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Live · Guide v1.074D · Career GuideValidated · Lightcast Labor DataUpdated · Q2 20262026 Cohort Active
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ARMY · 74DCareer Guide · Operations · VWC.CG.74D.R.04
74D · ARMY · Enlisted

Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN)
Specialist.

Army 74D (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Specialist). 600 hours of formal training translate to 5 validated civilian career pathways with salary bands of $60K–$120K. Sourced from DoD training data and Lightcast labor signals.

Training hours600DoD pipeline
ACE creditACEUp to 10 semester hours recommended
Tech roles4mapped to your code
Civilian pathways5validated
Cert coverage3/6direct + partial
/ 01 · Tech Roles

Roles your code maps to.

SOURCE · BLS + LIGHTCAST ROLES · 4

Industry tech roles your 74D 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 74D training already gave you, and the specific gaps to close — not a generic checklist.

Already have04
  • 01
    Multi-function/multi-user system maintenanceSystems administration, troubleshooting
  • 02
    Hazardous material handling & safety proceduresSecurity protocols, risk management
  • 03
    Information processing systems operationData management, data quality control
  • 04
    Incident reporting (NBC Reporting Systems)Incident management, logging & monitoring
To learn08

The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not a generic checklist.

+Linux system administration+Cloud computing fundamentals (AWS, Azure, or GCP)+Network security (firewalls, intrusion detection systems)+Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools+Data visualization (Tableau, Power BI)+SQL for data querying+Cloud computing fundamentals (AWS, Azure, or GCP)+Infrastructure-as-code (Terraform, CloudFormation)
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.

SOURCE · LIGHTCAST + CURATED PATHWAYS · 5
P.01

Network and Computer Systems Administrator

$87K
High match
High demand
P.02

Information Security Analyst

$105K
Good match
Very high demand
Skills to develop
  • Cybersecurity certifications (e.g., CISSP, Security+)
  • Knowledge of security frameworks (e.g., NIST, ISO 27001)
P.03

Computer Systems Analyst

$99K
Good match
High demand
Skills to develop
  • Business analysis techniques
  • Project management methodologies
P.04

IT Manager

$120K
Good match
Growing demand
Skills to develop
  • Project management certification (e.g., PMP)
  • ITIL certification
P.05

Technical Support Specialist

$60K
Moderate match
Stable demand
Skills to develop
  • Customer service skills
  • Specific software certifications related to the supported products
/ 04 · Hidden Strengths

What the code built.

Cognitive skills your 74D training built — and where they transfer in civilian work.

S.01

System Modeling

Understanding chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear hazard behavior — dispersion patterns, contamination spread, and decontamination procedures

Transfers to

Modeling hazardous material behavior and containment — directly applicable to environmental science, industrial safety, and public health emergency response

S.02

Procedural Compliance

Following strict decontamination protocols and protective equipment procedures where a single shortcut can cause lethal exposure

Transfers to

Maintaining life-safety standards in hazardous environments — transfers to OSHA compliance, EPA regulations, and pharmaceutical clean room operations

S.03

Rapid Prioritization

Assessing CBRN threats in real time, determining contamination boundaries, and prioritizing decontamination of casualties and equipment

Transfers to

Making urgent safety decisions with incomplete data — valued in emergency management, environmental response, and industrial incident command

S.04

Situational Awareness

Monitoring detection equipment, wind patterns, and contamination indicators while coordinating unit protection measures

Transfers to

Tracking environmental hazards in real time — applicable to environmental monitoring, industrial hygiene, and workplace safety management

/ 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.

Environmental Health & Safety Manager

SOC 29-9011

Your CBRN training is the military version of EHS — hazard identification, protective measures, decontamination procedures, and regulatory compliance. You already think in terms of exposure limits and containment.

Adjacent · Match

Hazardous Materials Technician

SOC 47-4041

You're already trained to identify, contain, and decontaminate hazardous materials. The civilian HAZMAT certification builds on skills you've already mastered.

Adjacent · Match

Industrial Hygienist

SOC 29-9011

Monitoring workplace environments for chemical and biological hazards, assessing exposure risks, and implementing protective measures — industrial hygiene is CBRN defense for the corporate world.

Adjacent · Match
/ 06 · Training & Certs

What you trained on.

SOURCE · DOD + ACE\nVALIDATED
Academy

CBRN Specialist AIT

Fort Leonard Wood
600hHours
12wkWeeks
ACECredit

Up to 10 semester hours recommended

Topics · 7
  • CBRN defense operations
  • Detection and identification of CBRN agents
  • Decontamination procedures
  • Hazardous material handling
  • Smoke and obscurant operations
  • Protective equipment fitting and maintenance
  • Radiological monitoring
Partial coverage · 2
  • Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM)55%

    Environmental regulations, waste management compliance, and remediation technologies

  • Certified Safety Professional (CSP)40%

    Industrial hygiene, system safety, and ergonomics

Recommended next · 03
  • CHMMAdjacent
  • CSPAdjacent
  • Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH)Adjacent
/ 07 · Systems Translation

What you ran, in their words.

Military systems you operated and their civilian equivalents for your resume.

Military SystemCivilian EquivalentDomain
JSLSCAD (Joint Service Lightweight Standoff Chemical Agent Detector)Chemical detection and environmental hazard monitoring systemsOperations
JCAD (Joint Chemical Agent Detector)Portable chemical agent detection and monitoring instrumentsOperations
JWARN (Joint Warning and Reporting Network)Hazardous materials reporting and emergency notification systems (CAMEO, ALOHA)Networking
RADIAC (Radiation Detection, Indication, and Computation)Radiation monitoring and dosimetry instrumentsOperations
NBC Reporting Systems (NBC-1 through NBC-6)Environmental incident reporting and HAZMAT documentation platformsOperations
/ Translator · Live

Translate 74D 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.