After leaving the military the USO was the only employer I've found which has been able to give me a sense of purpose. - Communications USO Employee Review

4.0
Mar 27, 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Great culture!! Purpose-driven colleagues. Great location in the middle of Arlington, and a brand everyone respects. With many jobs you might be in a rush to get home from work so you can take off the branded polo shirt before you go to happy hour but not at the USO. It's almost like a badge of honor in the D.C. area. More than a few times service members have offered to buy me a drink or have said "thank you" because of those three letters on my shirt or cap. When you leave work every day, you feel like you helped change someones life for the better. The health benefits are great. So good, in fact, that even my wife who works for a healthcare company doesn't have better coverage. lol. True story. She makes like three times my salary and she's on my PPO. haha.

Cons

Arlington is expensive, and being a 501c3 non-profit the USO isn't breaking the bank with super high salaries and they shouldn't be expected to. That would only decrease their GuideStar ratings. They also have not been very keen on the idea of working remote, so you might have to live out of town and commute in, which is doable here with Metro. Fortunately if you do have to take metro the USO gives you a monthly metro stipend as one of the benefits, so your commute should be free. In my experience the only other "con" I've seen has been the limitation of personal and professional growth.

Explore other reviews about USO

5.0
Jul 13, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

~Professional Development Opportunities ~No experience needed to start ~Fun work environment ~Low stress job

Cons

~High turn around rate (military spouses) ~Potentially odd working hours

1.0
Jun 23, 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

- The mission is genuinely compelling. - Frontline staff, volunteers, and managers perform miracles with limited resources. - You will meet some of the most dedicated people you may ever encounter in your career. - Excellent place to develop skills in: change management, risk management, stakeholder management, emotional regulation, and archaeology; you will spend a surprising amount of time conducting excavations to determine why something exists and who promised it to a donor in 2018.

Cons

- HQ Culture: Imagine watching a group of people dismantle an airplane while simultaneously debating the best paint color for the replacement aircraft. - Leadership: Frequently expresses a desire for innovation, and has addressed this challenge through repeated reductions in operational capacity and institutional knowledge. - Talent Strategy: The organization appears committed to transforming itself into a modern, agile nonprofit while drawing heavily from leadership talent pools whose formative experience was gained in organizations that were not required to be either modern or agile. - Technology: Several systems are simultaneously mission critical, underfunded, being replaced, not being replaced, going away, and required forever. The status depends on which meeting you attended. - Operational Strategy: Announcements, initiatives, and reorganizations arrive with impressive speed. The supporting operational plans occasionally arrive later.

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