Military Metrics
5,200
Average annual number of personnel separating from the military in FGNW.
2,250
Veterans may remain in the NWFL region to join the civilian workforce.
85%
Of transitioning talent are Air Force, Navy, or Army separations.
Every year in Northwest Florida, a quiet handoff happens. Uniforms come off, civilian badges go on. On average, 5,200 service members separate annually in the region, and roughly 2,250 of them stay to power local companies. Most of this talent flows from three branches, with 85 percent coming out of the Air Force, Navy, and Army.
Separations
Source: Estimates from Lightcast, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment & Wages, US Census Bureau. Data visualization provided by the UWF Haas Center.
The separations timeline spans 2001 through 2026, a long view that helps employers plan for steady intake rather than one-off spikes.
Reliable Talent Pipeline
5,000+ new veterans every year equals a resume stack you can count on when scaling.
Clearance Credential Savings
A Tier鈥�5 (Top鈥慡ecret/SCI) investigation now bills at $5,355鈥�(DCSA - Defense Counterintelligence & Security Agency FY鈥�25 rate); hiring veterans who already hold it wipes that cost, and months of waiting, off your books.
GI鈥態ill鈥慞owered Upskilling
Local colleges and universities (University of West Florida, Northwest Florida State, Gulf鈥疌oast State) convert GI鈥態ill dollars into your custom certificate needs, zero training鈥恇udget drain.
Retention via Lifestyle & VA Benefits
Beach-front living, no state income tax, and VA medical hubs keep turnover low.
Survey Results: Status at Time of Survey
Source: Military Survey(s): CareerSource Okaloosa Walton 2015-2025 & Haas Center 2025. Data visualization provided by the UWF Haas Center.
Most respondents are already in the civilian lane: 57 percent separated or retired, 23 percent active duty, 20 percent spouses.
Survey Results: Local Military Installation at Time of Separation
Source: Military Survey(s): CareerSource Okaloosa Walton 2015-2025 & Haas Center 2025. Data visualization provided by the UWF Haas Center.
If you only recruit at two places, make them Eglin and Hurlburt. Together they account for 88.4 percent of local separations.
Survey Results: Non-Local Military Installation at Time of Separation
Source: Military Survey(s): CareerSource Okaloosa Walton 2015-2025 & Haas Center 2025. Data visualization provided by the UWF Haas Center.
Map it to your outreach plan. Start in Florida (16.2 percent), then target Virginia (7.7 percent), California (7.7 percent), Georgia (6.8 percent), and North Carolina (6.0 percent). The funnel is wide and coast to coast.
Survey Results: Branch of Service
Source: Military Survey(s): CareerSource Okaloosa Walton 2015-2025 & Haas Center 2025. Data visualization provided by the UWF Haas Center.
Aim your outreach at the big three: Air Force 33.0 percent, Navy 28.8 percent, Army 23.6 percent. Together they supply 85.4 percent of transitioning talent.
Active Duty
Source: Estimates from Defense Spending, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency, Lightcast, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Florida Department of Commerce. Data visualization provided by the UWF Haas Center.
NWFL has experienced robust growth in Military-only occupations, with a 13.4 percent increase (2,360 jobs) from 2019-2024, far outpacing the national growth rate of 0.2 percent. From 2024-2029, these occupations are projected to grow by 4.4 percent (883 jobs), compared to a 0.4 percent national increase.
Regional job concentration in NWFL is 601 percent higher than the national average, with median earnings for Military-only occupations at $24.10 per hour—$4.29 above the national median.