Navy Careers That Will Help You Land Top-Paying Civilian Jobs

Joining up with the Navy allows you to serve your country by saving lives but it can also enrich your own. See how starting your career in the Navy will help it flourish post-service.

Information Systems Technician - Information Security Analyst

When your network goes down at home, it might interrupt the show you're streaming. But when a network goes down aboard a Navy ship or submarine, vital information may be lost, from global satellite data to special intelligence communications. That's why Information Systems Technicians with "Top Secret" security clearances and an expert understanding of computers are necessary for every mission.

On the civilian side, experience as a Navy IT comes with valuable credentialing and occupational opportunities that can lead to a career as an Information Security Analyst, protecting companies' valuable information.

Navy Pilot - Commercial Pilot

Many in the Navy don't just have their sea legs but their wings as well. Navy Fighter Pilots are an elite group of aviators who take off from huge aircraft carriers in the world's most lethal jets at catapulting speeds of 170 mph.

Then, of course, there's TOPGUN, known to the fleet as the Navy Fighter Weapons School: the elite of the elite and a universal symbol of aviation superiority around the world. But these highly skilled men and women aren't the mavericks you might have heard of. They describe themselves using three words: humble, credible, and approachable. 

A career as Navy pilot can lead to a job as an airline or commercial pilot. While earning your "wings of gold," Navy pilots are trained at the Aviation Schools Command in Pensacola, Florida, and this experience will help prepare you for a future in civilian aviation.

Navy Nurse - Nurse

As a nurse in the Navy, you have the rare opportunity to save the lives of the people who save lives, and their families. You'll also be deployed to help with global relief efforts such as distributing vaccines or providing emergency care to victims of natural disasters.

Navy nurses have a competitive edge in their field outside of service. With the Navy's excellent scholarship opportunities, there's potential that they graduate from nursing school debt free!

Navy Diver - Professional Diver

The portion of the Navy you see above water is just the tip of the iceberg. Navy divers claim the ocean as their office, performing underwater duties such as welding, searching waters for impediments, retrieving sunken wreckage, and even pulling astronauts from space capsules.

In addition to training in underwater cutting, welding, demolition, and ship maintenance, Navy divers trained at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City, Florida, are primed for a professional career in diving outside of the force, which can be anything from construction to local law enforcement.

Machinist’s Mate Nuclear - Nuclear Engineer

Gone are the days when powering a ship meant opening the sails and praying for wind. The Navy's steam-powered propulsion plants require Machinist's Mate Nuclear Sailors with strong skills in math, chemistry, physics, and engineering to maintain safe reactor operation in providing propulsion for the fleet's carriers and submarines.

Not only do MMNs receive a first-time enlistment bonus of up to $38,000 but they also learn the skills and practical knowledge needed to become a nuclear engineer post-service.

Imagery courtesy of U.S. Navy

Thinking of launching your career by joining the Navy? Start your journey by going to Navy.com/careers.