Royal Marines commando

As a Royal Marine, you will serve in the front-line fighting force of the Royal Navy. You will train to operate in a wide range of conditions, from tropical jungles to the freezing Arctic. Teamwork is everything!

Also known as

Marines commando

Work activities

As a Royal Marine commando, you will belong to the Royal Navy’s front line fighting force. You will be operating at sea, in the air and on land - and will be trained in jungle, mountain and Arctic warfare techniques. You will learn how to land, using landing craft, and to secure your position on every type of coastline. Helicopters are also used to transport commandos inland as part of assault operations. Sometimes, as a Royal Marine, you may serve on board Royal Navy ships, taking part in naval operations. Most likely, you will start as a general duty marine, before going on to train in one of the many specialist positions available. As a commando, you must be prepared to live and serve anywhere in the UK and overseas. You must be prepared to work in the most difficult, dangerous (and sometimes life-threatening) conditions.

Personal qualities and skills

As a Royal Marines commando, you need to be:

Determined.
Cool-headed.
Reliable.
Energetic.
Flexible and adaptable.
A great teamworker.
Stamina.
Quick reactions.
A sense of responsibility.
A readiness to obey orders.
A sense of adventure.

Pay and opportunities

Pay ranges from £15,600 a year as a trainee to £51,000 depending on your role, rank and length of service.

Hours of work for Royal Marines vary depending on operational requirements but may include shifts, early starts, late finishes, weekend work and working on public holidays. As a commando, you may need to work at short notice and you should expect to work longer hours during military exercises or on operational missions.

Competition for entry to the Royal Marines is very strong.

Royal Marines units are based in Somerset, Devon, Dorset and Scotland. Commandos can expect to be deployed anywhere in the world, often at short notice.

Where are vacancies advertised?

See the Royal Marines pages of the Royal Navy website for the latest recruitment information.

Entry routes and training

For the Royal Marines you have to be: at least 15 years old and 9 months when you apply, over 16 years old on entry, and under 33 years old when you begin basic training, Women are recruited into all parts of the Royal Marines, all pay scales and role related fitness standards are the same, and unrelated to gender. A level 2 (intermediate) apprenticeship is available.

First, you do a recruit test, covering English and maths, problem solving and mechanical understanding. If you pass the recruit test, then there’s a medical, eye test and pre-joining fitness test, followed by an interview. If you pass, basic training is at the Royal Marine training centre at Lympstone.

When you join the Royal Marines, you will receive 32 weeks’ training at the commando training centre at Lympstone. It is said to be one of the toughest and longest basic training programmes in the world. After 32 weeks of successful training, you will be awarded your green beret, and you can call yourself a Royal Marine commando.

There is a clear route of progression and promotion available to commandos in the Royal Marines.

Rehabilitation of Offenders Act: Some careers in the Royal Marines are exceptions to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. This means that you must supply information about any spent or unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands or warnings, if asked. This is different from other careers, where you only have to reveal information on unspent convictions if you are asked to.

Qualifications

You do not need educational qualifications to become a Royal Marines commando. There are no academic requirements for the apprenticeship. As well as age restrictions, you must also meet a range of physical criteria to ensure you have adequate physical fitness for the role.

Adult opportunities

Age limits apply to this occupation. The age range for joining the Royal Marines is 16 to 32.

Related careers

Army soldier
Firefighter
RAF airman/woman
Royal marines officer
Royal navy rating