- Sharp shooters use specialized weapons to achieve specific objectives. Snipers are a part of police SWAT teams, FBI tactical operations teams and military platoons. Snipers use their top-shot abilities to fire at designated targets from hidden positions. These expert riflemen also conduct surveillance operations to gain insightful intelligence about the enemy and potentially hostile situations. Snipers are often teamed with "spotters," who calculate distances and wind conditions for a given target.
- The salary range for sharp shooters can vary significantly. Among the primary influencing factors are experience, rank and location. At the time of publication, a lower-end salary for a U.S. Marine sniper with a rank of lance corporal is $22,064, excluding special pay such as imminent danger compensation, according to the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Talented expert marksmen are generally selected by higher ranking officers to become snipers.
- The pay at the higher end of the salary range for snipers can be much higher. The increasing factors consist of organization, rank and seniority. For example, a SWAT police sniper for a major city holding the rank of police sergeant with vast experience can earn over $85,000 according to the Houston Police Department at the time of publication.
- The market outlook for sharp shooters is favorable for well-qualified individuals. Employment is expected to grow 10 percent between 2008 and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Snipers can enhance the demand for their services by gaining relevant military experience and achieving higher ranks with their chosen organizations. As long as situations requiring stealth and strategical strikes continue to increase, the demand for snipers will continue to grow.
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