Demolition Technician
$65K- — Commercial explosives certification
- — Safety protocols for civilian demolition
- — Environmental regulations
Marine Corps 0351 (Infantry Assaultman). 420 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $45K–$70K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Industry tech roles your 0351 background maps to — picked from BLS-anchored occupations using your training, cognitive skills, and systems experience.
What 0351 training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
Vets Who Code is a free, full-time software engineering accelerator for veterans, active duty, and military spouses. We close the fundamentals — terminal, web platform, AI tooling, portfolio projects — so the rest of this list becomes specialization, not square one.
See VWC Programs →Cognitive skills your 0351 training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
Infantry Assaultmen must meticulously follow established procedures when handling explosives and breaching techniques to ensure safety and mission success. Deviations can have catastrophic consequences.
This translates to a strong ability to adhere to protocols and regulations in civilian settings, ensuring accuracy and minimizing risks.
Assaultmen must efficiently use limited resources like explosives, breaching tools, and time, often in austere environments, to achieve mission objectives.
You have honed the skill of maximizing output with minimal resources, a valuable asset in project management and operations roles.
Maintaining constant awareness of the surrounding environment, including potential threats, obstacles, and friendly forces, is critical for the assaultman's survival and mission effectiveness.
This heightened awareness allows you to quickly assess situations, anticipate potential problems, and make informed decisions under pressure in any dynamic environment.
Assaultmen operate as part of a team, coordinating their actions with other infantrymen to effectively breach obstacles and neutralize enemy positions.
You excel at coordinating your actions with others to achieve common goals, making you a valuable asset in collaborative work environments.
Adjacent civilian roles your training maps to that conventional military-to-civilian advice tends to miss.
You've been extensively trained in the safe and effective use of explosives for breaching and demolition. This direct experience is highly valuable in the civilian demolition industry. Your knowledge of charge construction, firing systems, and safety protocols is a perfect fit.
Adjacent · MatchYou've been instilled with a deep understanding of safety protocols, especially when handling dangerous materials and executing complex procedures. This experience makes you an ideal candidate to oversee safety on construction sites, preventing accidents and ensuring regulatory compliance.
Adjacent · MatchYou've been rigorously trained in handling and mitigating hazardous situations involving explosives. This expertise directly translates to civilian roles where you'd be responsible for managing and disposing of hazardous materials safely and efficiently.
Adjacent · MatchYou've been trained to recognize vulnerabilities and threats in various environments and develop strategies to mitigate them. You can leverage this knowledge to assess security risks for businesses, design security systems, and train personnel on security protocols.
Adjacent · MatchUp to 6 semester hours in basic explosives and demolition training.
General construction safety topics like scaffolding, electrical safety, and fall protection not heavily emphasized in military demolitions training.
Commercial blasting techniques, regulatory compliance (ATF regulations), and advanced explosives chemistry are areas needing additional study. CEE also requires significant practical experience beyond military training.
Military systems you operated and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent | Domain |
|---|---|---|
| Shoulder-Launched Multipurpose Assault Weapon (SMAW) | Commercial rocket-propelled grenade launchers (used in construction/demolition) | Weapons |
| Anti-Personnel Obstacle Breaching System (APOBS) | Commercial explosive breaching tools (used by law enforcement/SWAT) | Operations |
| M112 Demolition Block | Commercial explosives (used in mining/construction) | Operations |
| M6 Detonating Cord | Detonating cord (used in mining/construction) | Operations |
| Blasting Caps | Electric detonators (used in mining/construction) | Operations |
| Military Breaching Tools | Halligan bar, sledgehammer (used by firefighters) | Operations |
| Expedient Anti-Vehicle Obstacles | Road barriers and traffic control devices | Platform |
Pair this guide with the VWC AI-powered translator: drop in your service record, get back ATS-optimized civilian resume language tuned to the tech roles above.