Salary
Average Salary: $75,000
Expected Lifetime Earnings: $3,131,100
The average coast guard swimmer makes almost $74,000 a year, with a starting pay of nearly $61,000, and that doesn't even account for extras like hazard pay (source).
And of course, depending on whether you're an officer or where you're stationed, you'll make different amounts of money.
For instance, the average pay for a Coast Guard officer in Kodiak, Alaska, is almost $93,000, and that would go up to $109,000 after a few years on the job (source).
The average yearly salary for a Coast Guard officer in Nashua, New Hampshire, is almost $110,000 (source).
The Coast Guard has a complex schedule of payments with regard to the kind of job you do and where you're stationed; however, all jobs include full health benefits, vacations, and perks like paid training and a college education.
And don't forget all those snazzy military discounts.