Military and civil service personnel having similar job types and from comparable accounting and finance career ladders were compared on several attributes. The data reveal certain distinct differences between the two populations with the magnitude of the differences being highly variable as functions of specific job types considered. Generally, civilians perform a larger number of tasks, the tasks and overall jobs they perform are more difficult, they find their jobs more interesting, and feel that their jobs make greater use of their talents and training. In view of these differences in attributes and the potentially higher cost of military personnel, conversion of certain military positions to civilian positions to meet operational needs appears feasible. Unique attributes of civilian and military personnel also point out the necessity for further research into their causes and consequent effects in such areas as promotion, skill upgrading, career progression, worker attitudes, and retention. The need for investigation appears more critical for the airmen population because of their expressed job dissatisfaction, particularly those performing disbursement accounting functions where simple highly repetitive tasks tend to predominate. (Author)