You’ve heard the term “time is money” — and that’s true. The more time you save, the more money you’ll earn. That’s why it pays to be a saver and put your hours to good use, rather than filling your life with time-wasting activities. That’s where Financial Management Technician (MOS 36B) comes in. With this degree program, you will learn how to manage financial resources while creating steady streams of income for yourself or even businesses related to insurance services or other financial products.
After all, you don’t want to spend time wandering through life. You want to know how to get from Point A to Point B in the quickest, most efficient way possible. In the Financial Management Technician MOS program, an emphasis is placed on financial status reporting and data analysis in service of organizational goals. This program is specifically designed with only online courses so students can stay focused on their studies rather than their missions or jobs. Let’ look at this article to find out:
MOS 36B is a part of List of Army MOS Codes.
Table of Contents
MOS 36B Requirements: Qualifications and Skills
In order to become a MOS 36B, there are a few requirements you need to acquire:
Qualifications
ASVAB scores must be valid at the time of application to qualify for consideration
Be required to participate in Basic Combat Training for 10 weeks and 8 weeks of attendance of Advanced Individual Training (AIT). A 101 score on the Clerical segment is required.
Familiar with numbers
The ability to work with numbers falls into two broad categories: the ability to work with numbers that are whole numbers and the ability to work with algebra or calculus. Fractions are generally used in financial applications, often as a way of expressing credits and debits. The financial applications may make extensive use of this concept by using fractional amounts in calculations. Fractions are often harder to work with than whole numbers. They are awkward to measure, making it hard to put numbers into standard notation.
Statistics and accounting interest
MOS 36B soldiers will have an interest in statistics and accounting. Soldiers who are interested in math should also consider this MOS because it requires a knowledge of multiplication, division, fractions, percentages, decimals, algebraic expressions, and equations for solving problems.
An interest in math
For MOS 36B soldiers to be successful, they must have an interest in math. They should also have a working knowledge of both addition and subtraction because these operations are used the most frequently when calculating various problems, including pay computations, inventory management, or investment margin analysis. The use of computers and office equipment is required for this job as well.
Using computers and office equipment
The skills required to perform the job of a Financial Management Technician fall into three main categories. The first requires the ability to work with numbers, including a wide range of arithmetic, algebra, and calculus. The second requires an interest in statistics and accounting. The third requires the ability to use office equipment such as desktop computers with Microsoft Office software. In addition, they may need some familiarity with the financial applications that are used in their unit’s business enterprises, as well as familiarity with the terminology used by these applications. For example, if the financial system is designed would require cost estimates from commercial activities, then it needs to include computers that can provide these estimates promptly and accurately.
Job Responsibilities
The financial management technician performs administrative, accounting, and related clerical duties. Clerical duties include application forms, statistical presentations, tax returns, and other reports, servicing of the general ledger system of accounts for timely tracking of all financial transactions.
Financial management is essential to all aspects of military readiness. Each MOS has a specific skill set with regard to financial management procedures, so it’s important that these technicians are knowledgeable about each MOS’s duties before they complete their MOS selection process. Likewise, it is important that they remain current with changes to their job description as well as any changes to their direct supervisor’s responsibilities.
Budgeting and accounting
A Financial Management Technician’s primary responsibility is accounting for budgets and expenditures related to the Army’s financial activities. They keep track of all budgetary expenditures, maintain inventory records, and make certain that expenditure reports are accurate. They have responsibility for all financial activities which have a direct bearing on the Army funds. These activities include budgets, finance, control, acquisition policy and execution, authorization of appropriations and expenditures through supervision of financial data collecting and recording functions. Financial Management Technicians monitor the work of Financial Accountants in providing accurate financial reports to Headquarters, Department of Defense, and other agencies.
MOS 36B is also responsible for providing position budget data for approved actions in a timely manner. The technician will be responsible for updating budgetary information systems immediately after changes are made in a budget item. This will ensure the accuracy of the data presented to the budgetary manager and other agencies. It will also help ensure the accuracy of government funds used to support military readiness activities. Besides, they also recommend changes to the command budget. This may be accomplished by providing recommendations on the budget reduction or adjustments based on projected costs of operations or changes to supporting agencies, or it may be accomplished by recommending transfers of funds between accounts.
Safeguard money
The Army offers the Financial Management Technician (MOS 36B) as a management and specialist role, which falls under the finance career field. In this role, soldiers are responsible for managing government funds and property, serving as a personal financial advisor to Soldiers and their families, teaching Soldiers about military pay and benefits so they can take care of their finances on their own, monitoring check requests from Units/Subordinate Commands for errors or fraud attempts before releasing them to be cashed by the payee, taking responsibility for all financial transactions within a garrison headquarters by processing purchase orders, travel vouchers and requisitions that allocate funds to subordinate units/subunits.
Analyzing financial data
The Financial Management Technician (MOS 36B) is responsible for analyzing financial data, such as reports and company expenses, for assisting management in gathering and evaluating financial information. This position performs tasks involved with accounting; those tasks include preparing the general ledger bookkeeping journal, preparing Balance Sheets and Trial Balance together with explanations of all transactions on the books, preparing income statements including profit or loss analysis, projecting cash flow by forecasting production costs for the upcoming period including period end summary, preparing budgets by estimating amounts needed for product purchase budgets. The Financial Management Technician also prepares expense reports according to U.S. Census Bureau guidelines under the supervision of management or supervisor.
Preparing travel vouchers
The financial management technician performs administrative duties in the command’s finance section, which includes preparing travel vouchers; processing travel claims; managing the command’s movement of personnel and equipment to various remote or overseas locations; maintaining accountability of company funds; managing the performance evaluations for all assigned personnel within the finance section; providing budgeting services for deployed units; providing fiscal training to assigned units in support of their deployment preparation programs. The financial manager technician must work closely with other functional areas (e.g., supply, transportation) to ensure that administrative needs are met.
Currency support
MOS 36B serves as a focal point for the financial activities of the unit. It conducts financial management reports, assists with accounting for military funds, manages sections of AR 310-11 and AR 310-20, monitors financial indicators to provide early warnings on trends in the unit’s ability to fund its operations based on known economic factors, provides input to support decisions on finance actions involving equipment depreciation or overhauls, prepares document related to retention of military property. As a Financial Management Technician, provides support to all financial management actions relating to military pay, finance training, and finance activities.
Salaries
As in the Army, the salary depends largely on the individual’s rank or time in service. Here is a list of Pay Grade, Rank, and Minimum Monthly Pay:
Private (E-1), Min Pay: $1785
Private Second Class (E-2), Min Pay: $2001
Private First Class (E-3), Min Pay: $2104
Specialist (E-4), Min Pay: $2330
Corporal (E-4), Min Pay: $2330
Sergeant (E-5), Min Pay: $2542
Staff Sergeant (E-6), Min Pay: $2775
Sergeant First Class (E-7), Min Pay: $3208
Master Sergeant (E-8), Min Pay: $4480
First Sergeant (E-8), Min Pay: $4480
Sergeant Major (E-9), Min Pay: $5473
Command Sergeant Major (E-9), Min Pay: $5473
Sergeant Major of the Army (E-9), Min Pay: $5473
Benefits
There are several benefits associated with MOS 36B:
Housing assistance
This is provided in one form or another to personnel who are separated from the military for reasons other than dishonorable discharge, court-martial, or medical disqualification. Other benefits include low-cost life insurance and health care.
Cheap life insurance
Military members will be able to get cheap life coverage when they’re retiring by transferring their back pay into a non-service retirement account at the military’s rate of one hundred twenty percent of their monthly basic housing allowance.
Medical care
Staff members going into the financial management technician field will have access to medical care for themselves and family members that are different from that which civilian employees receive
Tuition Assistance
The Army MOS 36B is eligible for Tuition Assistance (T.A.) to help pay for college courses. The Soldier must be enrolled in a degree or certificate program at a qualifying institution. The tuition assistance courses must lead to an associate’s or bachelor’s degree or another credential such as a vocational certificate that will make the Soldier more valuable to the Army and U.S. society in general or improve the Soldier’s performance of his or her duty assignments.
Career Opportunities
The position of Financial Management Technician is categorized under Military Occupation Specialties (MOS) 36B. The MOS 36B position consists of two Army occupational specialties: Financial Management Technician-Army Consumer Finance Coordinator and Financial Management Technician-Army Reserve Finance Coordinator. The primary purpose of this MOS is to assist the commander with the management and execution of resource and risk management programs in order to effectively and efficiently provide for assigned units.
Bookkeeper
A bookkeeper is responsible for the maintenance and safeguarding of all financial records and accounts of an organization. This includes receipts, invoices, bank deposits, and other documents. Generally, a bookkeeper also compiles and reconciles ledgers and journals to ensure they match up with each other. It is the recording of financial transactions as well as other business dealings; preparing entries in journals, ledgers, and double-entry books; reconciling records; organizing the company’s receipts, bills, expenditures, assets, liabilities, and capital.
Accounting
Accountants collect information about a company’s accounts (general ledger) in order to provide insight into that organization’s financial position or trends. They study these accounts to find trends that may not be immediately visible by looking at numbers individually. This information can then be used for making decisions about how money should be allocated internally or investing outside funds. Accountants are also tasked with ensuring that financial transactions are properly recorded in the company’s transactions ledger.
Auditing Clerks
An auditing clerk is someone who works in the auditing department of a large corporation. Auditing clerks audit financial statements of companies for accuracy and consistency as well as provide financial data to outside auditors (for example, securities regulators or investors). Auditing clerks examine records and prepare reports on transactions to ensure that accounts balances, assets, liabilities, and expenses remain consistent with those shown in previously submitted records. They help prepare consolidated financial statements. They also may take instructions from the auditor and write narrative reports for clients.
Budget Analysts
The Budget Analyst position is part of the Human Resources function within an organization. Budget analysts prepare budgets, usually for organizations. They may also make recommendations to management concerning revisions. Budget analysts compile information about revenues, expenses, and operating costs to arrive at totals that are within stipulated limits. They then incorporate their findings into financial statements.
Customer Service Representatives
Customer service representatives provide general customer services for the organization, including taking orders, explaining policies, processing credit applications, and performing other functions that maintain customer loyalty or bring in new business. Customer service representatives interact with customers either in person or over the telephone to advise them of products or services available and/or resolve customer complaints. They explain the company’s policies and assist customers with completing forms.
Summary
Overall, the financial management technician provides administrative and technical support to the financial management section, which is responsible for managing all of the assets of an organization. The financial management technician performs a variety of clerical tasks, such as gathering data from various sources, preparing graphs and charts using spreadsheet software, filing documents in numerical or alphabetical order according to prescribed filing rules governing their type, collecting statistical data on an ongoing basis, preparing lists or tables with lists of assets or liabilities according to criteria set forth by the finance officer. The information is then used for economic forecasting and analysis.
FAQs
Is 36B a good MOS?
If you’re interested in the military, then the answer to that question is a resounding yes. If you’re a maverick, who can’t stand being confined by traditional methods, then maybe not so much. 36B is an entry-level MOS for anyone who wants to serve with the National Guard or Army Reserve and focus primarily on financial management or budgeting.
What is 36B in National Guard?
As its name suggests, entry-level MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) 36B is where someone starts their career in the National Guard or Army Reserve. 36B is an entry-level job that gives you some experience in finance or budgeting. 36B is one of the most common MOSs for someone who wants to serve with the National Guard or Army Reserve.
What does a financial management technician do in the Army?
You’re a financial management technician, which means you’re an accountant/budgeter. You prepare detailed monthly reports that are used by other military personnel to track funding and the status of projects. You also analyze information about funding needs, identify funding sources, and make recommendations to project managers on where they should make their next budgeted request. You assist in developing overall financial plans for your organization (unit). You use the Army’s accounting systems and applicable external accounting systems. You update unit financial records (Army funds, non-appropriated funds, and special activities). You compile financial data from individual units for use in unit budget execution, unit status reports, and financial reports.
How much money does a financial management technician make?
The military’s base pay structure is quite simple. You get a monthly salary based on your rank and the number of years you’ve served: it is approximately $40,000 annually. If you’re interested in a military career, then a bonus is a route to consider. The bonus is usually paid in annual increments and paid out on top of your regular salary.
How long is AIT for 68B?
AIT stands for Advanced Individual Training, which is similar to Boot Camp but far more technical. AIT covers the skills and knowledge needed to become an effective member of the military. For MOS 36B, it takes anywhere from 8 – 9 weeks, depending on what your installation’s needs are at the time.