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Air ForceAFSC: 3E6X1
Operations Management
The civilian and federal jobs that hire Air Force Operations Managements — with real salaries and the resume that gets callbacks.
Every 3E6X1 has more options than a Google search will tell you. Below: career paths, BLS salary data, federal GS series, certifications by target career, and how to translate your experience without losing what made you valuable to the Air Force in the first place.
Free · No credit card · Tailored resume in under 5 minutes
$43K–$118K
Salary Range
BLS-verified median salaries
15
Career Paths
14
Companies Hiring
9
Resume Examples
1
Federal GS Series
8
Certification Paths
10
FAQs Answered
BT
Brad Tachi
Navy Diver · BMR Founder
After the Navy I got hired into 6 federal career fields and tech sales, and sat on federal hiring panels along the way. I spent the last 2 years rebuilding everything I learned into BMR, tuned for how AI actually screens resumes today. This is the system I wish I'd had on day one.
17,500+ veterans helped·60,000+ resumes built·Success stories every week
Military Role Overview
If you worked 3E6X1, you ran the engine room of a Civil Engineer squadron without ever picking up a wrench. You stood up and managed the CE command and control center, took the service calls when a facility went down, prioritized work orders against legal cost limits and support agreements, tracked Class IV material acquisitions, and kept the work-order priority program moving from approval through completion. When a pipe burst on the flightline or a contingency tasking landed, you were the person deciding what got fixed first and who had the people, parts, and money to do it.
That work-control role is the part civilian employers underestimate until you explain it. You ran a CMMS-style work-order system, dispatched multi-trade crews, defended cost and reimbursement decisions to leadership, and produced the management data that told the squadron where its time and money actually went. Training started with the basic operations course and CE 3-level common core at Sheppard AFB, and the 7-level common core added the planning, scheduling, and resource-management depth that runs a base civil engineer operation.
I spent years in federal supply, logistics, and property management after the Navy, and the 3E6X1 skill set sits right next to that world. Work prioritization, material accountability, and cost-reimbursement tracking are the same muscles a federal facilities or supply program runs on. The clearance status is rarely the lever here. The lever is showing a hiring manager that you managed a service-call center, a work-order backlog, and a material pipeline at the same time, and can prove it with numbers. If you want to see how your record stacks against related fields, the military-to-civilian career crosswalk is a good place to start, and the sibling 3E5X1 Engineering and 3E9X1 Emergency Management pages cover the rest of the CE cluster.
I worked federal supply, logistics, and property for years, and the thing I wish more 3E6X1 airmen knew is that "operations management" undersells you on a resume. You ran work control. You decided what got fixed, what it cost, and who did it. Put the work-order volume, the cost figures, and the dispatch numbers on the page and a facilities or supply hiring manager reads you instantly. — Brad Tachi, Navy Diver veteran & BMR founder
Security ClearanceNone to Secret (varies by assignment)
ASVAB RequirementGeneral (G): 44
TrainingBasic Military Training, then ~28-day basic operations course and CE 3-level common core distance learning at Sheppard AFB, TX; 7-level adds CE 7-level common core for advanced planning and resource management
Certs Earned in ServiceCE Basic Operations Course, CE 3-Level Common Core (3E631), CE 7-Level Common Core (3E671)
Pay Reality Check
The number that matters when you're deciding what's next: how does civilian pay compare to what you make now?
Air Force mid-career
$58K–$82K
E-5 to E-7 total comp (base + BAH + BAS + tax advantage)
Civilian Operations Management
$43K–$108K
BLS median across direct-match civilian roles
Federal (GS-9 to GS-13)
$58K–$120K
1 matching GS series + locality pay + step increases
+18% on average
Civilian roles for Operations Managements pay ~$13K more than mid-career enlisted total comp.
Military comp is approximate (varies by location/dependents). Civilian is BLS median. Federal includes locality pay. Your real number depends on duty station, family status, GS step, and overtime.
Private Sector Career Paths
The 3E6X1 background maps cleanly onto facilities operations, work-order management, and program-coordination roles. Salary figures below are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024.
Facilities Managers (BLS 11-3013, median $104,690). This is the closest civilian translation of running a base CE operation. Large facilities, hospitals, universities, and corporate campuses need someone who can manage a work-order backlog, prioritize service calls, coordinate trades, and control maintenance budgets. Your work-control center experience is the exact daily job.
Administrative Services Managers (BLS 11-3012, median $108,390). Many service-focal-point and resource-management functions fall under this title in the civilian world, where the role covers facility support services, contracts coordination, and the operational back office that keeps a site running.
Cost Estimators (BLS 13-1051, median $77,070). You defended work-order costs against legal limits and support agreements and tracked reimbursement. Estimating job costs for construction and facilities work is a direct extension of that, and it is a strong path if you liked the numbers side of the job.
Logisticians (BLS 13-1081, median $80,880). Class IV material acquisition, stock control, and keeping crews supplied is logistics work. This title is common in defense, construction, and manufacturing, and it links to the same world as Air Force 2S0X1 Materiel Management and Navy LS Logistics Specialist.
Project Management Specialists (BLS 13-1082, median $100,750). Coordinating multi-trade infrastructure work from request through completion is project coordination. With a PMP or CAPM, this becomes one of the higher-ceiling paths. Our guide on moving into project management without a PMP yet walks the entry routes.
Production, Planning, and Material-Coordination roles. The scheduling and dispatch core of work control also reads as production planning and material coordination in manufacturing and construction settings, where Material Recording Clerk roles (BLS 43-5071, median $46,120) are a common entry point that promotes into planning.
Be honest with yourself about geography and level. Facilities and project roles concentrate around metro areas, large institutions, and industrial corridors. You may enter a notch below your military responsibility and climb fast once you have a civilian title on the resume. The military resume builder is built to translate this background, and when you are ready to apply you can build your resume now.
Civilian Job Title Translations
| Civilian Job Title | Industry | BLS Median Salary | Outlook | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Facilities Manager O*NET: 11-3013.00 | Facilities Operations | $104,690 | 7% (Faster than average) | strong |
Administrative Services Manager O*NET: 11-3012.00 | Operations | $108,390 | 5% (Faster than average) | strong |
Cost Estimator O*NET: 13-1051.00 | Construction & Facilities | $77,070 | 4% (As fast as average) | strong |
Logistician O*NET: 13-1081.00 | Logistics & Supply Chain | $80,880 | 6% (Faster than average) | strong |
Project Management Specialist O*NET: 13-1082.00 | Project Management | $100,750 | 7% (Faster than average) | moderate |
Management Analyst O*NET: 13-1111.00 | Business Operations | $101,190 | 11% (Much faster than average) | moderate |
Material Recording Clerk / Planner O*NET: 43-5071.00 | Manufacturing & Construction | $46,120 | -6% (Decline) | moderate |
Customer Service / Dispatch Center Lead O*NET: 43-4051.00 | Operations | $42,830 | -5% (Decline) | moderate |
Facilities Manager
Facilities Operations
$104,690median
7% (Faster than average)
O*NET: 11-3013.00
Administrative Services Manager
Operations
$108,390median
5% (Faster than average)
O*NET: 11-3012.00
Cost Estimator
Construction & Facilities
$77,070median
4% (As fast as average)
O*NET: 13-1051.00
Logistician
Logistics & Supply Chain
$80,880median
6% (Faster than average)
O*NET: 13-1081.00
Project Management Specialist
Project Management
$100,750median
7% (Faster than average)
O*NET: 13-1082.00
Management Analyst
Business Operations
$101,190median
11% (Much faster than average)
O*NET: 13-1111.00
Material Recording Clerk / Planner
Manufacturing & Construction
$46,120median
-6% (Decline)
O*NET: 43-5071.00
Customer Service / Dispatch Center Lead
Operations
$42,830median
-5% (Decline)
O*NET: 43-4051.00
Companies That Hire This Background
Global facilities and property management firm hiring facility managers and work-order coordinators across corporate and institutional sites.
Commercial real estate and integrated facilities management with operations and maintenance-coordination roles.
Engineering and base operations support firm with federal facilities and work-control contracts.
Large base operations support contractor running civil-engineering-style work control and material management on installations.
Global EPC firm hiring project coordinators, cost estimators, and field operations staff.
Defense and facilities services contractor with logistics, base operations, and program-coordination roles.
Facilities and integrated services management hiring operations and work-order managers for healthcare and corporate sites.
Facility operations and maintenance management across education, healthcare, and business sites.
Base operations and logistics support contractor running installation work control and material programs.
Federal services contractor with facilities, logistics, and program-management openings.
Commercial property services firm hiring facility and operations managers.
Federal engineering and facilities organization hiring into GS facilities, program-analyst, and construction-control series.
Manages federal buildings and facilities; hires facility operations and program-management staff across the GS-1640 and GS-0343 series.
Operates a large facilities footprint with engineering-service and facility-operations roles strong on Veterans Preference.
See a salary you want? Build a resume targeting it.
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Real Air Force success story
“Hey! I did get a job! I got 3 job offers when I first separated and I just got a new job out in Japan! I’ve been recommending your site since I found it during TAPS. Thank you so much for your help! V/R JaMontae ”
JaMontae· Staff Sergeant (E-5)· Air Force
→ Information Technology and Computer ScienceFederal Career Paths
Federal facilities, engineering, and supply organizations hire this background steadily, and Veterans' Preference plus your work-control experience make you competitive. The federal hiring world rewards documented scope, so quantify the work orders, dollars, and crews you managed. Our federal resume format guide and the breakdown of specialized experience on a federal resume show how to phrase it so an HR specialist can rate you.
GS-1640 Facility Operations Services is the most direct match. It covers managing the operation of buildings and facilities, the same work-control and service-coordination role you ran in the CE squadron. Typical entry runs GS-7 through GS-11, with GS-12 and above for installation-level program work.
GS-1601 General Facilities and Equipment is the umbrella facilities series for roles that do not fit a single specialty. It captures the broad coordination, oversight, and program work that operations management covers.
GS-0343 Management and Program Analyst fits the quantitative side of the job. You produced management data on cost, reimbursement, work performance, and trends. That is exactly what a program analyst does, and it is one of the most portable federal series across agencies.
GS-2003 Supply Program Management and GS-2010 Inventory Management connect to the Class IV material acquisition and accountability side of your work, the part that overlaps directly with a federal supply career.
Round out your search with GS-0301 Miscellaneous Administration and Program for resource-management and focal-point roles, GS-0340 Program Management for higher-grade infrastructure program jobs, GS-0809 Construction Control Technical and GS-0802 Engineering Technician for the project-coordination and work-inspection side, and GS-1670 Equipment Services for equipment and material program work. Departments of the Air Force, Army, and Navy installations, the Army Corps of Engineers, GSA, and the VA all run facilities and CE-style operations. If you want to map shared series with other branches, the Navy UT Utilitiesman page targets several of the same facilities series. When you are ready, start your federal resume here.
GS Series & Position Matches
| GS Series | Federal Job Title | Typical Grades | Match | Explore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1173 | Housing Management | GS-9, GS-11 | View Details → |
Federal resumes follow different rules. We know them.
Federal hiring uses keyword-matching and structured experience. BMR builds federal-format resumes (USAJobs-ready) with the right keywords, hours/week, and supervisor info — for any GS series above.
Free · No credit card · Federal + civilian resume formats included
Want to Change Careers Entirely?
Not everyone wants to stay in a related field. These career paths leverage your transferable skills — leadership, risk management, logistics, project planning — in completely different industries.
Medical and Health Services Manager
$117,960
Healthcare(O*NET: 11-9111.00)BLS OEWS May 202423% (Much faster than average)
Service-call intake and dispatch coordinationWork prioritization against deadlines and budgetCost and reimbursement reconciliationCross-functional resource scheduling
Healthcare facilities and clinical-operations departments run the same intake-prioritize-dispatch-bill cycle you managed in work control, just for patient and clinical services instead of buildings.
How to get there: A bachelor's degree is typical; some enter through a healthcare operations or clinic-coordinator role and move up. A certificate in health administration accelerates the jump from a non-clinical background.
Cartographer and Photogrammetrist (GIS / Asset Analyst)
$78,380
Geospatial Technology(O*NET: 17-1021.00)BLS OEWS May 20243% (As fast as average)
GeoBase and real-property records managementInfrastructure requirements and asset mappingSpatial data accuracy and accountabilityTranslating field conditions into structured data
Your GeoBase and real-property-inventory work is hands-on geospatial asset management; civilian GIS teams need people who understand both the data and the physical infrastructure it represents.
How to get there: A GIS certificate or associate/bachelor's in geography or geospatial science, plus the GISP credential over time. Entry GIS-technician roles convert military GeoBase experience quickly.
Lodging Manager
$68,130
Hospitality(O*NET: 11-9081.00)BLS OEWS May 20247% (Faster than average)
Customer focal-point and service-request managementMulti-trade housekeeping and maintenance coordinationCost control against operating budgets24/7 operations-center mindset
Hotel and resort operations run a guest-request, dispatch, and property-upkeep loop that mirrors the CE service-call center; your work-control instincts transfer to a different customer.
How to get there: Most enter through a front-office or operations-supervisor role; an associate or bachelor's in hospitality management helps, but property-operations experience often substitutes.
Data Center Critical Facilities Coordinator
$104,690
Data Centers / Technology Infrastructure(O*NET: 11-3013.00)BLS OEWS May 20247% (Faster than average)
Work-order and uptime prioritizationMission-critical operations-center coverageMulti-trade contractor coordinationIncident response and escalation tracking
Data-center critical-facilities teams live and die on uptime, work prioritization, and dispatch under pressure, the exact contingency-operations discipline you ran in the CE command and control center.
How to get there: Data-center operations training plus DCDC or similar certs; many operators hire facilities-operations veterans directly and train the data-center specifics on the job.
Supply Chain Network Planner
$80,880
Manufacturing & Distribution(O*NET: 13-1081.00)BLS OEWS May 20246% (Faster than average)
Material acquisition and demand forecastingStock-out prevention across concurrent jobsAccountability across a material pipelinePrioritization under constrained resources
Your Class IV material pipeline and stock-control work is small-scale network planning; distribution and manufacturing firms need planners who can forecast, prioritize, and prevent stock-outs.
How to get there: A supply-chain certificate (CPIM/CSCP) plus an analyst or planner entry role; military material-management experience often qualifies you above pure entry level.
Emergency Management Director
$86,130
Public Safety & Continuity(O*NET: 11-9161.00)BLS OEWS May 20245% (Faster than average)
Command and control center activationContingency planning and resource stagingIncident prioritization and dispatchCross-agency coordination
Activating and running a command and control center during contingencies is the core of emergency management; your wartime-operations discipline maps onto continuity and disaster-response roles.
How to get there: A bachelor's degree plus FEMA Independent Study (IS) courses and emergency-management experience; many state and local agencies value command-and-control-center operations experience directly. Generic-leadership-adjacent, counted toward the cap.
Cost Estimator (Construction)
$77,070
Construction(O*NET: 13-1051.00)BLS OEWS May 20244% (As fast as average)
Job-cost tracking against limitsMaterial and labor cost forecastingReimbursement and billing reconciliationBid and estimate documentation
If you liked the cost side of work control, construction estimating turns that into a specialty; you already defended costs against legal limits and tracked reimbursement.
How to get there: A cost-estimating certificate or AACE CCP, often paired with on-the-job estimating apprenticeship; construction-cost experience from CE work builds the foundation. Generic-leadership-adjacent, counted toward the cap.
Pivoting industries? You don't need to start from scratch.
The skills that made you a good Marine, Sailor, Airman, or Soldier transfer further than you think. BMR rewrites your bullets for any of the pivot careers above — without making you sound like you've never done the work.
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Skills Translation Guide
If you are applying to facilities, base operations support, or supply organizations, the people reading your resume already know what a work-order priority program and a CE service call are. This section is for the careers OUTSIDE Air Force civil engineering, where a hiring manager has never heard "BCE," "service call," or "Class IV," and where the wrong words cost you the interview. Our glossary of 50 military terms translated to civilian language and the EPR/OPR-to-resume guide for Air Force veterans cover the broader translation.
"Managed the CE service call center and customer focal point" becomes "Operated a centralized work-intake and dispatch center fielding 1,200+ service requests monthly, routing each to the correct trade and tracking it to closure." The civilian reader hears a help-desk and dispatch operation, not Air Force jargon.
"Managed the work-order priority program" becomes "Administered the maintenance work-order system, prioritizing a backlog of 400+ open jobs against budget and deadline constraints to maximize uptime." That reads as CMMS and maintenance planning to a facilities or manufacturing manager.
"Monitored work costs against legal limits and support agreements" becomes "Tracked job costs and reimbursements against contractual and budget limits, flagging overruns before they posted." Now a finance or operations manager sees cost control, not appropriations law.
"Managed Class IV material acquisition" becomes "Forecast, ordered, and accounted for construction and maintenance materials supporting concurrent projects, preventing work stoppages from stock-outs." That is procurement and inventory language any employer recognizes.
The pattern is to lead with the civilian function, attach a number, and drop the acronym. Build these bullets once and they carry across every non-CE application. The military resume builder does this translation automatically from your inputs, and you can get started here.
Resume Bullet Examples
Before (Military)
Managed the CE service call center and customer focal point for the squadron
After (Civilian)
Operated a centralized work-intake and dispatch center fielding 1,200+ service requests monthly, routing each to the correct trade and tracking it to closure
Before (Military)
Developed and managed the work-order priority program
After (Civilian)
Administered the maintenance work-order system, prioritizing a backlog of 400+ open jobs against budget and deadline constraints to maximize uptime
Before (Military)
Monitored work costs to ensure compliance with legal limits and support agreements
After (Civilian)
Tracked job costs and reimbursements against contractual and budget limits, flagging overruns before they posted
Before (Military)
Managed Class IV material acquisition for CE work forces
After (Civilian)
Forecast, ordered, and accounted for construction and maintenance materials supporting concurrent projects, preventing work stoppages from stock-outs
Before (Military)
Activated and managed the CE command and control center during contingency operations
After (Civilian)
Stood up and ran an operations control center coordinating personnel, equipment, and priorities during high-tempo response events
Before (Military)
Resolved complex CE cost and reimbursement issues
After (Civilian)
Resolved disputed billing and cost-recovery cases across multiple stakeholders, reconciling charges and supporting agreements
Before (Military)
Prepared and managed work-force records and management reports
After (Civilian)
Built and maintained operations reporting on workload, cost, and performance trends to inform leadership decisions
Before (Military)
Coordinated electricians, HVAC, structural, and utilities crews on concurrent jobs
After (Civilian)
Scheduled and sequenced cross-functional skilled-trade crews across concurrent projects to meet completion targets
Before (Military)
Tracked work performed under host-tenant support agreements
After (Civilian)
Managed service-level agreements with internal customers, tracking deliverables and reimbursable charges to terms
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Certifications by Career Path
Which certifications you need depends on where you're headed. Find your target career path below.
Construction & Trades
Certified Cost Professional (CCP)
OptionalAACE International
Cost: check current pricingTime: 4-8 months
Cost-engineering and estimating credential for the construction and facilities cost-control path.
Facilities Management
Facility Management Professional (FMP)
RecommendedIFMA
Cost: check current pricingTime: 3-6 monthsGI Bill Eligible
Entry credential for facilities operations; recognized by civilian facility employers.
Certified Facility Manager (CFM)
RecommendedIFMA
Cost: check current pricingTime: 6-12 months
Top facilities management credential; competency-based, no single course required.
Sustainability Facility Professional (SFP)
OptionalIFMA
Cost: check current pricingTime: 3-6 monthsGI Bill Eligible
Adds energy and sustainability depth valued by large-campus facility teams.
Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP)
OptionalSMRP
Cost: check current pricingTime: 3-6 months
Maintenance and reliability credential aligned with work-order and CMMS management.
Federal Employment
Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM)
OptionalAGA
Cost: check current pricingTime: 3-6 monthsGI Bill Eligible
Useful for federal program-analyst and cost-control roles that handle appropriated funds.
GIS & Geospatial
GIS Professional (GISP)
OptionalGISCI
Cost: check current pricingTime: 6-12 months
For the asset-management and GeoBase-adjacent pivot into geospatial facilities/asset analysis.
Logistics & Supply Chain
Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
RecommendedAPICS/ASCM
Cost: check current pricingTime: 6-9 monthsGI Bill Eligible
Gold-standard supply-chain credential connecting to the Class IV material side of the job.
Certified in Planning and Inventory Management (CPIM)
RecommendedAPICS/ASCM
Cost: check current pricingTime: 4-6 monthsGI Bill Eligible
Planning and inventory credential aligned with material acquisition and stock control.
Project Management
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
RecommendedPMI
Cost: check current pricingTime: 2-4 monthsGI Bill Eligible
Entry project-management credential; the logical first step before the PMP.
Project Management Professional (PMP)
RecommendedPMI
Cost: check current pricingTime: 3-6 monthsGI Bill Eligible
Industry-standard PM credential; requires documented project experience, which work control provides.
Quality Assurance
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
OptionalASQ / various
Cost: check current pricingTime: 2-4 monthsGI Bill Eligible
Process-improvement credential that fits the work-prioritization and throughput side of operations.
Safety & EHS
OSHA 30-Hour General Industry
OptionalOSHA / authorized trainers
Cost: check current pricingTime: 1 monthGI Bill Eligible
Safety baseline expected in many facilities and operations roles.
Got a cert? Don't bury it. List it the right way.
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Transition Resources
Staying in Facilities, Operations, and Supply
If you want to keep running operations, lean on credentials that civilian facilities and supply employers recognize. The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) offers the FMP and CFM. APICS/ASCM offers the CSCP and CPIM for the supply and planning side. Look at SkillBridge to land a civilian role before you separate. Our SkillBridge programs by industry guide and the SkillBridge vs CSP vs apprenticeships breakdown help you pick a path. For federal roles, study how to decode a USAJOBS announcement and how Veterans' Preference points work.
Careers Outside Civil Engineering
If you are done with facilities work, your project-coordination and cost-control experience opens project management (PMI's CAPM then PMP), Lean Six Sigma process roles, and analytics-leaning program work. American Corporate Partners (ACP) offers free veteran mentorship to help you map the move. For the federal side, the SFL-TAP resources at our SFL-TAP transition page are a solid starting point.
Tools and Next Steps
Start with the military resume builder for private-sector roles or the federal resume builder for GS positions, explore options with the career crosswalk, and when your record is ready build your resume now.
See also: Air Force 3E5X1 Engineering, Air Force 2S0X1 Materiel Management, and Navy UT Utilitiesman for related career paths.
Your 30 / 60 / 90-Day Transition Plan
Most veterans do this backwards — they wait until terminal leave to start, then panic. Here's the actual sequence that works.
1Days 0–30
Set the foundation
- Pull your DD-214 (request from Milconnect if separated)
- List your top 3 civilian roles AND top 3 GS series
- Build your tailored 3E6X1 resume — BMR does it free
- Write 1 strong LinkedIn headline (not "veteran seeking opportunities")
- Pull together your evals/performance reports for accomplishments
2Days 30–60
Apply with intent
- Apply to 5–10 jobs/week — quality over quantity
- Tailor every resume to the job description (BMR auto-tailors)
- Connect with 5 people/week on LinkedIn (not a spray)
- Set up a USAJobs profile and a saved-search alert for your GS series
- Practice translating your military bullets out loud — explain to a civilian friend
3Days 60–90
Close the offer
- Track every application — date, status, contact, notes
- Follow up 7–10 days after each application
- Prep for behavioral interviews using the STAR method
- Negotiate salary — don't take the first offer (BLS median is your floor)
- Stay applying even after one offer — leverage = options
Print this. Tape it to your monitor. Veterans who treat the transition like a 90-day op get hired faster than the ones who treat it like an emergency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What civilian jobs can a 3E6X1 Operations Management airman get?
The closest matches are facilities manager (BLS median $104,690), administrative services manager ($108,390), cost estimator ($77,070), logistician ($80,880), and project management specialist ($100,750), all from BLS OEWS May 2024. Your work-control center, work-order priority, and material-acquisition experience translates directly into facilities operations and program coordination roles.
How much do facilities managers make?
Per BLS OEWS May 2024, facilities managers (11-3013) earned a median of $104,690 per year. Pay varies with the size and complexity of the site you manage, with hospitals, universities, and corporate campuses generally paying at the higher end. Entry-level coordinator roles start lower and promote into management.
What if I want to leave civil engineering and facilities entirely?
Your transferable signature is work prioritization and dispatch, cost-and-reimbursement control, and material coordination, not just leadership. Those skills map to genuinely different fields like healthcare facility operations, data-center critical-facilities coordination, hospitality property operations, and GIS or asset-management analysis. See the Want to Change Careers Entirely section on this page for the specific destinations, salaries, and entry paths.
Which federal GS series fit a 3E6X1 background?
GS-1640 Facility Operations Services and GS-1601 General Facilities and Equipment are the most direct. GS-0343 Management and Program Analyst fits the data and cost-analysis side. GS-2003 Supply Program Management and GS-2010 Inventory Management connect to the material side. GS-0301, GS-0340, GS-0809, GS-0802, and GS-1670 round out the search.
Do I need a security clearance for these civilian jobs?
Most facilities, supply, and project roles do not require a clearance. If you held one, it is a plus for defense-contractor and federal positions but rarely the deciding factor. What moves the needle is documented scope: the volume of work orders, the dollars you controlled, and the crews you coordinated.
How does Veterans' Preference help with federal facilities jobs?
Veterans' Preference adds 5 or 10 points to your rated federal application and can be decisive when candidates are closely ranked. It does not replace meeting the specialized-experience requirement, so your resume still has to show you performed work at the level of the target grade. See our Veterans' Preference guide for the 5-point versus 10-point breakdown.
Can I use the GI Bill for facilities or project management certifications?
The GI Bill primarily funds degree programs and approved training, and some certification exams are reimbursable. IFMA's FMP and CFM, APICS/ASCM credentials, and PMI's CAPM and PMP are worth checking against current VA-approved lists, since eligibility changes. Confirm with the VA before you pay out of pocket.
What certifications make me more competitive for facilities roles?
For facilities, IFMA's FMP and CFM are the recognized credentials. For the supply and planning side, APICS/ASCM's CSCP and CPIM carry weight. For project coordination, start with PMI's CAPM and work toward the PMP. Pick the one that matches the lane you are targeting rather than collecting all of them.
How do I write a resume for these jobs without civil engineering jargon?
Lead with the civilian function, attach a number, and drop the acronym. Managed the CE service call center becomes operated a centralized work-intake and dispatch center handling 1,200+ requests monthly. The Skills Translation section on this page has more examples, and our military resume builder does this translation automatically.
Where are the facilities and project jobs concentrated?
Facilities and project roles cluster around large metro areas, major institutions like hospitals and universities, and industrial corridors. Federal facilities work follows installations and agency hubs, including Air Force, Army, and Navy bases, the Army Corps of Engineers, GSA, and the VA. Be realistic about relocating toward where the roles are.
Salary data from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Career data from O*NET OnLine.
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