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74D Career Guide

Army

74D: Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Specialist

Career transition guide for Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Specialist (74D)

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Civilian Career Pathways

Top civilian roles for 74D veterans, with average salary and market demand data.

Network and Computer Systems Administrator

$87K
High matchHigh demand

Information Security Analyst

$105K
Good matchVery high demand

Skills to develop:

Cybersecurity certifications (e.g., CISSP, Security+)Knowledge of security frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001)

Computer Systems Analyst

$99K
Good matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

Business analysis techniquesProject management methodologies

IT Manager

$120K
Good matchGrowing demand

Skills to develop:

Project management certification (e.g., PMP)ITIL certification

Technical Support Specialist

$60K
Moderate matchStable demand

Skills to develop:

Customer service skillsSpecific software certifications related to the supported products

Salary estimates from VWC career data

Hidden Strengths

Cognitive skills your 74D training built — and where they transfer.

System Modeling

Understanding chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear hazard behavior — dispersion patterns, contamination spread, and decontamination procedures

Modeling hazardous material behavior and containment — directly applicable to environmental science, industrial safety, and public health emergency response

Procedural Compliance

Following strict decontamination protocols and protective equipment procedures where a single shortcut can cause lethal exposure

Maintaining life-safety standards in hazardous environments — transfers to OSHA compliance, EPA regulations, and pharmaceutical clean room operations

Rapid Prioritization

Assessing CBRN threats in real time, determining contamination boundaries, and prioritizing decontamination of casualties and equipment

Making urgent safety decisions with incomplete data — valued in emergency management, environmental response, and industrial incident command

Situational Awareness

Monitoring detection equipment, wind patterns, and contamination indicators while coordinating unit protection measures

Tracking environmental hazards in real time — applicable to environmental monitoring, industrial hygiene, and workplace safety management

Non-Obvious Career Matches

Environmental Health & Safety Manager

SOC 29-9011

Your CBRN training is the military version of EHS — hazard identification, protective measures, decontamination procedures, and regulatory compliance. You already think in terms of exposure limits and containment.

Hazardous Materials Technician

SOC 47-4041

You're already trained to identify, contain, and decontaminate hazardous materials. The civilian HAZMAT certification builds on skills you've already mastered.

Industrial Hygienist

SOC 29-9011

Monitoring workplace environments for chemical and biological hazards, assessing exposure risks, and implementing protective measures — industrial hygiene is CBRN defense for the corporate world.

Training & Education Equivalencies

CBRN Specialist AIT, Fort Leonard Wood

600 training hours12 weeksUp to 10 semester hours recommended

Topics Covered

  • CBRN defense operations
  • Detection and identification of CBRN agents
  • Decontamination procedures
  • Hazardous material handling
  • Smoke and obscurant operations
  • Protective equipment fitting and maintenance
  • Radiological monitoring

Certification Pathways

Ready to Certify

HAZWOPER 40-Hour

Partial Coverage

Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM)55% covered

Environmental regulations, waste management compliance, and remediation technologies

Certified Safety Professional (CSP)40% covered

Industrial hygiene, system safety, and ergonomics

Recommended Next Certifications

CHMMCSPCertified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)

Technical Systems Translation

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

Military SystemCivilian Equivalent
JSLSCAD (Joint Service Lightweight Standoff Chemical Agent Detector)Chemical detection and environmental hazard monitoring systems
JCAD (Joint Chemical Agent Detector)Portable chemical agent detection and monitoring instruments
JWARN (Joint Warning and Reporting Network)Hazardous materials reporting and emergency notification systems (CAMEO, ALOHA)
RADIAC (Radiation Detection, Indication, and Computation)Radiation monitoring and dosimetry instruments
NBC Reporting Systems (NBC-1 through NBC-6)Environmental incident reporting and HAZMAT documentation platforms

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