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33S1 Career Guide

Air Force

33S1: Cyberspace Operations Officer

Career transition guide for Air Force Cyberspace Operations Officer (33S1)

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Civilian Career Pathways

Top civilian roles for 33S1 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.

Information Security Analyst

$105K
High matchVery high demand

Network Security Engineer

$120K
High matchVery high demand

Cybersecurity Manager

$140K
Good matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

Project Management Certification (e.g., PMP)CISSP Certification

IT Risk Manager

$130K
Good matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

CRISC CertificationKnowledge of regulatory frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001)

Intelligence Analyst

$85K
Moderate matchGrowing demand

Skills to develop:

Specific industry knowledge (e.g., financial, healthcare)Data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI)

Salary estimates from VWC career data

Hidden Strengths

Cognitive skills your 33S1 training built — and where they transfer.

System Modeling

As a 33S1, you translate complex operational needs into detailed engineering specifications and criteria for cyberspace systems and architectures, effectively creating models of these systems to ensure they meet mission requirements.

This ability to understand and represent complex systems translates directly to designing and analyzing business processes, IT infrastructures, or any complex operational system in the civilian world.

Adversarial Thinking

Your role in network attack and defense requires you to constantly anticipate the actions and strategies of adversaries in the cyberspace domain to protect critical assets and maintain operational superiority.

This skill is highly valuable in any field that requires risk management, strategic planning, or competitive analysis. You can anticipate potential threats and develop proactive strategies to mitigate them.

Resource Optimization

You direct the preparation and management of budget estimates and financial plans based on operational requirements and resources, ensuring efficient allocation to meet mission objectives.

This translates directly into skills applicable to project management and financial planning, where efficiently allocating resources to meet objectives is crucial.

Situational Awareness

Maintaining awareness of the evolving cyberspace landscape is crucial for your role. You must stay informed of current directives, emerging threats, and the status of both offensive and defensive units to make informed decisions.

This heightened awareness of the environment and the ability to make quick decisions based on real-time information are critical skills in dynamic civilian roles.

Non-Obvious Career Matches

Business Continuity Planner

SOC 13-1199.00

You've been trained to think adversarially, anticipate threats, and optimize resources to maintain operations in the face of disruptions. As a Business Continuity Planner, you'll use these same skills to develop and implement plans to ensure a business can continue operating in case of disaster.

Financial Risk Analyst

SOC 13-2051.00

Your expertise in system modeling and resource optimization makes you well-suited for assessing and mitigating financial risks. You'll use your analytical skills to identify potential vulnerabilities and develop strategies to protect assets and ensure financial stability.

Emergency Management Director

SOC 11-9161.00

You are adept at maintaining situational awareness, and planning/executing operations under pressure. As an Emergency Management Director, you will leverage those skills to coordinate responses to disasters and other emergencies, ensuring the safety and well-being of the community.

Intelligence Analyst

SOC 15-2051.00

You're already skilled at adversarial thinking and pattern recognition. As an Intelligence Analyst for a corporation, you can analyze data to identify trends, assess threats, and provide insights to guide strategic decision-making.

Training & Education Equivalencies

Cyberspace Operations Officer Initial Qualification Training (IQT), Hurlburt Field, FL

480 training hours12 weeksUp to 9 semester hours recommended in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or related fields.

Topics Covered

  • Cyberspace Operations Fundamentals
  • Network Attack (Net-A) Techniques
  • Network Defense (Net-D) Strategies
  • Defensive Cyberspace Operations (DCO)
  • Offensive Cyberspace Operations (OCO)
  • Mission Planning and Execution
  • Legal and Ethical Considerations in Cyberspace
  • Information Operations Integration

Certification Pathways

Partial Coverage

CompTIA Security+70% covered

Study specific cryptographic concepts, access control methods, and some compliance regulations outside military contexts.

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)40% covered

Requires significant study of all eight domains of the CISSP Common Body of Knowledge (CBK), especially those focused on governance, risk management, and compliance in civilian sectors.

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)60% covered

Requires additional study on commercial hacking tools, techniques, and legal aspects of penetration testing outside of military operations.

Recommended Next Certifications

GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)Certified Information Security Manager (CISM)Project Management Professional (PMP)

Technical Systems Translation

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

Military SystemCivilian Equivalent
Air Force Cyber Command (AFCYBER)Corporate cybersecurity operations centers
Joint Information Environment (JIE)Cloud computing infrastructure and services (e.g., AWS GovCloud, Azure Government)
Cyberspace Vulnerability Assessment/Hunter Weapon System (CVA/Hunter)Vulnerability scanning and penetration testing tools (e.g., Nessus, Metasploit)
Air Force Information Warfare Center (AFIWC) toolsCyber threat intelligence platforms (e.g., Recorded Future, CrowdStrike Falcon X)
Network intrusion detection systems (NIDS)Intrusion detection and prevention systems (e.g., Snort, Suricata)
Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) systemsEndpoint security platforms (e.g., CrowdStrike, SentinelOne)
Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systemsSIEM platforms (e.g., Splunk, QRadar, LogRhythm)

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