Air Traffic Controller
$138KHigh match
Stable demand
Live · Guide v1.07391 · Career GuideValidated · Lightcast Labor DataUpdated · Q2 20262026 Cohort Active
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NAVY · 7391Career Guide · Operations · VWC.CG.7391.R.04
7391 · NAVY · WarrantAir Traffic Control
Air Traffic Control
Technician.
Navy 7391 (Air Traffic Control Technician). 960 hours of formal training translate to 4 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $62K–$138K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.
Training hours960DoD pipeline
ACE creditACEUp to 15 semester hours recommended
Tech roles4mapped to your code
Civilian pathways4validated
Cert coverage1/4direct + partial
/ 01 · Tech Roles
Roles your code maps to.
Industry tech roles your 7391 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 7391 training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.
Already have05
- 01Situational Awareness→ Monitoring and Observability
- 02Rapid Prioritization→ Incident Response
- 03Procedural Compliance→ Security Protocols & Compliance
- 04Degraded-Mode Operations→ System Troubleshooting
- 05Airspace Management→ Network Management Principles
To learn07
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.
+Linux server administration basics+Configuration management tools (Ansible, Chef, or Puppet)+Containerization with Docker and Kubernetes basics+Cloud computing platforms (AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud)+Scripting languages (Python, Bash)+Fundamentals of network security+Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools
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.
Avionics Technician
$75KGood match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
- — FAA Airframe & Powerplant (A&P) license
Electronics Technician
$68KGood match
High demand
Skills to develop
- — Specific industry certifications (e.g., CompTIA)
- — Experience with specific electronic systems
Telecommunications Technician
$62KModerate match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
- — Specific telecommunications equipment training
- — Vendor-specific certifications
/ 04 · Hidden Strengths
What the code built.
Cognitive skills your 7391 training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.
Situational Awareness
ATC Technicians constantly monitor the airspace, weather conditions, and aircraft status to maintain a safe and efficient flow of air traffic. They must anticipate potential conflicts and adapt to changing conditions in real-time.
Transfers to
This translates to an exceptional ability to perceive and understand the environment, identify potential problems, and make informed decisions in dynamic situations.
Rapid Prioritization
In high-pressure situations, ATC Techs must quickly assess the urgency of different tasks and prioritize them accordingly to ensure the safety of aircraft and personnel.
Transfers to
This ability to rapidly prioritize tasks and make quick decisions under pressure is valuable in many civilian roles where time is of the essence.
Procedural Compliance
Air Traffic Control relies heavily on strict adherence to established procedures and regulations to maintain safety and order. ATC Techs are trained to follow these protocols meticulously.
Transfers to
This ingrained understanding of the importance of procedures and the ability to follow them accurately is highly valued in roles where precision and consistency are critical.
Degraded-Mode Operations
ATC Techs are trained to handle equipment malfunctions, communication failures, and other unexpected events. They must be able to adapt to these degraded modes of operation and maintain control of the airspace.
Transfers to
This translates to the ability to stay calm under pressure, troubleshoot problems, and implement alternative solutions when things don't go according to plan.
/ 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 maintain order in chaotic environments. Your skills in situational awareness, rapid prioritization, and degraded-mode operations make you an ideal candidate for coordinating emergency response efforts.
Adjacent · MatchLogistics Coordinator
SOC 13-1081.00You're accustomed to tracking and managing complex systems. Your experience in ensuring the safe and efficient flow of air traffic translates to efficiently coordinating the movement of goods and resources in a supply chain.
Adjacent · MatchTechnical Trainer
SOC 25-9044.00You have expert knowledge of ATC systems and procedures and understand the importance of compliance. You have the qualities to train and mentor others to maintain safety and effectiveness.
Adjacent · Match/ 06 · Training & Certs
What you trained on.
Academy
Air Traffic Control School
Naval Air Station Pensacola960hHours
24wkWeeks
ACECredit
Up to 15 semester hours recommended
Topics · 8
- Airspace Management
- Radar Systems Operation
- Meteorology for Air Traffic Control
- Air Traffic Control Procedures
- Navigation Systems
- Federal Aviation Regulations
- Emergency Procedures
- Flight Data Processing
Partial coverage · 1
- Certified Aviation Manager (CAM)60%
Requires study of business management principles, aviation regulations outside of ATC, and development of managerial skills specific to aviation operations.
Recommended next · 03
- FAA Control Tower Operator (CTO) CertificateAdjacent
- Project Management Professional (PMP)Adjacent
- Certified Professional Controller (CPC)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/SPN-43C Air Search Radar | Airport Surveillance Radar (ASR) | Signals |
| AN/SPN-46 Precision Approach Radar (PAR) | Precision Approach Radar (PAR) - used at civilian airports | Signals |
| AN/SPN-41 Instrument Carrier Landing System (ICLS) | Instrument Landing System (ILS) | Operations |
| Naval Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems (ATCALS) | Commercial Air Traffic Control systems (e.g., those from Thales, Indra, or similar providers) | Operations |
| Air Traffic Control Radar Beacon System (ATCRBS) | Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) | Signals |
| Future Air Navigation System (FANS) | Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) | Operations |
/ Translator · Live
Translate 7391 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.