Overseas Contractor Jobs For Veterans

Gavin De Becker & Associates

Gavin de Becker & Associates is an esteemed high-end personal security company providing services to at-risk public figures both stateside and overseas.

According to its website, GDBA protects several thousand clients, including more than 90 of the world’s most prominent families and at-risk individuals. It provides consultation on security programs and protective coverage at home, during travel and at public appearances.

GDBA investigates and assesses threats, and manages cases of inappropriate pursuit. It provides all services related to safety and privacy, including travel logistics and safety, background screening of clients’ prospective employees, and training of clients’ staffs in security awareness.

What Do Security Contractors Do

This is where it gets a bit hazy. For obvious reasons, the specific details of your position may not be advertised on the company website. As an example, the job description for a Protective Security Specialist in Afghanistan might detail convoy and facility protection duties. But not specify if you will work alongside military personnel in Kabul or in support of a non-profit organizations initiatives in a remote rural area.

Typical jobs for security contractors include providing security for facilities, vessels, residences, and project sites, escorting convoys transporting commodities such as food, oil, water or weapons, and providing security training to foreign military and police personnel.

The duties may sound very similar to the types of jobs you did in the military. The big thing to remember is that you wont necessarily have the might of the American military there to back you up if things go badly. The Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs at Brown University estimates that over 6,900 contractors working for the U.S. have been killed in the Iraq and Afghanistan war zones.

Other considerations? It is not going to be a nine-to-five job. Typical contracts have you based in the Middle East or Africa. Your shift might be 12 hours. You could average six days a week for a one-year period, with a four-week vacation halfway through. Alternatively, you may work for two months but then have an unpaid break before your next contract.

Overseas Contract Jobs For Veterans Tip No 1

Salary. The salaries paid for overseas contract jobs are typically much higher than what would normally be paid for the same services stateside. Even so, just like here in the states, what you earn will depend on the job, your skillset, and your experience. You should also take into consideration why these jobs pay more money you will be going to a high-risk area.

Taxes. If you are going to take a job overseas, you need to read IRS publication 54, Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad. Here is why:

Citizens and resident aliens of the United States who live and work abroad are still subject to federal income tax. Dont think you can get away with not reporting your earnings and keeping them secret. The U.S. government has treaties with lots of countries, allowing them to request tax data on you.

If nothing else, remember this: if you take an overseas contract job and choose not to file a tax return for that year the statute of limitations never runs out, the government will get their taxes.

Bottom Line: there are some very serious tax consequences for taking an overseas contract job for veterans. Dont believe anyone who tells you its tax-free. Always check with a tax professional before you take the job.

Also Check: Can You Get Disability For Scoliosis

Foreign Earned Income Exclusion

One of the key tax issues facing military contractors is their eligibility for the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion . Being eligible for the FEIE allows a US taxpayer to exclude up to $112,000 of foreign earned income from their US expat taxes for the 2022 tax year and $120,000 from their 2023 foreign earned income. The FEIE is claimed by filing Form 2555 with your US expat taxes. However, to qualify, you must have a tax home in a foreign country and meet one of the following two tests:

Why Searching For Overseas Contractor Jobs Online Does Not Work

Most searches for overseas jobs on sites like Monster or CareerBuilder show generic information and only a few companies that hire for those positions. They dont give you the complete picture or tell you what its like over there or how much money to ask for. You will spend more time looking for answers than finding a job. I know because it took me over five months of 12-hour days to figure out what to do.

Read Also: Social Security Office Martinsburg Wv

Bona Fide Residence Test

To qualify for bona fide residence, you must establish a permanent residence in a foreign country and maintain it for at least a full calendar year. Your intention must be to reside in the foreign country for an indefinite period of time.

Alternatively, you can establish a tax home by having a primary place of business in a foreign country and by intending to keep that place of business for at least a year. This means that going overseas on a temporary assignment expected to last less than a year would preclude you from qualifying for the FEIE. In the event you do not qualify for FEIE, all of your income will continue to be taxable in the US. Please keep in mind that if you do not qualify for the FEIE but are required to pay tax to the foreign country in which you work, you will be able to take a foreign tax credit on the income earned and taxed in the foreign country.

How Much Do Overseas Security Jobs Pay

Overseas security jobs traditionally pay very lucratively.

There are several reasons why private military contractor jobs pay well.

First, it is based on location.

Jobs that require U.S. citizens to travel extensively or live in remote places for months at a time, reward employees financially because of the inconvenience.

However, if you havent yet started a family or love to travel than an overseas job is perfect for your interests.

Secondly, since these jobs have to do with security there is the element of hazard pay.

How many jobs can you think of where you might not make it home that night in one piece?

People that work security understand the risks and dangers associated with the work and are reward handsomely with pay.

While your pay in overseas security will vary based on the exact job title and company, you can expect salaries starting at $50,000 per year.

However, it is not uncommon to quickly ascend the ranks and earn six figures a year in overseas security.

There are several private military contractors that earn $200,000 or more a year, depending on the level of danger involved.

Furthermore, many private military contractor jobs are tax-free which is a huge incentive.

Related Article:15 Best States For Military Retirees And Veterans

Don’t Miss: Can You Work Part Time On Social Security Disability

List Of Overseas Occupations Most Needed

The federal overseas jobs that are most often available are listed below, click on the occupational title for a list of current job vacancies:

Also visit the Department of Defenses civilian employment center at . This site is a wealth of information and includes extensive job listings.

Overseas Veteran Contractor Jobs

• Estimated $117K – $148K a yearContract

• Analyze, plan and develop requirements and standards in reference to scheduled projects.
• Assign and oversee the daily tasks of technical personnel while

Read Also: How Much Does Short Term Disability Pay In Ny

Common Overseas Security Jobs

The career path accommodates former service members, yet is not restricted to just ex-military.

There are several different career paths to consider under the broad term of overseas security jobs.

The three most common overseas security jobs are related to:

Security is best defined as procedures followed or measures taken to ensure the safety of a state or organization.

Therefore, providing security may exist in many different forms.

Personal security is hired for anything from asset protection to counter-terrorism.

Overseas companies of all sizes will hire security to help make sure their assets are not bothered and personnel is protected.

Questions About Your Us Expat Taxes

With so much to consider for military contractors, you may be left with questions specific to your situation. click here to get started on your expat tax return with us today, and well help to answer any of your questions and talk through what youll need to do for the next steps in the expat tax filing process. Youll even learn the answer to Do military contractors pay taxes?

Read Also: Signs Of Ptsd In Firefighters

Here Are The Top 5 Reasons To Work Overseas

1) YOUR FIRST $107,600 is TAX-FREE!Let me repeat that. the maximum amount of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion is $107,600 for the current tax year. This tax cut alone will skyrocket your savings.

2) TURBO CHARGE YOUR SAVINGS RATEYou can have zero living costs for food, housing, electric, and internet. Everything that you typically pay for at home is provided free overseas, so you save at an extreme rate.

3) FINANCIAL FREEDOMYou will quickly pay off all your debts. When your debts are paid, you will have peace of mind that you havent felt since you were a kid. You will never worry about credit card debt, school loans, or car payments again.

4) YOUR INTERNATIONAL RESUME OPENS DOORSYour overseas work experience makes your resume stand out from the crowd when you can add your international work history.

5) GET AWAY FROM HOMEHere is an opportunity to start over and get away from whatever is bothering you in your life right now like a crazy ex, an evil boss, bill collectors, whoever or whatever. You can pull the eject lever and get paid well for doing it.

Security Contracting For Veterans

This is one career path where you wont need to tame down that military lingo or avoid talking about your hard-core combat experience. The overwhelming majority of security contractors are ex-military personnel, but as you can imagine, they are not the people who spent the majority of their time behind a desk.

Private security companies seek skilled commissioned and non-commissioned officers with combat arms experience, but have a strong preference for ex-Special Forces candidates. You must be ready to deploy, in peak physical condition, and ideally have expertise in jungle or urban combat, intelligence, weapons, maritime security, explosives, VIP close protection, or personnel extraction operations. Paramedic or linguistic skills are an added bonus.

Also Check: Who Can Diagnose Ptsd For Va

Oversea Contractor Veteran Jobs

• Estimated $117K – $148K a yearContract

• Analyze, plan and develop requirements and standards in reference to scheduled projects.
• Assign and oversee the daily tasks of technical personnel while

Us Expat Taxes Explained: Do Military Contractors Pay Taxes

If you are a military contractor, you are likely wondering, do military contractors pay taxes? Generally speaking, military contractors working abroad must follow the same rules as civilian US citizens who work abroad. They must report all of their worldwide income on their US expat taxes, they will likely be eligible for an automatic extension of time to file until June 15th, and they may qualify to exclude some of their foreign earned income from US taxation. However, there are strict distinctions between military contractors and military employees/armed forces personnel. The latter qualify for numerous tax benefits, for which military contractors are ineligible. Below, weve outlined the most important considerations for expat military contractors.

Don’t Miss: Social Security Office Richmond Va

Why Work As A Military Contractor

If the reality of working in remote locations and placing yourself in harms way doesnt deter you. There are some attractive benefits.

Anecdotally, Tier 1 Security Contractors can earn upwards of $600 a day in a hostile area. Annual salaries run from $100K to $250K for those with specialized expertise. And your job wont be boring.

Interested in finding out what defense contracting companies are hiring veterans right now? Search the G.I. Jobs Career Portal for job openings.

Careers For Veterans At Lockheed Martin

At Lockheed Martin, veterans are at the center of everything we do. The products we design, engineer and produce are used by soldiers, sailors and airmen around the world to defend freedom. After your service to our country we are proud to help our military and veteran community successfully transition into civilian careers.

You May Like: Social Security Rock Hill Sc

Civilian Contractor Jobs Overseas

American citizens work all over the world in all sorts of industries. The most lucrative places to work are in the worlds hot spots. Civilian contractors are the brave people who find themselves working an ordinary job in a war zone.

Civilian contractors work in every imaginable field health care, security, engineering, education, construction, transportation, interpreters, advising, truck drivers, food prep, telecommunications, accounting, mine removal, or military. Courageous civilians fill these roles to help manage and improve conflict and post conflict areas.

Civilian contractors work for private military companies, government, international, and civil organizations. They are authorized to aid the military and help improve situations. Its a risky job because of the location. Civilian contractors find employment in places like Afghanistan, Kosovo, Israel, Qatar, Caribbean, Japan, Italy, Korea, Colombia, Liberia, China, France, Turkey, Iraq, or Iran.

Every civilian contractor has experience in his field before he signs up for these contract based, or temporary, jobs. Its basically job outsourcing, so the military can withdraw. The jobs help to stabilize an area.

Working as a civilian contractor is risky and dangerous. The unexpected kidnapping, explosion, or attack creates chaotic living and working conditions. Essentially, you do the same job in the battlefields of the world as you would in tranquil Missouri or relaxing Oregon.

Eagle Eye International Protective Services

Headquartered in San Diego, EEIPS’ website says it was founded “to meet the demand for protective services in Mexico and Latin America in the 2000s” but expanded to Europe, Africa and the Middle East “to secure our clients’ assets, infrastructure and personnel around the world.”

Like other companies on this list, it is a strategic-level security management group comprised of highly experienced professionals who come from diverse backgrounds, ranging from industrial security to financial services, law enforcement, military special operations and intelligence arenas.

Related: Does your resume pass the 6-second test? Get a FREE assessment.

Don’t Miss: How To Help Someone With Ptsd From War

Writing That First Draft Of Your Resume

Overseas contractor resumes for veterans seeking overseas employment should describe the following skills in detail, where applicable:

• Training and experience in specialty tasks relevant to the contractors business operation
• Ability to speak fluent English
• Advanced weapons and safety training for contract security jobs
• Experience and competence in crisis management, law enforcement, protective services, and crowd control
• Interpreting expertise
• Security clearance as a U.S. veteran

Dont forget to include medals, awards, and accommodations you received while serving as a member of the U.S. Armed Forcesyou earned them. Also, while concentrating on de-militarizing your skillsets and knowledge, remember to proofread for spelling and grammatical errors. Most foreign employers and their hiring managers seeking qualified applicants for overseas contractor jobs can read, write, and speak English quite well. Finally, numerically describing your achievementsinstead of writing out the numberwill attract the attention of whoever is scanning your resume.

For example, if you were in charge of a large number of troops, write the number as 200, not two hundred. Adding impressive-looking numbers to your overseas contractor resume naturally, makes someone look more like the take-charge type.

For more help with writing your own overseas contractor resume, contact us today to speak to one of our professional veteran resume writers.

Are There Any Entry

Absolutely, getting into overseas security provides one of the best opportunities for advancement in a career path.

In fact, it is actually really similar to serving in the U.S. Armed Forces because you enter the ranks at the entry-level and have to work your way up.

Though it is possible to earn six figures for overseas private contract work you need to exercise patience.

Most available private overseas security jobs are entry-level and lower-paying between $50,000 to $75,000 per year.

However, like the military, you can earn promotions through dedication and hard work.

Contractors must build a reputation and credentials for private firms to prove their abilities and reliability.

So with a little patience and hard work you can make a killing in overseas security.

Also Check: What Neck Problems Qualify For Disability