Avionics Technician
$75KHigh match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — FAA A&P Certification
- — Specific aircraft avionics training
Live · Guide v1.05910 · Career GuideValidated · Lightcast Labor DataUpdated · Q2 20262027 Cohort · Applications Open
USMC · 5910Career Guide · Maintenance · VWC.CG.5910.R.04
5910 · USMC · EnlistedRadar Maintenance
Radar Maintenance
Officer.
Marine Corps 5910 (Radar Maintenance Officer). 480 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $70K–$110K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Training hours480DoD pipeline
ACE creditACEUp to 9 semester hours in electronics technology (estimated)
Tech roles4mapped to your code
Civilian pathways5validated
Cert coverage2/5direct + partial
This career guide was generated using AI analysis of military job code data. Salary figures, certification coverage percentages, and career matches are estimates — verify with official sources before making career decisions.
/ 01 · Tech Roles
Roles your code maps to.
Industry tech roles your 5910 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 5910 training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
Already have05
- 01Radar systems theory and operation→ Understanding of complex systems and their interactions
- 02AN/TPS-59 & AN/TPS-80 radar maintenance and troubleshooting→ Troubleshooting and problem-solving skills in complex electronic systems
- 03Supervisory leadership and maintenance management→ Team leadership, project management, and resource allocation
- 04Rapid Prioritization→ Incident response and management in high-pressure environments
- 05TAOC (Tactical Air Operations Center) Systems→ Understanding of command & control software platforms
To learn08
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
+Cloud computing fundamentals (AWS, Azure, or GCP)+Containerization and orchestration (Docker, Kubernetes)+Infrastructure as Code (Terraform, Ansible, CloudFormation)+Monitoring and logging tools (Prometheus, Grafana, ELK stack)+Networking fundamentals (TCP/IP, routing, subnetting)+Network security principles and technologies (firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems)+Common security vulnerabilities and mitigation techniques (OWASP Top 10)+Scripting and automation (Python, Bash)
How VWC fits
Vets Who Code is a free, remote-first 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.
Electronics Engineer
$110KGood match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering
- — Advanced knowledge of circuit design
- — Proficiency in relevant software (e.g., MATLAB, Simulink)
Network Engineer
$90KGood match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)
- — Knowledge of network security protocols
- — Experience with network troubleshooting
Technical Instructor
$70KModerate match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — Instructional design principles
- — Curriculum development
- — Excellent communication skills
Field Service Engineer
$85KGood match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — Strong customer service skills
- — Experience with specific equipment serviced (e.g., medical devices, industrial machinery)
- — Vendor-specific certifications
/ 04 · Hidden Strengths
What the code built.
Cognitive skills your 5910 training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
System Modeling
As a Radar Maintenance Officer, you developed a deep understanding of complex radar systems, including their components, interdependencies, and operational parameters. You used this knowledge to troubleshoot issues, predict potential failures, and optimize system performance.
Transfers to
Your ability to understand and manipulate complex systems translates directly to roles requiring the design, analysis, and optimization of intricate processes or technologies.
Rapid Prioritization
You consistently assessed the operational status of multiple radar systems and support equipment. You quickly determined which issues required immediate attention to maintain mission readiness, balancing urgency with long-term system health.
Transfers to
Your experience in rapid prioritization means you excel at managing multiple competing demands, making quick decisions under pressure, and focusing on the most critical tasks to ensure operational effectiveness.
Resource Optimization
As a Radar Maintenance Officer, you were responsible for managing maintenance personnel, equipment, and supplies. You optimized the allocation of these resources to ensure all radar systems were maintained in an operational condition while adhering to budget constraints.
Transfers to
Your skill in resource optimization will be invaluable in any role where you're responsible for managing budgets, allocating resources effectively, and maximizing efficiency to achieve organizational goals.
Situational Awareness
You maintained a comprehensive understanding of the operational environment, including the status of radar systems, potential threats, and the overall mission objectives. This allowed you to make informed decisions and anticipate potential problems.
Transfers to
Your strong situational awareness enables you to quickly assess complex situations, identify potential risks, and make proactive decisions to mitigate those risks.
/ 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.
Industrial Control Systems (ICS) Security Specialist
SOC 15-1212You've been responsible for the availability and maintenance of complex, critical radar systems. That experience directly translates to protecting industrial control systems from cyber threats. You already have the mindset and foundational knowledge to excel in this field, ensuring the reliability and security of essential infrastructure.
Adjacent · MatchTechnical Project Manager
SOC 15-1299You've been managing teams, budgets, and complex technical projects related to radar system maintenance and upgrades. You understand the intricacies of technical projects and can effectively communicate with engineers, technicians, and stakeholders, making you a natural fit for leading technical projects in the civilian sector.
Adjacent · MatchQuality Assurance Manager
SOC 11-3051You've been deeply involved in ensuring the operational readiness and reliability of radar systems. That experience makes you uniquely qualified to oversee quality control processes, identify potential defects, and implement corrective actions to maintain high standards in manufacturing, software development, or other industries.
Adjacent · Match/ 06 · Training & Certs
What you trained on.
Academy
Marine Air Control Training Squadron (MACTS)
29 Palms, CA480hHours
12wkWeeks
ACECredit
Up to 9 semester hours in electronics technology (estimated)
Topics · 7
- Radar systems theory and operation
- AN/TPS-59 radar maintenance and troubleshooting
- AN/TPS-80 G/ATOR radar maintenance and troubleshooting
- MARK XII IFF system maintenance
- Electronic warfare countermeasures
- Radar site selection and deployment
- Supervisory leadership and maintenance management
Partial coverage · 2
- Certified Electronics Technician (CET)60%
Study consumer electronics, digital circuits, and troubleshooting techniques not specifically covered in military radar systems.
- CompTIA Network+40%
Focus on civilian networking protocols, topologies, and security standards. Military networks often have different implementations.
Recommended next · 03
- Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)Adjacent
- Project Management Professional (PMP)Adjacent
- CCNA SecurityAdjacent
/ 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 |
|---|---|---|
| AN/TPS-59(V)3 Enhanced Tactical Radar Surveillance System (ETR) | Long-range weather and aircraft surveillance radar systems | Signals |
| AN/TPS-80 Ground/Air Task Oriented Radar (G/ATOR) | Multi-mission active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar systems | Signals |
| AN/MPN-14K Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) | Commercial air traffic control radar systems | Signals |
| Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) MARK XII | Aviation transponder systems | Operations |
| TAOC (Tactical Air Operations Center) Systems | Air traffic management (ATM) and command & control (C2) software platforms | Operations |
| AN/UPM-155 Radar Test Set | RF signal generators and spectrum analyzers | Signals |
| Technical Manuals and Schematics (Paper and Digital) | Technical documentation management systems and online parts databases | Operations |
Cohort 2027 · Intake Open
Ship 5910 into a software engineering career.
The pathways above are the destination. Vets Who Code is the route: a free, remote-first software engineering accelerator for active duty, veterans, and military spouses. 17 weeks at 20–30 hours a week, and a body of work that ships.