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1N050 Career Guide

Air Force

1N050: Imagery Intelligence Analyst

Career transition guide for Air Force Imagery Intelligence Analyst (1N050)

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Civilian Career Pathways

Top civilian roles for 1N050 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.

Geospatial Intelligence Analyst

$95K
High matchHigh demand

Remote Sensing Analyst

$88K
High matchGrowing demand

Intelligence Analyst

$82K
Good matchHigh demand

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Technician

$75K
Good matchGrowing demand

Skills to develop:

FAA Part 107 certificationSpecific UAV platform training

Data Scientist

$110K
Moderate matchVery high demand

Skills to develop:

Python or R programmingMachine learningData visualization

Salary estimates from VWC career data

Hidden Strengths

Cognitive skills your 1N050 training built — and where they transfer.

Pattern Recognition

1N050s use pattern recognition to identify subtle indicators within multisensor imagery that reveal enemy activity, infrastructure, or threats, even when partially obscured or camouflaged.

This translates to an ability to detect anomalies, trends, and relationships in complex datasets, enabling proactive problem-solving and strategic decision-making.

Situational Awareness

Maintaining comprehensive situational awareness is critical for 1N050s, as they must integrate diverse intelligence feeds with real-time imagery to understand the operational environment, potential threats, and the impact of friendly forces.

This skill translates directly to the ability to quickly grasp the complexities of any environment, anticipate potential challenges, and make informed decisions under pressure.

After-Action Analysis

1N050s are involved in assessing the effectiveness of intelligence products and collection strategies, identifying lessons learned from past operations to improve future performance and adapt to evolving threats.

You can use your analytical abilities to evaluate project outcomes, identify areas for improvement, and refine strategies based on real-world results, driving continuous growth and optimization.

Rapid Prioritization

Given the high volume of imagery and intelligence data, 1N050s must rapidly prioritize targets and information based on their immediate relevance to mission objectives and potential impact on ongoing operations.

This translates to the ability to quickly assess the urgency and importance of competing demands, allocate resources effectively, and focus on tasks with the greatest impact on achieving goals.

Non-Obvious Career Matches

Financial Crime Analyst

SOC 13-2099

You've been trained to identify patterns and anomalies in imagery that indicate potential threats. As a Financial Crime Analyst, you'll apply those same skills to detect suspicious financial transactions, money laundering schemes, and other illicit activities. Your experience with data analysis and attention to detail makes you well-suited to protect financial institutions from criminal exploitation.

Insurance Fraud Investigator

SOC 13-1031

You're skilled at analyzing complex data and uncovering hidden connections. In this role, you'll leverage these abilities to investigate insurance claims, identify fraudulent activities, and protect insurance companies from financial losses. Your background in intelligence and surveillance provides a unique advantage in detecting deception and building strong cases.

Market Research Analyst

SOC 19-3022

You're adept at gathering, analyzing, and interpreting data to identify trends and inform decision-making. As a Market Research Analyst, you'll apply these skills to understand consumer behavior, assess market opportunities, and help companies develop effective marketing strategies. Your analytical mindset and attention to detail make you well-equipped to extract valuable insights from complex datasets.

Training & Education Equivalencies

Imagery Intelligence Apprentice Course, Goodfellow AFB, TX

680 training hours17 weeksUp to 9 semester hours recommended in Geography, Political Science, or Criminal Justice

Topics Covered

  • Imagery Interpretation
  • Geospatial Analysis
  • Exploitation of Multi-Sensor Imagery
  • Target Identification
  • Damage Assessment
  • Intelligence Reporting
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Sensor Operation
  • Geographic Information Systems (GIS)

Certification Pathways

Partial Coverage

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)40% covered

While experience with intelligence analysis and security concepts is valuable, the CISSP requires a broad understanding of information security domains like access control, cryptography, security architecture, and legal/regulatory compliance. Focused study on these areas is needed.

CompTIA Security+60% covered

The military training covers many security concepts. Gaps include network security, compliance and operational security, threats and vulnerabilities, application, data and host security, access control and identity management, and cryptography.

Recommended Next Certifications

Geospatial Intelligence Professional Certification (GIP)Certified Remote Sensing Scientist (CRSS)Certified Measurement and Signature Intelligence (MASINT) Professional (CMSP)

Technical Systems Translation

Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.

Military SystemCivilian Equivalent
National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) GEOINT ServicesEsri ArcGIS, Google Earth Engine
Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS)Palantir Gotham, IBM i2 Analyst's Notebook
Softcopy Exploitation Tool (SOCET GXP)Hexagon Geospatial ERDAS IMAGINE
Precision Lightweight GPS Receiver (PLGR)Garmin GPS devices, Trimble GPS surveying equipment
RQ/MQ-1 Predator A/B Sensor SuiteDJI Drones with advanced camera systems, FLIR thermal imaging cameras
Full Motion Video (FMV) exploitation systemsVideo analytics platforms (e.g., Briefcam), IP video surveillance systems
Geographic Resources Analysis Support System (GRASS GIS)QGIS, Open Source Geographic Information System

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