Network Administrator
$82KHigh match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — CCNA
- — Cloud platforms
Live · Guide v1.0IT · Career GuideValidated · Lightcast Labor DataUpdated · Q2 20262027 Cohort · Applications Open
NAVY · ITCareer Guide · Operations · VWC.CG.IT.R.04
IT · NAVY · EnlistedInformation Systems
Information Systems
Technician.
Navy IT (Information Systems Technician). 1,050 hours of formal training translate to 4 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $82K–$105K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Training hours1,050DoD pipeline
ACE creditACEUp to 9 semester hours recommended in Information Technology and Cybersecurity (estimated)
Tech roles5mapped to your code
Civilian pathways4validated
Cert coverage4/7direct + 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 IT 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 IT training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
Already have09
- 01Network Fundamentals→ Network Design and Implementation
- 02Operating Systems Administration (Windows Server, Linux)→ Server Management, Scripting/Automation
- 03Cybersecurity Principles→ Threat Detection, Vulnerability Management
- 04Network Security→ Firewall Management, Intrusion Detection/Prevention
- 05Troubleshooting and Diagnostics→ Root Cause Analysis, Performance Tuning
- 06Communication Security (COMSEC) Procedures→ Data Encryption, Access Control
- 07System Modeling→ Network segmentation, zero-trust architecture, cloud networking
- 08Procedural Compliance→ FedRAMP, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, HIPAA compliance
- 09Adversarial Thinking→ Cybersecurity engineering, threat hunting, security operations
To learn05
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
+Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) or CompTIA Network++AWS Certified Security - Specialty or Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)+Scripting languages (Python, Bash)+Cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) basics+Help desk ticketing systems (e.g., Jira Service Management, Zendesk)
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.
Cybersecurity Analyst
$105KHigh match
Very high demand
Skills to develop
- — CompTIA Security+
- — SIEM tools
Systems Administrator
$85KHigh match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — Cloud certifications (AWS/Azure)
IT Project Manager
$95KGood match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — PMP
- — Agile/Scrum
/ 04 · Hidden Strengths
What the code built.
Cognitive skills your IT training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
System Modeling
Understanding Navy shipboard and shore-based network architectures, including classified and unclassified network segmentation
Transfers to
Architecting secure, segmented network environments — directly applicable to enterprise network design, zero-trust architecture, and cloud networking
Degraded-Mode Operations
Maintaining communications and network services at sea with limited bandwidth, no vendor support, and mission-critical uptime requirements
Transfers to
Keeping systems running in constrained environments — the resilience mindset valued in SRE, remote infrastructure management, and edge computing
Adversarial Thinking
Implementing cybersecurity measures and monitoring for intrusions on networks that are actively targeted by nation-state adversaries
Transfers to
Defending systems against sophisticated threats — core to cybersecurity engineering, threat hunting, and security operations
Procedural Compliance
Following strict DISA STIGs, NIST frameworks, and Navy cybersecurity policies for system hardening and accreditation
Transfers to
Operating within security compliance frameworks — transfers directly to FedRAMP, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA compliance roles
/ 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.
Cloud Security Engineer
SOC 15-1212You've hardened systems against nation-state threats using DISA STIGs and NIST frameworks. Cloud security uses the same frameworks — AWS GovCloud, Azure Government, and FedRAMP are your natural next step.
Adjacent · MatchDevOps Engineer
SOC 15-1244You've managed infrastructure, automated configurations, and maintained uptime in environments where you can't just restart the server. DevOps values that operational discipline and systems thinking.
Adjacent · MatchSolutions Architect
SOC 15-1241Designing network architectures that balance security, performance, and availability across multiple classification levels — that's solutions architecture with higher stakes than most civilian shops will ever face.
Adjacent · Match/ 06 · Training & Certs
What you trained on.
Academy
Information Technology 'A' School
Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois1,050hHours
25wkWeeks
ACECredit
Up to 9 semester hours recommended in Information Technology and Cybersecurity (estimated)
Topics · 8
- Network Fundamentals
- Operating Systems Administration (Windows Server, Linux)
- Cybersecurity Principles
- Network Security
- Communication Security (COMSEC) Procedures
- Radio Frequency (RF) Communications Systems
- Troubleshooting and Diagnostics
- Data Management
Partial coverage · 2
- CompTIA Security+65%
Risk management frameworks, cryptography, and governance/compliance
- CCNA60%
Cisco-specific CLI, advanced routing protocols, and SD-WAN
Recommended next · 03
- CompTIA Security+Adjacent
- CCNAAdjacent
- AWS Cloud PractitionerAdjacent
/ 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Automated Digital Network System (ADNS) | Enterprise network management systems (e.g., SolarWinds, Cisco DNA Center) | Networking |
| Naval Modular Automated Communications Subsystem (NAVMACS) | Secure messaging platforms (e.g., Microsoft Exchange with encryption, Signal, Telegram) | Networking |
| Commercial Broadband Satellite Program (CBSP) | Commercial satellite internet service providers (e.g., HughesNet, Viasat) | Networking |
| Defense Message System (DMS) | Secure email and messaging systems (e.g., ProtonMail, secure enterprise messaging apps) | Operations |
| Integrated Shipboard Network System (ISNS) | Shipboard data network and management systems (e.g., marine-specific network solutions) | Networking |
| HF Radio Systems (e.g., AN/PRC-150) | Commercial HF radio communication systems (e.g., for emergency services, remote operations) | Operations |
| Communications Security (COMSEC) Equipment (e.g., KG-175) | Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) and encryption appliances (e.g., Thales, Entrust) | Networking |
Cohort 2027 · Intake Open
Ship IT 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.