New Cohort Starts:

Donate

9666 Career Guide

Marine Corps

9666: Space Operations Officer

Career transition guide for Marine Corps Space Operations Officer (9666)

Translate Your 9666 Experience Now

Get a personalized AI-powered translation of your military experience into civilian resume language.

Start Free Translation

Civilian Career Pathways

Top civilian roles for 9666 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.

Satellite Systems Engineer

$140K
High matchVery high demand

Skills to develop:

Specific satellite communication protocolsAdvanced modeling and simulation tools

Aerospace Project Manager

$130K
Good matchHigh demand

Skills to develop:

Agile project management methodologiesEarned Value Management (EVM) certification

Remote Sensing Specialist

$110K
Good matchGrowing demand

Skills to develop:

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) certificationSpecific remote sensing software proficiency

Cybersecurity Analyst (Space Systems)

$120K
Moderate matchVery high demand

Skills to develop:

Cybersecurity certifications (e.g., CISSP, Security+)Knowledge of space-based cyber threats

Intelligence Analyst (National Security)

$95K
Moderate matchStable demand

Skills to develop:

Intelligence analysis techniquesFamiliarity with specific intelligence databases and tools

Salary estimates from VWC career data

Hidden Strengths

Cognitive skills your 9666 training built — and where they transfer.

System Modeling

As a Space Operations Officer, you model complex space systems to understand their behavior, predict performance, and identify potential vulnerabilities.

This ability to model complex systems translates directly to analyzing and optimizing intricate business processes or technological infrastructures.

Situational Awareness

You constantly maintain a high level of awareness of the space environment, including tracking assets, monitoring threats, and understanding the impact of space weather on operations.

Your expertise in maintaining situational awareness is invaluable in dynamic environments where you need to anticipate changes, identify risks, and make informed decisions under pressure.

Resource Optimization

You are responsible for optimizing the use of limited space-based resources, such as satellite bandwidth and sensor time, to maximize mission effectiveness.

Your experience optimizing resource allocation is highly relevant to roles that require efficient management of budgets, personnel, or technological assets.

Adversarial Thinking

You are trained to think like an adversary to anticipate potential threats to space assets and develop countermeasures to protect them.

This mindset is essential for risk management, cybersecurity, and strategic planning roles where you need to identify vulnerabilities and develop proactive defense strategies.

Non-Obvious Career Matches

Business Intelligence Analyst

SOC 15-2051

You've been trained to analyze complex systems and extract actionable insights from data. Your experience in monitoring threats and understanding the impact of various factors translates directly to identifying business opportunities and mitigating risks.

Supply Chain Analyst

SOC 13-1081

You've been responsible for optimizing resource allocation and ensuring the smooth operation of complex systems. Your experience in logistics, risk assessment, and problem-solving makes you well-suited to manage and improve supply chain efficiency.

Financial Risk Analyst

SOC 13-2051

You've developed strong analytical skills and the ability to assess potential threats and vulnerabilities. Your expertise in risk management and strategic planning is highly valuable in the financial sector, where you can help organizations mitigate financial risks.

Training & Education Equivalencies

Space Systems Operations, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA

640 training hours16 weeksUp to 18 semester hours recommended

Topics Covered

  • Space Environment
  • Space System Design and Requirements
  • Space Operations Planning
  • Space System Employment Tactics
  • Strategic Defense Applications
  • Space System Management
  • Space Technology

Certification Pathways

Partial Coverage

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)50% covered

Requires studying information security management best practices, legal and regulatory compliance, and detailed knowledge of specific security technologies and incident response methodologies not explicitly covered in the Space Operations curriculum.

Project Management Professional (PMP)60% covered

Requires studying the five process groups (Initiating, Planning, Executing, Monitoring and Controlling, Closing) and ten knowledge areas (Integration, Scope, Schedule, Cost, Quality, Resource, Communications, Risk, Procurement, Stakeholder) as defined by the PMI PMBOK guide. Also requires documenting project management experience.

Recommended Next Certifications

AWS Certified Cloud PractitionerCertified Ethical Hacker (CEH)CompTIA Security+ITIL 4 Foundation

Technical Systems Translation

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

Military SystemCivilian Equivalent
Wideband Global SATCOM (WGS)Commercial satellite communication services (e.g., Intelsat, SES)
Military Strategic and Tactical Relay (Milstar)Advanced Extremely High Frequency (AEHF) satellite systems
Global Positioning System (GPS) Military SignalHigh-precision GPS receivers and applications
Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS)Commercial weather and environmental monitoring satellites
Joint Space Operations Center (JSpOC) Mission System (JMS)Space Traffic Management (STM) and Space Situational Awareness (SSA) platforms
Naval Postgraduate School Space Systems CurriculumMaster's degree in Aerospace Engineering or related fields

Ready to Translate Your Experience?

Our AI-powered translator converts your 9666 experience into ATS-optimized civilian resume language.

Translate My Resume — Free