The majority of employment opportunities available to Fort Rucker
family members can be found in four southeast Alabama towns: Enterprise in
Coffee County, Daleville and Ozark in Dale County, and Dothan in Houston
County. Fort Rucker's three main gates are at Enterprise, Daleville,
and Ozark. Dothan is approximately 20 miles southeast of the
installation. The average unemployment rate for the Fort Rucker area is 6%. The
prospect for finding a job in the communities surrounding Fort Rucker would be
considered good, however, salaries are low. The average salary for secretaries
and bookkeepers with experience is $7.00-$8.50 per hour. Production
and construction workers can usually draw slightly higher hourly rates than
office workers can. Retail sales and childcare positions average $5.15 per
hour. Dothan offers the largest number of job opportunities for
clerical, sales and production workers.
Teaching positions in grades K-12
are not readily available. Family members with teacher certification
from other states often substitute teach. Substitute teacher pay
averages $45 per day in off-post public schools. In order to substitute teach in
any Alabama school, a person is required to pay a $69 fee to register with the
State Board of Education. Substitute teacher pay at Fort Rucker
Department of Defense Schools is $50 a day.
Many family members stationed
at Fort Rucker find employment with national and local no-fee employment
agencies.
For job hunting purposes, be sure to hand carry all employment
records and documents, resumes, SF 171 or OF 612, SF 50s, transcripts,
certificates and licenses.
The payment of unemployment benefits depends
upon what state you are transferring from and the policy in that state. You can
apply for unemployment benefits on line. You may call for more
information, Ozark, (334) 774- 9386, Enterprise, and (334) 347-0044, Dothan,
(334) 792-2121. The hours of operation for all offices are
0800-1630.