Airline Pilot, Co-Pilot, or Flight Engineer
$170KHigh match
Very high demand
Live · Guide v1.01380 · Career GuideValidated · Lightcast Labor DataUpdated · Q2 20262026 Cohort Active
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NAVY · 1380Career Guide · Operations · VWC.CG.1380.R.04
1380 · NAVY · OfficerNaval
Naval
Aviator.
Navy 1380 (Naval Aviator). 960 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $90K–$170K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Training hours960DoD pipeline
ACE creditACEVaries depending on aircraft and follow-on training, up to 24 semester hours recommended
Tech roles4mapped to your code
Civilian pathways5validated
Cert coverage2/6direct + partial
/ 01 · Tech Roles
Roles your code maps to.
Industry tech roles your 1380 background maps to — picked from BLS-anchored occupations using your training, cognitive skills, and systems experience.
Sort · Match descending
/ 02 · Skill Bridge
The gap, named.
What 1380 training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
Already have05
- 01Situational Awareness (fast-paced, complex environments)→ Comprehensive system monitoring, proactive issue identification, and rapid decision-making in production environments.
- 02Rapid Prioritization (evaluating competing priorities, managing complex responsibilities)→ Effective incident response, task management in agile development, and critical path identification for technical projects.
- 03Degraded-Mode Operations (troubleshooting, maintaining functionality under pressure)→ Debugging complex software systems, ensuring system resilience, and optimizing performance in suboptimal conditions.
- 04Team Synchronization (communicating, coordinating, collaborating for common goals)→ Leading and working effectively within cross-functional engineering teams and managing technical dependencies.
- 05Deep understanding of complex aircraft systems and their operational envelopes→ A strong foundation for understanding integrated software and hardware systems, their constraints, and failure modes.
To learn08
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
+C / C++ fundamentals+RTOS basics and hardware-software interfacing+Python for robotics and data processing+ROS / ROS 2 (Robot Operating System) basics+Software systems literacy (e.g., reading code, understanding architecture diagrams)+Cross-team coordination tools (e.g., Jira, Asana) and frameworks+Linux operating system fundamentals+Observability stack basics (Prometheus, Grafana, OpenTelemetry)
How VWC fits
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 →/ 03 · Civilian Pathways
Where your code lands.
Commercial Pilot
$95KHigh match
High demand
Air Traffic Controller
$135KGood match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — FAA Air Traffic Control Specialist certification
Aerospace Engineer
$125KModerate match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering
- — Specific software proficiency (e.g., CAD, MATLAB)
Aviation Safety Inspector
$90KGood match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — FAA certifications relevant to inspection area
- — In-depth knowledge of aviation regulations
/ 04 · Hidden Strengths
What the code built.
Cognitive skills your 1380 training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
Situational Awareness
Naval Pilots must constantly monitor and interpret a dynamic environment, including aircraft performance, weather conditions, air traffic, and potential threats, to make critical decisions in real-time.
Transfers to
The ability to maintain a comprehensive understanding of your surroundings and anticipate potential issues, crucial for effective decision-making in fast-paced and complex situations.
Rapid Prioritization
Pilots routinely face multiple, often conflicting demands, requiring them to quickly assess the urgency and importance of each task and allocate their attention and resources accordingly.
Transfers to
The capacity to swiftly evaluate competing priorities and make informed decisions about which tasks to address first, essential for managing complex projects and responsibilities.
Degraded-Mode Operations
Naval Pilots are trained to handle emergencies and equipment malfunctions, adapting their procedures and utilizing backup systems to maintain control of the aircraft and complete the mission.
Transfers to
The ability to effectively troubleshoot problems and maintain functionality under pressure, even when systems are not operating at their optimal level.
Team Synchronization
Naval aviation heavily relies on coordinated teamwork. As a pilot, you're constantly communicating with your crew, air traffic control, and other support personnel to ensure mission success and safety.
Transfers to
The ability to effectively communicate, coordinate, and collaborate with others to achieve a common goal, crucial for leading and working within high-performing teams.
/ 05 · Non-Obvious Matches
Roles the recruiter won't suggest.
Adjacent civilian roles your training maps to that conventional military-to-civilian advice tends to miss.
Emergency Management Director
SOC 11-9161.00You've been rigorously trained to remain calm under pressure, assess risk, and make rapid decisions in high-stakes environments. Your expertise in coordinating teams and managing complex situations translates directly to the responsibilities of an Emergency Management Director, where you'll be responsible for planning and executing responses to natural disasters and other crises.
Adjacent · MatchAirfield Operations Specialist
SOC 53-2011.00You've got an intimate knowledge of airfield operations and aviation safety protocols. Your experience in managing aircraft movements, monitoring weather conditions, and coordinating with ground support makes you an ideal candidate to ensure the safe and efficient operation of civilian airfields.
Adjacent · MatchManagement Consultant
SOC 13-1111.00You've developed exceptional analytical skills, a knack for problem-solving, and the ability to quickly grasp complex systems. These skills are highly valued in management consulting, where you'll advise organizations on how to improve their performance and efficiency.
Adjacent · Match/ 06 · Training & Certs
What you trained on.
Academy
Flight School
multiple locations960hHours
60wkWeeks
ACECredit
Varies depending on aircraft and follow-on training, up to 24 semester hours recommended
Topics · 8
- Aerodynamics
- Meteorology
- Navigation
- Aircraft systems
- Flight regulations
- Emergency procedures
- Instrument flying
- Formation flying
Partial coverage · 2
- FAA Commercial Pilot License70%
Military pilots often need to complete a written exam covering civilian aviation regulations, meteorology, and navigation. They may also require additional flight hours in civilian aircraft to meet specific experience requirements.
- Certified Aviation Manager (CAM)40%
This certification focuses on business aviation management. Gaps include business management principles, financial management, human resources, and marketing as they apply to civilian aviation operations.
Recommended next · 04
- Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) CertificateAdjacent
- Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)Adjacent
- Aviation Safety Officer (ASO)Adjacent
- Project Management Professional (PMP)Adjacent
/ 07 · Systems Translation
What you ran, in their words.
Military systems you operated and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent | Domain |
|---|---|---|
| F/A-18E/F Super Hornet | Boeing aircraft maintenance and pilot certifications | Operations |
| MH-60R Seahawk | Sikorsky or Lockheed Martin helicopter maintenance and piloting | Operations |
| E-2C/D Hawkeye | Northrop Grumman surveillance aircraft maintenance and piloting | Operations |
| Link 16 | Military-grade encrypted communication systems | Operations |
| AN/APG-79 AESA Radar | Advanced radar systems used in air traffic control or weather forecasting | Signals |
| Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) | Augmented reality displays for pilots; heads-up displays | Operations |
| AN/ALQ-214 Integrated Defensive Electronic Countermeasures (IDECM) | Electronic warfare simulation and defense systems | Operations |
/ Translator · Live
Translate 1380 into a resume that ships.
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.