61S4 Career Guide
61S4: Research Scientist
Career transition guide for Air Force Research Scientist (61S4)
Translate Your 61S4 Experience Now
Get a personalized AI-powered translation of your military experience into civilian resume language.
Start Free TranslationCivilian Career Pathways
Top civilian roles for 61S4 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.
Research Scientist
Data Scientist
Skills to develop:
Project Manager
Skills to develop:
Management Consultant
Skills to develop:
Technical Writer
Skills to develop:
Salary estimates from VWC career data
Hidden Strengths
Cognitive skills your 61S4 training built — and where they transfer.
System Modeling
As a research scientist, you construct experimental models to test hypotheses and analyze complex systems. You develop and modify these models to improve the performance and suitability of various products and processes.
Your ability to create and manipulate models translates directly into designing and optimizing complex systems in various civilian industries. This skill is invaluable for predicting outcomes, identifying potential problems, and improving efficiency.
Resource Optimization
You manage scientific programs and projects, coordinating research efforts with various agencies. This involves planning, organizing, and directing laboratories and field units, optimizing resources to achieve research goals.
Your experience in managing complex projects and coordinating resources across multiple teams makes you adept at optimizing resource allocation in a civilian setting. This includes budgeting, staffing, and equipment management to maximize productivity and minimize waste.
After-Action Analysis
You prepare technical reports, analyze research findings, and recommend further research and development projects based on the data. This involves a thorough review of past actions to improve future outcomes.
Your ability to analyze data, identify trends, and make recommendations for improvement is highly valuable in civilian roles. This includes evaluating project performance, identifying areas for optimization, and implementing strategies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness.
Adversarial Thinking
In recommending research and development projects, you are expected to rigorously evaluate them and consider potential pitfalls, failures, and unintended consequences of adopting particular research products.
This mindset allows you to anticipate risks and proactively develop mitigation strategies, making you invaluable in fields where potential failures need to be identified and addressed early on.
Non-Obvious Career Matches
Financial Analyst
SOC 13-2051You've been developing complex models and working with large datasets to make informed decisions. As a Financial Analyst, you’ll use similar skills to analyze financial data, predict market trends, and advise clients on investment strategies. Your ability to interpret complex data and provide clear recommendations will be highly valuable.
Management Consultant
SOC 13-1111You've been planning, organizing, and directing laboratories and field units. Your project management and organizational skills are highly transferable to management consulting, where you’ll help businesses improve their performance by analyzing problems and developing solutions. You can leverage your experience optimizing resources to improve business efficiency.
Data Scientist
SOC 15-2051You've honed your analytical skills and pattern recognition abilities. As a data scientist, you will analyze large datasets to identify trends, develop insights, and create predictive models. Your experience applying mathematical techniques and computer systems to analyze data is directly applicable.
Training & Education Equivalencies
Officer Training School (OTS), Maxwell AFB and Advanced Academic Degree (AAD) Program
Topics Covered
- •Air Force Officer Core Values
- •Leadership and Management Principles
- •Research Methodologies and Design
- •Statistical Analysis and Data Interpretation
- •Technical Report Writing and Communication
- •Program and Project Management
- •Ethics in Research
Certification Pathways
Partial Coverage
Formal project management methodologies (Agile, Scrum, Waterfall), specific PMI terminology, and the PMP exam format.
In-depth knowledge of grant writing, research regulations, compliance, and specific aspects of research administration within civilian institutions.
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 (HPC) clusters | Cloud-based computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) for simulation and modeling |
| MATLAB | MATLAB, Python (with scientific libraries like NumPy, SciPy, Pandas) |
| Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) Information System | Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS) |
| Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) | IEEE Xplore, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar |
| Wind Tunnels for Aerodynamic Testing | Commercial wind tunnel testing facilities |
| Anechoic Chambers | Commercial RF testing and measurement facilities |
| Electronic Warfare Simulation Systems | Software Defined Radio (SDR) platforms, Vector Signal Generators/Analyzers |
Ready to Translate Your Experience?
Our AI-powered translator converts your 61S4 experience into ATS-optimized civilian resume language.
Translate My Resume — Free