May is Military Appreciation Month, which seeks to honor and recognize the service and sacrifices that Veterans and present U.S. Armed Forces have made. Military Appreciation Month includes days like Armed Forces Day (third Saturday in May) and Memorial Day (last Monday in May), but we do not always focus on the people who have served our country. Our veterans are brave men and women who care for our country, and we take this month as a time to honor them for their service after making the sharp transition out of the field and into a new one.
Congress officially designated May as National Military Appreciation Month in 1999, celebrating a rich history of service and spreading further awareness. Why was May chosen when arguments could be made for many other months? May includes Loyalty Day (May 1st), established in 1921, Children of Fallen Patriots Day, and Victory in Europe (VE – May 8th) Day, which celebrates the end of the brutality of World War II in Europe in May of 1945. It also includes Military Spouse Appreciation Day (the Friday before Mother’s Day), a special day to give credit to the military spouses who have kept houses running and lives moving forward while the world keeps spinning.
This is a powerful lineup of days to recognize the layered history of our military, show our gratitude, and recognize members of our forces, their families, and major milestones.
The Perfect Skill Set
It is vital to applaud the diverse skill sets and strengths of veterans who have joined the civilian workforce. With so many reasons to hire a Veteran, we want to help promote companies that support Veteran initiatives.
Veterans coming out of duty and transitioning into a career may seem entirely different, but many of the necessary skills remain the same. You need strong leadership skills and the ability to perform well under pressure to work effectively in many different jobs. What better individual to hire than someone who spent years doing exactly that? Even more so, veterans know how to work with other people, which means you can count on them to put aside any differences they may have with a coworker to do the job flawlessly.
Veterans are ready to show up and give it their all, taking responsibility for their given tasks and following through with their work. Time management is a skill that all recruiters are looking for in potential hires, and veterans know more than most how to allocate their time wisely. While in the military, you are trained to think on your feet, meaning that veterans would know how to problem solve more than your average “Joe from accounting.”
People, let alone companies, do not always think about global perspectives and diverse outlooks. Now, seeing a skill like this tells recruiters that their interviewee could be the perfect addition to their team. Veterans have lived in different parts of the country and the rest of the world, showing cultural awareness, resilience, and insight into diversity.
Employing Veterans
As of February 2025, the veteran unemployment rate was at 4.0%, up from 3.8% in January and 2.8% in February of 2024. The unemployment rate for female veterans is significantly higher at 4.5% compared to male veterans, 4.0%. However, since 2021, more employers have pledged to hire veterans. While some employers may have been hesitant to hire veterans in the past due to a lack of experience or training, this is no longer as much of an issue as military training is now more aligned with the needs of today’s businesses. The skills that veterans bring translate well into many industries, including IT, cybersecurity, engineering, healthcare, and airlines.
If you are a recruiter, what are you waiting for? A veteran could be the perfect candidate for your company’s needs. And if you are a veteran, your skills would be perfect for many different companies and careers.
20 Veteran-Committed Companies
Who are these companies that hire veterans? Here are some of the companies that we recognize that honor our heroes and demonstrate a commitment to hiring veterans.
- Achieve
- ADP
- Air2o
- Axon
- Bank of America
- CBRE
- CDW (2025 Military Friendly Employer)
- Cox Communications
- Deloitte (2025 Military Friendly Employer)
- Desert Financial Credit Union
- Donor Network
- Freeport-McMoRan
- Goosehead Insurance
- Habitat for Humanity of Central Arizona
- KUBRA
- Mayo Clinic (2025 Military Friendly Employer)
- Northern Trust
- Republic Services
- USAA (2025 Military Friendly Employer)
- WillScot
Check out a list of more military-friendly employers recognized in 2025, as well as the 2024 “Hiring Our Heroes” finalists. The U.S. Veterans Magazine also has the 2024 “Top Veteran-Friendly Companies” list for even more companies to read up on. If anyone is deserving of a top job with a friendly company worthy of benefiting you, it would be our beloved veterans.
The Takeaway
These are just a few of the best companies for veterans, but it doesn’t stop there! Each of the employers on our list is committed to hiring military service members, veterans, and their spouses. These organizations offer a variety of resources to support veteran employees and their families, including training and development programs, mentorship opportunities, job shadowing opportunities, community involvement, and more.
Military service members and veterans alike have a unique skill set that many companies value. Learn to leverage your skills, transition out of the military, and find veteran job help on BestCompaniesAZ to land your next career.
