks, intel (each type, except ground), POA, LAAD, etc. On the other hand, infantry and logistics are usually going to be the MOSs with larger allocations.
One nice things about TBS is you will get the allocations for your company within the first week of checking in … usually. This will give you a quick idea of how competitive some slots are going to be.
Hey there. Thanks for doing this. Why do you say that Ground Intel does not always have a handful of slots? Just curious. Thanks!
I’ve seen some classes with 10 slots and others with only a few. It’s partly because they have to adjust the numbers based on how many officers are making it through Infantry Officers course. If their seeing a lot of drops, the number of slots will increase.
I have a question with regards to the selection results as I’m mildly surprised at what I’m seeing. Take for example, the most popular MOS, 0302, when you look at the breakdown of who was selected for the 48 slots available, it says that an even third (16) were taken from each tier. This phenomenon holds true for the majority of the listed MOS’s. I only have two possible guesses as to why this is:
1) I’m misinterpreting what the tiers represent – I interpret it as the 1st tier represents preferences ranked 1-7, 2nd tier would be preferences 8-14, etc.
or,
2) The USMC doesn’t give a rat’s ass what job you want to do and will assign you whatever they damn well please.
Please elaborate if possible.
Thanks,
Read this article and you will have a much better understanding.
I am currently at TBS and we are nearing MOS selections. At an MOS mixers some Captains told me about this thing called an I.M. Special letter. Its technically called a “uniquely qualified package” or something like that. They said if you are hoping for an MOS that is very competitive then this letter is helpful. However, I cannot find any information on it in my Company’s SOP and my SPC did not know where to look either.
I was wondering if you heard of it, if it still exists, who I would ask about it, how I would write one, and who I would turn it in to. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Semper Fi
I have never heard of this. MOSs are allocated originally by your Company XO, and then your SPCs will “horse trade” your future. If you want to voice your “special skills” I would do so to your SPC during your counselings. If they know what you want and believe that you are a good fit they will absolutely fight for you. My XO spent over 100 hours making the initial selections. Our SPCs spent dozens more trading. They left the field during FEX III two nights, and I even saw them come in on a Saturday. The new initiative at TBS seems to be to give everyone something in their top 5.
In the end, your overall standing in the company will weigh more heavily than anything else. Especially for the low density competitive MOS.
I guess this is all to say that any letter you write wouldn’t make it past the Company XO (maybe to the CO), and I honestly don’t think they would care much. “Quality spread” will always dominate the decision making.
What are the chances of becoming a pilot or naval flight officer.
Usually there are only a few slots available at TBS. Most pilots/NFOs are contracted prior to commissioning. For my TBS class, there were zero slots to start, but 2 pilots elected to drop their contracts and so those 2 slots got opened up to the company to be competed for.
Is there any way to get a contract before commissioning besides PLC.
You can get an air contract from any commissioning source (Naval Academy, OCC, PLC, NROTC).
How hard is it to get an air contract? And if you get an air contract are you guaranteed to be a Pilot/Naval Flight Officer? And what does it take to get an air contract?
As a start, you want to a high ASTB score. You can look it up for more information. Once you have the contract you’re pretty much set unless you get injured or fail out of flight school.
You can get an aviation contract from any of sources but you have be completely qualified mentally and physically by a flight surgeon……….
In my OCS class there were a lot of flight contracts that wanted to ditch their flight contract and go ground. Is this possible in TBS? And what are the chances of a ground contract(myself) being able to grab one of those flight contracts.
Usually, a class will have 2-4 competitive flight contract slots available. If someone drops a contract then it goes up for grabs to compete for at TBS.
Do pilots go to TBS or straight to flight school after OCS?
They go to TBS first.
Sir, would you happen to know what the average amount of slots available for 0204s usually is? And, what the minimum swim qual requirement for Naval Aviators?
1-2 0204 slots, it’s EXTREMELY competitive. Not sure about the swim qual.
Sir,
I noticed for Field Artillery that 18 people selected it as their first choice and there were 19 slots available, is it safe to say that all 18 people that ranked it as their number 1 choice got placed into that MOS?
Thank you
No. Probably only a small fraction of them actually got that MOS. You can read more about the selection process.
I am going to OCS but did not get selected on the March board for a flight contract. The next board is chosen so I would have to wait a year for the next available. My OSO said I should go ground instead of waiting. I graduated with an aviation management degree from ISU and would still eventually want to fly. Is it possible to get an aviation related MOS (like air traffic control) by going ground? Possible still to get a flight slot later in my carreer? Thanks for reading.
Yes, you will be able to compete for a flight contract at The Basic School. It will be based on your performance at TBS, medical qualification, and you will have to retake the ASTB. Being a ground contact means your doing something other than actually flying. So avaiation maintenance, air traffic control, air defense, etc. are all ground contract MOSs. If you don’t get a flight contract coming out of TBS, there are other programs that allow you to transition to become a pilot. But those slots are EXTREMELY competitive and based heavily on the Fitness Reports you receive while in the fleet. Your degree will have little to no impact on the selection process.
I’m going to be contracting as air. However once I get down to tbs I’m looking to get selected for military police. How difficult is it to be selected for this MOS? I’m graduating with a degree in Criminology. Thank for all your help
MP is generally fairly competitive, but not as much as some other MOSs. Just note that you will have to drop your Air Contract long before you actually know if you will get MP.
First of, thanks so much for this insightful website and all the work you put in it. It has been a great resource. Now on to my question: If I need an age waiver for my OCC ground application, will that in any way influence what MOS I get assigned at TBS? Also, does an age waiver or the higher age itself hinder you in any way once you are in the fleet? My ultimate goal is to serve in MARSOC.
There are no age restrictions for MOSs (except pilots). I’m not sure about MARSOC, but I’ve never heard to any age restriction.
Sir,
How does the selection process work for reservists? I saw on the bottom of the UAV page you have, “When you take away reservists, flight contacts, and females (not sure how the new regulations will impact numbers), 1 in every 4 male active duty Lieutenants will get infantry.” Does this mean reservists choose their preferred MOS differently than active duty? Thank you.
Yes, reservists have different quotas. I’m not exactly sure how the process works.
What is the chance of being an Infantry Officer?
Despite being a high density MOS, you will not get selected if you cannot demonstrate during TBS that you are physically capable of completing Infantry Officers Course (IOC).
What is the chance of being an Aircraft Maintenance Officer?
It’s a low density MOS with moderate competitiveness. Be the #1 in your TBS class and you can have whatever MOS you want. Other than that, it’s difficult to say.
I am 16 and I am looking into the NROTC Marine option. I am pretty smart, I got a 29 act score and am a good people person. I also am very physically fit and I presume I would have very high fitness scores in the future. In addition I don’t have any medical issues or other drawbacks. Lastly, I would say I am very motivated and would do whatever it takes to increase my chances of choosing my MOS.
I have two questions
1)Based on this info what would you say my chances are of becoming an infantry officer?
2) Any advice on how to become a solid candidate for an infantry officer MOS?
Thanks
Johnny,
The best advice I can give you is to not look to far ahead. If all goes well and you get into the NROTC program, your still 5-6 years away from being able to compete for a Infantry Officer spot. There is a long road before you get to that point so focus on first getting an NROTC scholarship!
The scholarship application is based on many factors to include physical fitness, academics (GPA, test scores), and extra-curricular activities. It is also dependent on you getting accepted to a school with an NROTC program. I presume you are a junior in High School? If so, I would focus on the following:
-Maintain as high of a GPA as possible. You can’t fix the pass, but get as many “A’s” as you can to improve your GPA over the next year.
-Be involved in your high school. Participating in varsity sports, student government, and clubs will factor into your application.
-Do a Marine Corps PFT. A 300 score will go a long way, but above a 250 is decent.
-Consider getting help from a local recruiter. Just don’t let them talk you into enlisting if your goal is a commissioning.
I know that Infantry is competitive, but do they give any weight to special factors such as being an eagle scout or having very good leadership capabilities? Would going to the navy academy help me to get a better chance at an infantry slot? I am also looking into a full career in the marines so if I tell this to my CO, would that increase my chances? I’m not exactly sure how competitive infantry slots are, thus I am a little paranoid about getting an MOS that I don’t want and having my career plans messed up. I am a junior so I still have some time. Thank you.
Infantry Marines are a different breed. Physical fitness will play a heavy role in your competitiveness. There is a high failure and turnover rate at the Infantry Officers Course (IOC), so they want to send Marines who will be able to pass. I’m not just talking about PFTs. Your going to want to be able to hike with 100+ lbs of gear, have the endurance to perform physically for up to 24 hours with little to no rest, and the mindset to continue on despite pain and fatigue. A lot of Marines get to The Basic School (TBS) wanting to be an Infantry Officer, but soon realize they probably don’t have what it takes. I think of IOC as being a more difficult version of TBS, and TBS is quite difficult. I’ve never gone through IOC, so I can’t offer much more than that.
Perform well academically at TBS and be the kind of Marine that doesn’t give into complacency, or self pity. There aren’t any pre-TBS special factors that will help you. MOS selection is based solely on performance at The Basic School and how you rank against your peers.
When it boils down to making your wishlist and you’re a prior service Marine who does extremely well in your previous MOS field, will that carry any weight for getting your first choice? Or similarly, will your SPC try and put you in your old MOS field? Say a 0311 that got out as a sergeant want’s to be in Arty or Combat Engineers. Will you be somewhat forced to stick with that field?
I would also like to know if it holds weight being a prior that is trying to get back into his previous field? OSO seems to think my SPC can pull strings to get me back where I was.
Most SPC will try to keep you out of your prior MOS to make you a more diverse officer. The best way to get your desired MOS is to do well at TBS.
Can you tell me how many judge advocates enter per class at TBS?
From my experience there’s usually 2-3 per class. They stick out because most are Captains by the time they start TBS.
What is the chance of getting finance officer 3404 with a finance degree also I am currently a reservice in the corps entering the plc program
Your degree doesn’t matter. You will compete for MOSs at TBS with everyone else.
Two questions: At what point during TBS are you notified of the MOS you will be assigned? Also, is it likely that if you were selected for infantry that you will attend the next available course, even if it is only a few days from TBS graduation?
You find out about a month prior to graduation. Yes, you will go to the most immediate course.
Is it hard achieving air traffic controller mos?? Is it highly desirable amongst officers?
I wouldn’t say it’s desirable, but there are only a few spots so it can be competitive.
Will i need the 74-75 afqt if i come out of college with my degree. Im a senior graduating in two weeks, and enlisted recruiters are pushing me to enlist. I really wanna go straight into OCC.
I think you are referring to the ASVAB which is not a requirement for OCC applications. You need to talk to a OSO, not a enlisted recruiter.
I did talk to an OSO. He told me to make a 74 or higher i swear
What are the chances that I would get my very last MOS choice. Also, would I still have to list all 22 MOS’s in the poll if I’m a ground option through PLC?
Thank you
Having talked with more senior officers, it wasn’t uncommon 5-10 years ago to get your last MOS choice. In more recent years, most of the Marines I’ve worked with got an MOS in their top 10. I can’t say for certain what will happen with your class, but that should give you some perspective. You will list all of the MOSs even if you are ground contracted. Consider the aviation slots throw away choices unless you completed the flight screening.
Sir,
I am a sophomore civil engineering major at an accredited university. I want to be an officer in the marine corps specifically a combat engineer. Does the fact that I am an engineering major help me? How competitive is the combat engineer mos and what would be other options that would give me more engineering experience in the military?
Your degree will have very little impact on MOS Selection. Combat Engineer was the most competitive MOS during my TBS class. Nearly everyone in my class of over 200 had it in their top 10.
I am applying for PLC. I have good grades in college (finished sophomore year with a 3.682 GPA as a double major) but I have a bad ACT score. I will take the ASVAB in the coming weeks. At TBS will my MOS selection be heavily influenced by my ASVAB score or more so my actual performance at TBS.
Thank you
ASVAB will have no impact on MOS selection. It is completely based on performance at TBS.
I am going up for a officer reservist’s slot in ground. I am reserve only because I am transferring from a present reserve designation and that is the only pathway to change branches of service. My goal is to be active duty after TBS and was informed by my OSO that I would have the option to go active duty at TBS. Have you heard of any active duty slots offered at TBS to guys with reserve designation and, if so, how common is it? I am trying to determine if I can count on this option. I’m not particular about a specific MOS.
Your OSO is correct. We had several in my class try to switch to active. Every TBS class is going to have varying quotas that need to be filled. I wouldn’t say it’s something to count on, but it is possible.
How hard is it to receive the Nrotc Marine option scholarship? Do they pay for your full college tuition tution. Are there 3 and 4 year scholarships. Do you get to choose your desired mos in that program or do you have to compete at Tbs? I know it’s alot of questions but thanks!!
Yes, the scholarship is competitive. Yes, it pays full tuition plus a book stipend and monthly allowance. Yes, you can get a 3 year scholarship if you’ve already completed a year. Most will utilize all 4 years even if they’ve already completed some courses. You compete for MOSs during TBS.
Howdy,
I’ve just been accepted into the OCC program as a ground reserve contract. I’d like to know, if I make it through OCS, what are the odds of me being able to pick up an active duty contract at TBS. More so, just how competitive are the “competitive air” contracts? Do the number air contracts adjust if someone voluntarily drops their air contract? The dream is to be a pilot, or any job active duty, but my OSO had me contract as a reservist since it was my “best” chance at getting selected.
Thanks in advance.
It’s going to be dependent on the manpower requirements while you’re at TBS. About halfway through they’ll ask if anyone active wants to switch reserve and vice versa. They will try to swap those who want to switch so the overall quotas are the same. In my class, no one switched from active to reserve. There were about 5-10 reservist that wanted to go active. If I recall correctly, none of them were able to switch.
Using my own experience again, we had zero air contracts to start. There were 3 contracted Marines that switched to ground so their quotas became available. There were more than 10 that wanted to compete for them, but only about half of those that tried were medically qualified.
Does anyone know the slots available for 0203; 2018 and 2019? How likely is it to get into ground intel? Any other info anyone knows about this MOS?
I am contracted ground reserve and I was wondering if it is possible to switch to active duty at TBS? Also, what are the available MOS for reserve officers?
For my class, it was basically a one for one swap with those who had active duty contracts. For instance, if 2 people wanted to switch from active to reserve then 2 reservist could switch to active.
MOSs will vary with your TBS graduating class. They are generally higher density MOSs like communications, logistics, supply, etc.
Can reservist switch over to Active Duty at TBS? And, is it difficult to do so?
Yes, it is possible. For my class, it was basically a one for one swap with those who had active duty contracts. For instance, if 2 people wanted to switch from active to reserve then 2 reservist could switch to active.
Hello, I’m a high school junior looking to join NROTC straight out of high school in the summer of 2021. How difficult it is to get into the 0302, 1802, and 5803 specialties, and what are the chances I may get them? I know there is still about half a decade until I come out of the four-year scholarship, but I just wanted to know what the chances may be, and how difficult are they to obtain?
Thank you.
In a graduating class of 150-200 there might only be a few 1802 and 5803 slots. There will probably be 20-30 0302 slots. From my experience, those who make it known early that 0302 is their preference and show they have potential to make it through Infantry Officers Course will get a shot at it.
I wanted to get an air contract, but got an NPQ (Not Physically Qualified) on the flight physical. I now have an option for an Active Duty or Reserves contract. I believe only Active contracts are eligible to compete for Competitive Air Contracts (if there are any spots available). Will me having failed the flight physical previously be an auto-disqualifier for competing?
You will need to pass the physical to be eligible.
In your opinion what officer mos fields are the most competitive for eventual promotion of 0-7 and beyond? Thanks.
Most of the General officers are from the Infantry and Pilot communities.