IT Career Guide
IT: Information Systems Technician
Career transition guide for Navy Information Systems Technician (IT)
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Top civilian roles for IT veterans, with average salary and market demand data.
Network Administrator
Skills to develop:
Cybersecurity Analyst
Skills to develop:
Systems Administrator
Skills to develop:
IT Project Manager
Skills to develop:
Salary estimates from VWC career data
Hidden Strengths
Cognitive skills your IT training built — and where they transfer.
System Modeling
Understanding Navy shipboard and shore-based network architectures, including classified and unclassified network segmentation
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
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
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
Operating within security compliance frameworks — transfers directly to FedRAMP, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, and HIPAA compliance roles
Non-Obvious Career Matches
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.
DevOps 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.
Solutions 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.
Training & Education Equivalencies
Information Technology 'A' School, Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois
Topics Covered
- •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
Certification Pathways
Ready to Certify
Partial Coverage
Risk management frameworks, cryptography, and governance/compliance
Cisco-specific CLI, advanced routing protocols, and SD-WAN
Recommended Next Certifications
Technical Systems Translation
Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent |
|---|---|
| Automated Digital Network System (ADNS) | Enterprise network management systems (e.g., SolarWinds, Cisco DNA Center) |
| Naval Modular Automated Communications Subsystem (NAVMACS) | Secure messaging platforms (e.g., Microsoft Exchange with encryption, Signal, Telegram) |
| Commercial Broadband Satellite Program (CBSP) | Commercial satellite internet service providers (e.g., HughesNet, Viasat) |
| Defense Message System (DMS) | Secure email and messaging systems (e.g., ProtonMail, secure enterprise messaging apps) |
| Integrated Shipboard Network System (ISNS) | Shipboard data network and management systems (e.g., marine-specific network solutions) |
| HF Radio Systems (e.g., AN/PRC-150) | Commercial HF radio communication systems (e.g., for emergency services, remote operations) |
| Communications Security (COMSEC) Equipment (e.g., KG-175) | Hardware Security Modules (HSMs) and encryption appliances (e.g., Thales, Entrust) |
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