7393 Career Guide
7393: Air Traffic Control Technician
Career transition guide for Navy Air Traffic Control Technician (7393)
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Real industry tech roles your 7393 background maps to — picked from BLS-anchored occupations using your training, cognitive skills, and systems experience.
DevOps Engineer
DevOps / Platform
Your experience with Naval Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems (NATCALS) and Automated Air Traffic Control System (AATCS) translates well to DevOps. You understand system integration, automation, and maintaining high availability, crucial for DevOps roles managing continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines.
Typical stack:
Cloud Engineer
DevOps / Platform
Operating radar systems and understanding network infrastructure provides a solid foundation for cloud engineering. Your knowledge of communication procedures and flight data processing aligns with managing data flow and storage in cloud environments.
Typical stack:
Security Engineer
Security
Experience with IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) systems and emergency procedures gives you a background in secure communication and threat response. This translates to security engineering roles focused on protecting systems and data from unauthorized access and cyber threats.
Typical stack:
Computer Systems Analyst
Customer / Field
As an Air Traffic Control Technician, you're adept at evaluating systems and making improvements. This translates well to the work of a Computer Systems Analyst, as does your comfort level with complex systems that absolutely, positively, have to work correctly.
Typical stack:
Skills You Already Have
Concrete bridges from 7393 experience to tech-industry practice.
- Airspace Management→ Cloud Resource Management
- Radar Systems Operation→ Network Monitoring and Management
- Emergency Procedures and Contingency Planning→ Incident Response and Disaster Recovery
- Rapid Prioritization→ Incident Management
- Situational Awareness→ Observability
- Procedural Compliance→ Compliance and Governance
Skills to Learn
The concrete gap to bridge — specific to the roles above, not generic.
How VWC fits
Vets Who Code accelerates the parts we teach — software engineering fundamentals, web development, AI tooling. For everything else above, the path is doable independently with the resources we link to.
See VWC ProgramsCivilian Career Pathways
Top civilian roles for 7393 veterans, with average salary and market demand data.
Air Traffic Controller
Avionics Technician
Skills to develop:
Electronics Technician
Skills to develop:
Telecommunications Equipment Installer and Repairer
Skills to develop:
Salary estimates from VWC career data
Hidden Strengths
Cognitive skills your 7393 training built — and where they transfer.
Rapid Prioritization
As an Air Traffic Control Technician, you constantly make split-second decisions, prioritizing aircraft movements based on urgency, safety, and efficiency, especially during peak hours or emergencies.
Your ability to quickly assess situations and prioritize tasks under pressure translates to any fast-paced environment where critical decisions are needed on the fly.
Situational Awareness
You maintain a comprehensive understanding of all air traffic within your zone, monitoring aircraft positions, weather conditions, and potential hazards to ensure safe and efficient operations.
This heightened awareness of your surroundings and the ability to anticipate potential problems is invaluable in roles requiring vigilance and proactive problem-solving.
Procedural Compliance
You adhere strictly to established protocols and regulations to maintain safety and prevent errors in air traffic control, ensuring consistency and reliability in operations.
Your commitment to following procedures and maintaining standards makes you a reliable and detail-oriented professional, essential in regulated industries.
Team Synchronization
You work closely with other controllers, pilots, and ground staff, coordinating actions and communicating effectively to ensure seamless and safe air traffic management.
This ability to collaborate and coordinate with diverse teams is crucial for achieving common goals in any collaborative work environment.
Non-Obvious Career Matches
Logistics Coordinator
SOC 13-1081.00You've been managing the complex flow of air traffic; now, channel that expertise into orchestrating the movement of goods and services. Your prioritization and situational awareness skills will ensure efficient supply chain operations.
Emergency Management Specialist
SOC 11-9161.00You've been trained to handle high-pressure situations and maintain calm during emergencies. This role requires someone who can develop and implement disaster preparedness plans, utilizing your strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
Project Manager
SOC 11-9021.00You've been managing the movement of air traffic, dealing with the complex scheduling and prioritization this requires. As a Project Manager, you’ll be responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects. Your skills in rapid prioritization and team synchronization make you uniquely suited for this role.
Training & Education Equivalencies
Air Traffic Control Technician School, Naval Air Station Pensacola, FL
Topics Covered
- •Airspace Management
- •Radar Systems Operation
- •Meteorology for Air Traffic Control
- •Navigation Aids (NAVAIDs)
- •Air Traffic Control Regulations and Procedures
- •Emergency Procedures and Contingency Planning
- •Communication Procedures
- •Flight Data Processing
Certification Pathways
Partial Coverage
Study advanced electronics, troubleshooting, and specific equipment repair procedures not covered in the military training. Focus on the CET exam domains you are weakest in.
Review FCC rules and regulations, maritime radio, and advanced communication theory. Specific areas could include Ship Radar Endorsement requirements.
Recommended Next Certifications
Technical Systems Translation
Military systems you've used and their civilian equivalents for your resume.
| Military System | Civilian Equivalent |
|---|---|
| AN/SPN-43C Air Search Radar | Long-range air surveillance radar systems used at civilian airports |
| AN/SPN-46 Precision Approach Radar (PAR) | Precision approach radar systems used for guiding aircraft during landing in adverse weather conditions |
| AN/SPN-41 Instrument Carrier Landing System (ICLS) | Instrument Landing System (ILS) used at civilian airports |
| Naval Air Traffic Control and Landing Systems (NATCALS) | Integrated air traffic control systems such as those provided by Leidos or Thales Group |
| Automated Air Traffic Control System (AATCS) | Automated air traffic management systems (e.g., FAA's NextGen system) |
| IFF (Identification Friend or Foe) Systems | Secondary Surveillance Radar (SSR) systems with Mode S capabilities |
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