Commercial Airline Pilot
$150KHigh match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — FAA Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate
- — Specific aircraft type rating
Live · Guide v1.07508 · Career GuideValidated · Lightcast Labor DataUpdated · Q2 20262027 Cohort · Applications Open
USMC · 7508Career Guide · Aviation · VWC.CG.7508.R.04
7508 · USMC · EnlistedAttack
Attack
Pilot.
Marine Corps 7508 (Attack Pilot). 1,040 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $80K–$150K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Training hours1,040DoD pipeline
ACE creditACEUp to 30 semester hours recommended in aviation technology and military science (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 7508 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 7508 training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
Already have05
- 01Situational Awareness→ Observing system behavior and anticipating potential issues
- 02Rapid Prioritization→ Managing competing demands and making critical decisions under pressure
- 03Degraded-Mode Operations→ Troubleshooting and finding alternative solutions when systems fail
- 04System Modeling→ Analyzing complex system interactions
- 05After-Action Analysis→ Driving continuous improvement
To learn08
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
+Cloud computing basics (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud)+Infrastructure-as-code tools (Terraform, Ansible)+Cybersecurity principles and practices+Security tools (SIEM, intrusion detection/prevention systems)+Data visualization (Tableau, Power BI)+Statistical analysis techniques+Software development lifecycles and agile methodologies+Project management tools (Jira, Asana)
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.
Corporate Pilot
$130KHigh match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — FAA Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) certificate
- — Specific aircraft type rating
- — Customer service skills
Air Traffic Controller
$138KGood match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — FAA Air Traffic Control Specialist certification
- — Strong communication skills
- — Ability to work under pressure
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Pilot/Operator
$80KGood match
Very high demand
Skills to develop
- — FAA Part 107 certification (for commercial drone operations)
- — Specific UAV platform training
- — Data analysis skills
Aerospace Engineer
$125KModerate match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — Bachelor's or Master's degree in Aerospace Engineering
- — CAD software proficiency
- — Understanding of aerospace design principles
/ 04 · Hidden Strengths
What the code built.
Cognitive skills your 7508 training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
Situational Awareness
Pilots constantly monitor their surroundings – aircraft status, weather, enemy threats, and wingman positions – to maintain mission effectiveness and safety.
Transfers to
This translates to a strong ability to perceive and understand complex environments, anticipate potential problems, and make proactive decisions in dynamic situations.
Rapid Prioritization
In fast-moving aerial combat or close air support scenarios, pilots must quickly assess threats, prioritize targets, and adapt their strategy in real-time.
Transfers to
This skill enables you to quickly evaluate competing demands, allocate resources effectively, and make critical decisions under pressure in time-sensitive situations.
Degraded-Mode Operations
Pilots are trained to handle emergencies and equipment malfunctions while maintaining control of the aircraft and completing the mission, showcasing adaptability and problem-solving.
Transfers to
This demonstrates resilience and resourcefulness in overcoming unexpected obstacles, maintaining composure under duress, and finding alternative solutions when systems fail.
System Modeling
Pilots understand the complex interplay of aircraft systems, aerodynamics, and environmental factors to predict performance and respond effectively to changing conditions.
Transfers to
You can analyze how different components interact within a larger system, forecast potential outcomes based on various inputs, and optimize performance through informed adjustments.
After-Action Analysis
Pilots participate in debriefings to review mission performance, identify areas for improvement, and refine tactics based on empirical data.
Transfers to
This reflects a commitment to continuous learning, the ability to objectively evaluate successes and failures, and the capacity to translate lessons learned into actionable strategies.
/ 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.
Emergency Management Director
SOC 11-9161.00You've been trained to maintain situational awareness and make life-or-death decisions under pressure. Your experience in degraded-mode operations will enable you to calmly assess and mitigate risks in disaster scenarios.
Adjacent · MatchLogistics Manager
SOC 11-3071.00You've been responsible for coordinating air support, understanding how individual parts of a mission impact the whole. This experience makes you an ideal candidate to manage complex supply chains, optimize resource allocation, and ensure timely delivery in challenging conditions.
Adjacent · MatchManagement Consultant
SOC 13-1111.00You've conducted after-action analyses to improve tactics and strategies. Your analytical skills and systems thinking will make you well-suited to advising organizations on how to improve their efficiency and performance.
Adjacent · MatchAir Traffic Controller
SOC 53-2011.00You've maintained constant situational awareness in a dynamic, high-pressure environment. Your ability to manage multiple variables simultaneously and make quick decisions makes you an ideal candidate to control the safe and efficient flow of air traffic.
Adjacent · Match/ 06 · Training & Certs
What you trained on.
Academy
Naval Flight School
Various Locations1,040hHours
65wkWeeks
ACECredit
Up to 30 semester hours recommended in aviation technology and military science (estimated)
Topics · 8
- Aerodynamics and Flight Theory
- Aircraft Systems (AV-8B Harrier or F-35B)
- Tactical Flight Maneuvers
- Close Air Support (CAS) Procedures
- Weapons Employment (Bombs, Rockets, Guns)
- Night Vision Operations
- Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE)
- Aviation Physiology
Partial coverage · 2
- Commercial Pilot License (CPL)70%
Study civilian aviation regulations (FAR/AIM), specific aircraft systems differences, and complete FAA written and practical exams.
- Certified Aviation Manager (CAM)40%
Focus on business management principles, financial management, and human resources as they apply to civilian aviation operations.
Recommended next · 03
- Airline Transport Pilot (ATP)Adjacent
- Certified Flight Instructor (CFI)Adjacent
- Project Management Professional (PMP)Adjacent
/ 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/AAQ-28(V) Litening Targeting Pod | FLIR Systems, targeting and surveillance systems | Operations |
| Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) | Laser-guided rockets/missiles, precision guided munitions kits | Weapons |
| M61A1 Vulcan 20mm Cannon | Rotary cannons, high-rate-of-fire Gatling guns (used in some civilian defense systems) | Operations |
| Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS) | Augmented reality (AR) aviation helmets, heads-up displays | Operations |
| AN/ALQ-165 Airborne Self-Protection Jammer (ASPJ) | Electronic countermeasures (ECM) systems, radio frequency jammers | Operations |
| Tactical Air Navigation System (TACAN) | Civilian aviation navigation systems (VOR/DME), GPS-based navigation | Operations |
| Link 16 | Military-grade encrypted communication networks | Operations |
Cohort 2027 · Intake Open
Ship 7508 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.