61S2 Career Guide
61S2: Research Scientist
Career transition guide for Air Force Research Scientist (61S2)
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Top civilian roles for 61S2 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.
Research Scientist
Skills to develop:
Data Scientist
Skills to develop:
Project Manager
Skills to develop:
Statistician
Skills to develop:
Management Consultant
Skills to develop:
Salary estimates from VWC career data
Hidden Strengths
Cognitive skills your 61S2 training built — and where they transfer.
System Modeling
As a research officer, you build models to understand complex scientific problems, predict outcomes of experiments, and optimize research strategies, allowing you to make informed decisions about research directions and resource allocation.
Your ability to create and manipulate system models translates directly into designing and optimizing complex systems in various industries, from financial markets to supply chain management.
Resource Optimization
Managing research programs requires careful allocation of funding, personnel, and equipment to maximize research output and achieve project goals efficiently, ensuring effective use of resources in a constrained environment.
Your expertise in resource optimization is highly valuable in roles that require managing budgets, timelines, and teams to achieve optimal outcomes and improve overall efficiency.
After-Action Analysis
You rigorously analyze research results, interpret data, and identify areas for improvement in research methodologies and project execution, ensuring continuous learning and refinement of future research endeavors.
Your ability to dissect complex projects, identify successes and failures, and implement improvements is crucial in any role that involves continuous improvement and learning from past experiences.
Situational Awareness
Maintaining awareness of interdisciplinary scientific knowledge and the broader research landscape allows you to adapt research strategies, anticipate challenges, and identify opportunities for collaboration with other organizations and agencies.
Your awareness of diverse influences and how they impact outcomes is invaluable in dynamic environments where adapting to change and anticipating future trends is critical for success.
Non-Obvious Career Matches
Management Consultant
SOC 13-1111You've been honing your analytical and problem-solving skills while managing complex research projects. This translates directly to helping businesses improve their efficiency and achieve their goals. Your ability to analyze data, identify problems, and develop effective solutions will make you a valuable asset in the consulting world.
Financial Analyst
SOC 13-2051You're adept at developing models to understand complex scientific problems. You can apply these skills to financial markets by building financial models, analyzing investment opportunities, and managing risk. Your background in statistics and data analysis will give you a unique advantage in the world of finance.
Data Scientist
SOC 15-2051You've spent years collecting and interpreting data from experiments. As a data scientist, you'll use those same skills to extract insights from large datasets, develop algorithms, and build predictive models for businesses. Your background in research and statistical analysis will be a major asset.
Training & Education Equivalencies
Officer Training School (OTS), Maxwell AFB, AL; Followed by specialized academic or research training based on scientific discipline
Topics Covered
- •Air Force Officer Core Values
- •Leadership and Management Principles
- •Research Methodologies
- •Statistical Analysis
- •Experimental Design
- •Technical Report Writing
- •Program and Project Management
- •Defense Acquisition Processes
Certification Pathways
Partial Coverage
Focus on the administrative and regulatory aspects of research, including compliance, financial management, and grant writing, as the military role is heavily focused on the scientific process itself.
Study the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK) guide, particularly focusing on stakeholder management, communications management, and procurement management, as these are less emphasized in a purely research-driven environment.
Recommended Next Certifications
Technical Systems Translation
Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent |
|---|---|
| High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP) | Cloud-based high-performance computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) |
| Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) research databases and repositories | Academic and industry research databases (e.g., IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect) |
| DoD Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) | Online technical libraries and document repositories |
| MATLAB (with specialized toolboxes for data analysis and modeling) | MATLAB, Python (with libraries like SciPy, NumPy, Pandas) |
| Statistical Analysis System (SAS) | SAS, SPSS, R |
| Air Force Grants and Contracts Management System | Grants management software (e.g., Blackbaud Grantmaking, Salesforce Grants Management) |
| Various laboratory equipment specific to research area (e.g., spectrometers, electron microscopes, wind tunnels) | Equivalent scientific instrumentation used in academic or industrial research labs |
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