lieutenant
Snapshot
Are you a natural leader with a strong sense of duty? As a lieutenant, you'll command and guide teams of soldiers, playing a vital role in training, discipline, and strategic operations.
A lieutenant's role is multifaceted, requiring both tactical expertise and administrative skill. You’ll be responsible for the well-being and performance of your assigned platoon, ensuring they are prepared for a wide range of scenarios. This involves leading training exercises, enforcing discipline, and providing guidance to your team. You'll also handle administrative tasks and serve as a key advisor to higher-ranking officers.
- • Commanding and leading platoons of soldiers in training and operational environments.
- • Overseeing the discipline and welfare of personnel within your unit.
- • Performing administrative duties related to personnel, equipment, and logistics.
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Deeper colour: reported the same way in more consecutive years.
Figures cover Commissioned armed forces officers — 12 jobs including this one.
Every place assessed is in shortage.
Longest-running shortage: Netherlands, 3 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
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Could lieutenant fit you?
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Future Outlook for lieutenant
The outlook for lieutenant is exceptionally stable. While AI tools will assist with daily tasks, the core of this role relies on human judgment, resulting in a high resilience score of 74%.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could lieutenant change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How could lieutenant change as AI adoption grows?
Human judgement, trust, and context remain strong protectors for this role.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- train military troops
- instruct in military duties
- maintain operational communications
Where AI may become a co-pilot
Limited AI co-pilot overlap right now.
Tasks most exposed to automation
- write situation reports
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Management & Entrepreneurship
A typical day as a lieutenant
09 09:00 · Morning instruct in military duties
10 10:30 · Mid-morning manage administrative systems
12 12:00 · Midday advise superiors on military operations
14 14:00 · Afternoon ensure compliance with policies
15 15:30 · Late afternoon lead military troops
17 17:00 · Wrap-up maintain operational communications
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
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camouflage
The different kinds of materials and specialised clothing used for concealment of people, vehicles or other equipment.
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geographic information systems
The tools involved in geographical mapping and positioning, such as GPS (global positioning systems), GIS (geographical information systems), and RS (remote sensing).
- military code
- military combat techniques
- military drill
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train military troops
Train military troops or people in training to join the force in drill, combat techniques, weaponry, regulations, operation procedures, camouflage, and other military practices.
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instruct in military duties
Give theoretical and practical classes to future soldiers concerning their military duties and activities.
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lead military troops
Lead the actions of military troops on the field during a mission, either combat, humanitarian or otherwise defensive, compliant with the strategies devised prior to the operation and ensuring communication with other troops is maintained.
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advise superiors on military operations
Advise on the strategic decisions made by superiors on deployment, mission tactics, resource allocation or other military operation specifics, to help superiors reach a better decision and to provide them with any relevant information for a military operation or functioning of the military organisations in general.
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manage administrative systems
Ensure administrative systems, processes and databases are efficient and well managed and give the sound basis to work together with the administrative officer/staff/professional.
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write situation reports
Write reports according to specifications and regulations of an organisation on the situation which needs to be reported on, such as the status of an investigation, of intelligence gathering, or of missions and operations.
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ensure compliance with policies
To ensure compliance with legislation and company procedures in respect of Health and Safety in the workplace and public areas, at all times. To ensure awareness of and compliance with all Company Policies in relation to Health and Safety and Equal Opportunities in the workplace. To carry out any other duties which may reasonably be required.
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maintain operational communications
Maintain communications between different departments of an organisation, between the staff, or during specific operations or missions, to ensure that the operation or mission is successful, or that the organisation functions smoothly.
Skill DNA
Work personality traits and values that define this role
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Where does lieutenant fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
Frequently asked questions
- What kind of training would I receive to become a lieutenant?
- Training varies depending on the branch of service, but generally includes officer candidate school or a military academy, followed by specialized training relevant to your area of assignment. This training focuses on leadership, tactics, strategy, and military law.
- What are the typical career progression paths for a lieutenant?
- Following experience as a lieutenant, opportunities exist to advance to captain and beyond, taking on progressively greater responsibilities in command, staff positions, or specialized roles. Continued professional development and education are often required for advancement.
- What skills are most important for success as a lieutenant?
- Strong leadership abilities, excellent communication skills, the ability to make sound decisions under pressure, and a commitment to teamwork are crucial. Adaptability, problem-solving skills, and a thorough understanding of military procedures are also highly valued.
- Lieutenant — is there a shortage in Europe?
- Yes. In the 2025 ELA/EURES edition, a shortage was reported in 3 of the 3 European countries that assessed this occupation group: Czechia, Netherlands, Slovakia. Netherlands has reported one for 3 consecutive years. These assessments are published per occupation group rather than per job title.