Electronics Technician
$65KHigh match
High demand
Live · Guide v1.0ET · Career GuideValidated · Lightcast Labor DataUpdated · Q2 20262027 Cohort · Applications Open
NAVY · ETCareer Guide · Operations · VWC.CG.ET.R.04
ET · NAVY · EnlistedElectronics
Electronics
Technician.
Navy ET (Electronics Technician). 1,320 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $60K–$72K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Training hours1,320DoD pipeline
ACE creditACEUp to 20 semester hours recommended (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 ET 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 ET training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
Already have07
- 01Electronic Troubleshooting→ Problem Diagnosis
- 02Schematic Interpretation→ Code Comprehension
- 03RF Communications→ Networking Protocols
- 04Radar Systems→ Signal Processing
- 05Procedural Compliance→ Change Management
- 06System Modeling→ Systems Thinking
- 07Cryptographic Equipment (e.g., KG-84, KIV-7)→ Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) and encryption appliances
To learn13
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
+Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)+Linux System Administration Fundamentals+Networking Fundamentals (TCP/IP, DNS, Routing)+Python Scripting for Automation+Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)+Vulnerability Scanning and Penetration Testing+Security++Cloud Computing (AWS, Azure, GCP)+Scripting with Bash/Python+Configuration Management (Ansible, Chef, Puppet)+C/C++ Programming+Real-Time Operating Systems (RTOS)+Microcontroller Programming
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.
Avionics Technician
$72KGood match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — FAA certification
- — Aircraft-specific maintenance training
Field Service Technician
$60KGood match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — Customer service skills
- — Specific product knowledge
Marine Electrician
$68KGood match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — ABYC Certification
- — Knowledge of marine-specific electrical systems
Wind Turbine Technician
$62KModerate match
Very high demand
Skills to develop
- — Climbing certification
- — Wind turbine-specific training
- — OSHA safety standards
/ 04 · Hidden Strengths
What the code built.
Cognitive skills your ET training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
System Modeling
Understanding complex electronic systems including radar, communications, and navigation equipment at the component level
Transfers to
Deep hardware-level systems thinking — applicable to electronics engineering, telecommunications, and embedded systems development
Pattern Recognition
Diagnosing electronic faults through oscilloscope analysis, signal tracing, and recognizing failure patterns across multiple systems
Transfers to
Electronic troubleshooting from signal-level indicators — valued in test engineering, quality assurance, and field service
Procedural Compliance
Following strict maintenance procedures, calibration standards, and safety protocols for high-voltage and radiation-emitting equipment
Transfers to
Operating in safety-critical technical environments — transfers to medical equipment, telecommunications, and industrial electronics
Degraded-Mode Operations
Maintaining radar and communications systems at sea with limited spare parts and no shore-based support
Transfers to
Independent technical problem-solving in isolated environments — the field engineering mindset behind remote site support and managed services
/ 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.
Biomedical Equipment Technician
SOC 49-9062Your electronics diagnostic skills and safety discipline transfer directly to medical equipment maintenance — where the same attention to detail saves lives instead of ships.
Adjacent · MatchAutomation Engineer
SOC 17-2199Your understanding of sensors, control systems, and electronic integration gives you a foundation for industrial automation — programming PLCs and designing control systems.
Adjacent · MatchSemiconductor Test Engineer
SOC 17-2072Your signal analysis skills, oscilloscope proficiency, and systematic troubleshooting methodology apply directly to semiconductor testing and validation.
Adjacent · Match/ 06 · Training & Certs
What you trained on.
Academy
Electronics Technician (ET) 'A' School
Naval Station Great Lakes, IL1,320hHours
33wkWeeks
ACECredit
Up to 20 semester hours recommended (estimated)
Topics · 8
- Basic Electronics Theory
- Digital Logic Circuits
- Microprocessors
- Troubleshooting Techniques
- Electronic Test Equipment Operation
- Radio Frequency (RF) Communications
- Radar Systems
- Navigation Equipment Maintenance
Partial coverage · 2
- Certified Electronics Technician (CET)80%
Commercial standards, FCC regulations, and consumer electronics repair
- CompTIA A+60%
Commercial operating systems, mobile devices, and printer troubleshooting
Recommended next · 03
- CETAdjacent
- CompTIA A+Adjacent
- CompTIA Network+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/SPS-48 Radar | Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) | Signals |
| AN/SPS-49 Radar | Long-range air surveillance radar systems | Signals |
| AN/URN-25 Tactical Air Navigation (TACAN) | Commercial aviation VOR/DME navigation systems | Operations |
| Global Command and Control System - Maritime (GCCS-M) | Maritime domain awareness software platforms | Networking |
| Navy Standard Telecommunications Program (NSTP) | Enterprise-level telecommunications management systems | Networking |
| AN/USQ-143 Naval Modular Automated Communications System (NAVMACS) | Automated message handling systems for secure communication | Networking |
| Cryptographic Equipment (e.g., KG-84, KIV-7) | Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) and encryption appliances | Operations |
Cohort 2027 · Intake Open
Ship ET 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.