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Live · Guide v1.0IT · Career GuideValidated · Lightcast Labor DataUpdated · Q2 20262026 Cohort Active
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NAVY · ITCareer Guide · Operations · VWC.CG.IT.R.04
IT · NAVY · Enlisted

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
Tech roles5mapped to your code
Civilian pathways4validated
Cert coverage4/7direct + partial
/ 01 · Tech Roles

Roles your code maps to.

SOURCE · BLS + LIGHTCAST ROLES · 5

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
  • 01
    Network Fundamentals→ Network Design and Implementation
  • 02
    Operating Systems Administration (Windows Server, Linux)→ Server Management, Scripting/Automation
  • 03
    Cybersecurity Principles→ Threat Detection, Vulnerability Management
  • 04
    Network Security→ Firewall Management, Intrusion Detection/Prevention
  • 05
    Troubleshooting and Diagnostics→ Root Cause Analysis, Performance Tuning
  • 06
    Communication Security (COMSEC) Procedures→ Data Encryption, Access Control
  • 07
    System Modeling→ Network segmentation, zero-trust architecture, cloud networking
  • 08
    Procedural Compliance→ FedRAMP, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, HIPAA compliance
  • 09
    Adversarial 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, 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 · 4
P.01

Network Administrator

$82K
High match
High demand
Skills to develop
  • — CCNA
  • — Cloud platforms
P.02

Cybersecurity Analyst

$105K
High match
Very high demand
Skills to develop
  • — CompTIA Security+
  • — SIEM tools
P.03

Systems Administrator

$85K
High match
High demand
Skills to develop
  • — Cloud certifications (AWS/Azure)
P.04

IT Project Manager

$95K
Good 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.

S.01

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

S.02

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

S.03

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

S.04

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 15-1212

You'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 · Match

DevOps Engineer

SOC 15-1244

You'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 · Match

Solutions Architect

SOC 15-1241

Designing 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.

SOURCE · DOD + ACE\nVALIDATED
Academy

Information Technology 'A' School

Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois
1,050hHours
25wkWeeks
ACECredit

Up to 9 semester hours recommended in Information Technology and Cybersecurity

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 SystemCivilian EquivalentDomain
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
/ Translator · Live

Translate IT 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.

Translate IT →Apply for Cohort 2027Browse all guides