Hazardous Materials (Hazmat) Technician
$65KHigh match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — 40-hour HAZWOPER certification
Live · Guide v1.05700 · Career GuideValidated · Lightcast Labor DataUpdated · Q2 20262026 Cohort Active
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USMC · 5700Career Guide · Operations · VWC.CG.5700.R.04
5700 · USMC · EnlistedCBRN Defense
CBRN Defense
Officer.
Marine Corps 5700 (CBRN Defense Officer). 240 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $60K–$85K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Training hours240DoD pipeline
ACE creditACEUp to 6 semester hours recommended in Emergency Management or related field
Tech roles4mapped to your code
Civilian pathways5validated
Cert coverage2/5direct + partial
/ 01 · Tech Roles
Roles your code maps to.
Industry tech roles your 5700 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 5700 training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
Already have05
- 01Situational Awareness→ Ability to observe, interpret, and react to changing circumstances in dynamic environments; anticipate problems and make informed decisions under pressure.
- 02Procedural Compliance→ Understanding the importance of adhering to regulations and guidelines, and the ability to consistently execute tasks with precision and accuracy.
- 03Resource Optimization→ Ability to make the most of available resources, prioritize needs, and implement cost-effective solutions.
- 04Team Synchronization→ Ability to work seamlessly with diverse groups, communicate effectively, and contribute to a common goal in high-pressure environments.
- 05Experience with systems like JWARN, JOPES→ Understanding of emergency response systems and planning/execution software.
To learn08
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
+Security fundamentals (CompTIA Security+)+Cloud security concepts (AWS Certified Security - Specialty or similar)+GRC frameworks (NIST, ISO 27001)+Data visualization tools (Tableau, Power BI)+SQL for data querying and analysis+Basic programming (Python or R)+Systems analysis techniques+IT infrastructure fundamentals (CompTIA A+)
How VWC fits
Vets Who Code is a free, full-time 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.
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Specialist
$75KGood match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — CSP or CIH certification
- — Knowledge of EPA regulations
Emergency Management Specialist
$78KGood match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — FEMA certifications (e.g., IS-100, IS-700)
- — Project management skills
Industrial Hygienist
$85KModerate match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) certification
- — Advanced knowledge of toxicology
Decontamination Specialist
$60KHigh match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — Specialized decontamination training
- — Experience with specific contaminants
/ 04 · Hidden Strengths
What the code built.
Cognitive skills your 5700 training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
Situational Awareness
As a CBRN defense specialist, you constantly monitor the environment for threats, assessing risks and understanding the potential impact of chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear events on personnel and operations.
Transfers to
This translates to a keen ability to observe, interpret, and react to changing circumstances in dynamic environments, allowing you to anticipate problems and make informed decisions under pressure.
Procedural Compliance
You are trained to rigorously follow established protocols and safety procedures when handling hazardous materials and responding to CBRN incidents, ensuring the safety of yourself and others.
Transfers to
This instills a deep understanding of the importance of adhering to regulations and guidelines, and the ability to consistently execute tasks with precision and accuracy.
Resource Optimization
Responding to CBRN threats requires efficient allocation of limited resources such as protective equipment, detection devices, and decontamination assets to maximize effectiveness.
Transfers to
This skill demonstrates the ability to make the most of available resources, prioritize needs, and implement cost-effective solutions in challenging situations.
Team Synchronization
CBRN defense often involves coordinating with multiple teams, including medical personnel, security forces, and HAZMAT units, to ensure a cohesive and effective response.
Transfers to
This reflects an ability to work seamlessly with diverse groups, communicate effectively, and contribute to a common goal in high-pressure environments.
/ 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 Specialist
SOC 11-9161.00You've been trained to handle hazardous material incidents, assess risks, and coordinate responses – exactly what's needed to develop and implement emergency plans at the local, state, or federal level. Your experience in CBRN defense directly translates to protecting communities from a wide range of threats.
Adjacent · MatchIndustrial Hygienist
SOC 29-9011.00You're skilled in identifying, evaluating, and controlling hazards in the workplace. Your experience with CBRN defense provides a solid foundation for ensuring worker safety and regulatory compliance in industries dealing with potentially dangerous substances.
Adjacent · MatchEnvironmental Compliance Inspector
SOC 13-1041.00You are used to strict protocols for handling and mitigating dangerous substances, which makes you perfectly suited to ensure businesses adhere to environmental regulations regarding hazardous waste disposal and pollution control.
Adjacent · Match/ 06 · Training & Certs
What you trained on.
Academy
CBRN Officer Course
Fort Leonard Wood, MO240hHours
6wkWeeks
ACECredit
Up to 6 semester hours recommended in Emergency Management or related field
Topics · 7
- CBRN Reconnaissance and Surveillance
- Decontamination Procedures
- Hazard Prediction and Modeling
- CBRN Equipment Maintenance
- Incident Response Planning
- Biological Threat Assessment
- Radiological Safety
Partial coverage · 2
- OSHA 40-Hour HAZWOPER70%
Requires studying specific OSHA regulations, emergency response procedures, and site control specific to hazardous waste operations.
- Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM)30%
Requires significant study of environmental regulations (beyond CBRN), hazardous waste management, toxicology, and risk assessment.
Recommended next · 03
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP)Adjacent
- Associate Safety Professional (ASP)Adjacent
- Incident Command System (ICS) certifications (e.g., ICS-300, ICS-400)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 |
|---|---|---|
| Joint Warning and Reporting Network (JWARN) | Environmental monitoring and emergency alert systems | Networking |
| M40A1 Protective Mask | Industrial respirators and gas masks (e.g., 3M, MSA Safety) | Operations |
| AN/VDR-1 Radiac Set | Handheld radiation detectors (e.g., Thermo Fisher Scientific RadEye) | Operations |
| Joint Service Lightweight Integrated Suit Technology (JSLIST) | HAZMAT suits and protective clothing (e.g., DuPont Tyvek, Kappler Zytron) | Operations |
| M256A1 Chemical Agent Detector Kit | Chemical detection badges and colorimetric tubes (e.g., Draeger tubes) | Operations |
| HPBio Threat Agent Detection System (BTADS) | Real-time PCR pathogen detection systems | Operations |
| Joint Operational Planning and Execution System (JOPES) | Emergency response planning and coordination software | Operations |
/ Translator · Live
Translate 5700 into a resume that ships.
Pair this guide with the VWC AI-powered translator: drop in your service record, get back ATS-optimized civilian resume language tuned to the tech roles above.