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62E1 Career Guide

Air Force

62E1: Systems Engineer

Career transition guide for Air Force Systems Engineer (62E1)

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Civilian Career Pathways

Top civilian roles for 62E1 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.

Systems Engineer

$125K
High matchHigh demand

Project Manager

$115K
Good matchGrowing demand

Skills to develop:

PMP CertificationAgile methodologies

Aerospace Engineer

$130K
Good matchStable demand

Skills to develop:

Specific aerospace design software (e.g., CATIA, ANSYS)

Management Consultant

$140K
Moderate matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

MBA or relevant business degreeConsulting experience

Technical Program Manager

$145K
Good matchVery high demand

Skills to develop:

Agile/Scrum certificationsProficiency in program management software (e.g., Jira, Asana)

Salary estimates from VWC career data

Hidden Strengths

Cognitive skills your 62E1 training built — and where they transfer.

System Modeling

As a 62E1, you constructed comprehensive system models to understand how different components of complex Air Force systems interact, identifying potential points of failure or areas for optimization across the system's lifecycle.

This ability to model complex systems translates directly to the civilian world, where you can analyze and optimize intricate processes, supply chains, or organizational structures to improve efficiency and reduce risks.

Rapid Prioritization

You consistently made critical decisions about resource allocation and project sequencing based on real-time assessments of mission needs, technological feasibility, and budgetary constraints.

This skill in rapid prioritization is invaluable in dynamic civilian environments, where you can quickly assess competing priorities, allocate resources effectively, and maintain project momentum even under pressure.

Resource Optimization

You were entrusted with optimizing resources across numerous projects, ensuring efficient allocation of manpower, budget, and equipment to achieve maximum system performance and reliability while staying within allocated constraints.

Your expertise in resource optimization can be readily applied to civilian roles, where you can streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve overall efficiency by strategically managing resources and identifying areas for improvement.

Procedural Compliance

You maintained strict adherence to established engineering policies and procedures, ensuring that all projects met the highest standards of quality, safety, and regulatory compliance throughout the system's lifecycle.

Your commitment to procedural compliance makes you an ideal candidate for roles requiring meticulous attention to detail and adherence to established protocols, such as regulatory affairs, quality assurance, or risk management.

Situational Awareness

You maintained a comprehensive understanding of the operational environment, technological landscape, and stakeholder needs, enabling you to make informed decisions and anticipate potential challenges that could impact system performance.

Your heightened situational awareness is a valuable asset in civilian roles that require strategic thinking, risk assessment, and proactive problem-solving, such as business development, market analysis, or strategic planning.

Non-Obvious Career Matches

Management Consultant

SOC 13-1111

You've been orchestrating complex projects from conception to disposal. As a management consultant (13-1111), you’ll leverage those same skills to analyze business problems and develop effective solutions for a variety of clients.

Compliance Officer

SOC 13-1041

Your experience with engineering policies and procedures makes you perfect for compliance officer roles (13-1041). You've been ensuring projects meet standards, and now you can apply that to regulations and laws.

Business Development Manager

SOC 11-2011

You've developed and sustained Air Force systems. Now, as a business development manager (11-2011), you can use that background to identify new business opportunities and build strategic relationships to drive growth.

Financial Risk Analyst

SOC 13-2051

Your ability to model systems and understand potential points of failure translates perfectly into risk analysis in the financial sector (13-2051). You've been minimizing risk in the Air Force and now you can do it for investments!

Training & Education Equivalencies

Systems Engineering Initial Skills Training, Wright-Patterson AFB, OH

320 training hours8 weeksUp to 6 semester hours in engineering management

Topics Covered

  • Systems Engineering Fundamentals
  • Air Force Acquisition Processes
  • Requirements Management
  • Risk Management
  • Technical Baseline Management
  • Configuration Management
  • Lifecycle Cost Analysis

Certification Pathways

Partial Coverage

Certified Systems Engineering Professional (CSEP)70% covered

Formal systems engineering processes, advanced modeling and simulation techniques, and specific industry standards. Need to study INCOSE handbook and related resources.

Project Management Professional (PMP)60% covered

Formal project management methodologies (e.g., Agile, Waterfall), project planning, risk management, and stakeholder communication. Need to study the PMBOK guide.

Recommended Next Certifications

Lean Six Sigma Black BeltCertified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)AWS Certified Solutions Architect – AssociateScaled Agile Framework (SAFe) Agilist

Technical Systems Translation

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

Military SystemCivilian Equivalent
Requirements Management System (e.g., Dynamic Object-Oriented Requirements System (DOORS))IBM Rational DOORS, Jama Software, Helix ALM
Air Force Technical Order System (AFTOS)Enterprise Content Management (ECM) systems, Documentum, OpenText
Defense Acquisition Management Information Retrieval (DAMIR)Project Portfolio Management (PPM) software, Planview Enterprise One, Clarity PPM
Joint Deficiency Reporting System (JDRS)Bug tracking and issue management systems, Jira, Bugzilla
Risk Management Framework (RMF) Tools (e.g., eMASS)Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) platforms, RSA Archer, MetricStream
Configuration Management (CM) Tools (e.g., Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) tools)Siemens Teamcenter, PTC Windchill, Dassault Systèmes ENOVIA
Air Force Materiel Command (AFMC) Standard Process for EngineeringISO 9001 based quality management systems

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