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ArmyMOS: 15P
Aviation Operations Specialist
The civilian and federal jobs that hire Army Aviation Operations Specialists — with real salaries and the resume that gets callbacks.
Every 15P 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 Army in the first place.
Free · No credit card · Tailored resume in under 5 minutes
$49K–$145K
Salary Range
BLS-verified median salaries
14
Career Paths
14
Companies Hiring
8
Resume Examples
8
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.
60,000+ resumes built·Success stories every week
Military Role Overview
If you held the 15P Aviation Operations Specialist seat, you ran the operations desk that kept aircraft moving. You processed local and cross-country flight clearances, checked flight plans against Army, DoD, and FAA rules, coordinated those plans with control agencies, and tracked every inbound and outbound aircraft. When a flight went overdue, you were the one working the phones with the right agencies and standing by to alert the crash crew. You lived inside the FLIPs (DoD Flight Information Publications), aeronautical charts, NOTAMs, and the flight-following log. This was an operations and coordination job, not a wrench-turning one.
The training pipeline runs through Advanced Individual Training at Fort Novosel (formerly Fort Rucker), Alabama, after Basic. The MOS calls for a Skilled Technical (ST) line score around 91 and a Secret clearance, because you handled mission scheduling and movement data daily. You worked in the tower-adjacent operations section, the battalion flight operations office, or a tactical operations center, building the daily flight schedule, briefing aircrews on weather and airspace, and keeping the flight records straight.
Here is why civilian employers should care: you coordinated time-critical movement under regulation, with zero room for a sloppy clearance or a missed overdue-aircraft call. That is the same core skill an airport operations desk, a logistics control tower, or a 911 center needs. The work maps cleanly onto airfield operations, aircraft dispatch, transportation coordination, and federal transportation specialist roles. If you want to see how your record lines up against specific civilian titles, start with the military-to-civilian career crosswalk. Two related Army desks worth comparing are the 15Q Air Traffic Control Operator and the 88N Transportation Management Coordinator pages, since both share the movement-coordination DNA. For the resume side, our walkthrough on finding your civilian match by MOS is a good first read.
I worked federal supply, logistics, and property management after the Navy, and an aviation operations desk is the same job wearing a different uniform. You forecast demand, you sequence movement, you reconcile the records, and you own the consequences when a clearance or a manifest is wrong. Civilian operations and logistics shops pay for exactly that discipline, so the work is not the gap. The gap is a resume that still reads like a flight ops log instead of a coordination role a hiring manager recognizes. Fix the language and the 15P background sells itself. — Brad Tachi, Navy Diver veteran & BMR founder
Security ClearanceSecret
ASVAB RequirementST: 91
Training10-week Basic Combat Training, then approximately 7 weeks of Advanced Individual Training at Fort Novosel, Alabama
Certs Earned in ServiceDoD flight operations coordination experience, Flight planning and clearance processing
Pay Reality Check
The number that matters when you're deciding what's next: how does civilian pay compare to what you make now?
Army mid-career
$58K–$82K
E-5 to E-7 total comp (base + BAH + BAS + tax advantage)
Civilian Aviation Operations Specialist
$49K–$145K
BLS median across direct-match civilian roles
Federal (GS-9 to GS-13)
$58K–$120K
8 matching GS series + locality pay + step increases
+19% on average
Civilian roles for Aviation Operations Specialists 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 most direct civilian fit is Airfield Operations Specialist. BLS (OEWS, May 2024) puts the median wage for airfield operations specialists at $56,750, with the top 10 percent above $111,030. These roles sit at regional and municipal airports, fixed-base operators, and corporate flight departments, coordinating ramp activity, runway inspections, NOTAMs, and the same flight-following work you already did. Hiring is steady but geographically concentrated near airports, so be ready to look at where the airfields are, not just where you are.
Aircraft Dispatcher is the higher-ceiling version of the same skill. It requires an FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate (the licensing course is the gate, covered in the resources section), and dispatchers share operational control of a flight with the captain at airlines and Part 135 operators. The flight-planning, weather, and regulatory-compliance habits from 15P transfer almost directly, which shortens the runway to that certificate.
If you want to move toward the broader movement-and-supply side, Logistician roles pay a median of $80,880 (BLS OEWS, May 2024), and BLS projects 17 percent growth from 2024 to 2034, much faster than average. Your scheduling, coordination, and records-accountability experience reads as logistics coordination once it is translated. Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers earn a median of $102,010 (BLS OEWS, May 2024) and are a realistic two-to-three-year target once you have a civilian operations title on the resume. For a deeper look at that lane, see military to logistics management and veterans in logistics and supply chain careers.
Cross-branch, the people doing the closest civilian-equivalent work are the Navy AC Air Traffic Controller and the Marine 7041 Aviation Operations Specialist. Both compete for the same airfield-operations and dispatch postings you will, so their pages are worth a read. When your target job is posted, you can build your resume now against the exact listing.
Civilian Job Title Translations
| Civilian Job Title | Industry | BLS Median Salary | Outlook | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Airfield Operations Specialist O*NET: 53-2022.00 | Aviation Operations | $56,750 | 3% (As fast as average) | strong |
Aircraft Dispatcher O*NET: 53-2022.00 | Airline Operations | $56,750 | Varies (FAA certificate required) | strong |
Logistician O*NET: 13-1081.00 | Logistics | $80,880 | 17% (Much faster than average) | strong |
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Manager O*NET: 11-3071.00 | Transportation | $102,010 | 8% (Faster than average) | moderate |
Cargo and Freight Agent O*NET: 43-5011.00 | Transportation | $49,310 | 4% (As fast as average) | moderate |
Business Operations Specialist O*NET: 13-1199.00 | Operations | $92,830 | 7% (Faster than average) | moderate |
Air Traffic Controller O*NET: 53-2021.00 | Aviation Operations | $144,580 | 3% (As fast as average) | emerging |
Airfield Operations Specialist
Aviation Operations
$56,750median
3% (As fast as average)
O*NET: 53-2022.00
Aircraft Dispatcher
Airline Operations
$56,750median
Varies (FAA certificate required)
O*NET: 53-2022.00
Logistician
Logistics
$80,880median
17% (Much faster than average)
O*NET: 13-1081.00
Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Manager
Transportation
$102,010median
8% (Faster than average)
O*NET: 11-3071.00
Cargo and Freight Agent
Transportation
$49,310median
4% (As fast as average)
O*NET: 43-5011.00
Business Operations Specialist
Operations
$92,830median
7% (Faster than average)
O*NET: 13-1199.00
Air Traffic Controller
Aviation Operations
$144,580median
3% (As fast as average)
O*NET: 53-2021.00
Companies That Hire This Background
Aircraft dispatch and operations control center roles for FAA-certificated dispatchers and operations coordinators.
Operations control center, dispatch, and airport operations roles at hubs nationwide.
Dispatch and ground operations coordination roles; Part 121 operational control work.
Largest FBO network; line service, ramp coordination, and airfield operations roles at hundreds of airports.
Airport operations specialist and airfield duty officer roles at the busiest U.S. airport.
Air traffic and airfield operations support contracts for FAA and DoD; clearance-friendly.
Aviation operations, logistics, and movement-coordination roles on federal contracts.
Airfield operations and base support services contracts; strong fit for cleared aviation-ops veterans.
Operations and logistics coordination roles across the air and ground network, including UPS Airlines dispatch.
Global operations control and dispatch roles, including FedEx Express flight operations.
Air traffic control and aviation operations roles; veterans preference applies.
Operations coordination and security roles across the national airspace system.
Regional airlines hire dispatchers and operations coordinators; AAAE job board lists openings industry-wide.
Transportation operations and logistics management roles in the GS-2150 and GS-0346 series.
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Real Army success story
“I am still getting compliments on my resume. Still getting interviews left and right, and now I have to say no. Very grateful to have so many options suddenly.”
Taranjeet· Sergeant (E-5)· Army
→ Program ManagementFederal Career Paths
Federal hiring is one of the strongest lanes for a 15P, because the operations-and-movement skill set has named GS series built around it. The closest match is GS-2150 Transportation Operations, which covers work that directs, controls, and coordinates the movement of traffic and equipment. Your flight-scheduling and clearance-coordination experience is squarely in that series description. Entry commonly lands at GS-5 through GS-9 depending on your time in the operations seat and any post-service coursework.
GS-2101 Transportation Specialist is the analyst-track sibling, focused on transportation programs, policy, and movement planning rather than the live operations board. It rewards the documentation and regulatory side of 15P, and it tends to start a grade or two higher for candidates who can show planning and program work. GS-0346 Logistics Management opens up if you frame your work as movement and resource coordination, which is honest given how much of the job is scheduling assets against mission demand.
For roles tied closely to the airspace itself, GS-2152 Air Traffic Control exists, though it carries its own FAA-aligned qualification standards and is the tighter fit for 15Qs and tower-rated controllers. Two broader series round out the realistic targets: GS-0301 Miscellaneous Administration and Program for operations-coordinator and watch-officer style roles, and GS-2102 Transportation Clerk and Assistant as an entry on-ramp that can ladder up. Veterans preference applies across all of them. To see how a military record converts into a series, read how to find your military job series equivalent on USAJobs, and walk the GS pathing in 10 federal job series every veteran should search. When you are ready to draft the application, our federal resume builder formats it to OPM standards.
GS Series & Position Matches
| GS Series | Federal Job Title | Typical Grades | Match | Explore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-2150 | Transportation Operations | GS-5, GS-7, GS-9 | View Details → | |
| GS-2101 | Transportation Specialist | GS-7, GS-9, GS-11 | View Details → | |
| GS-2152 | Air Traffic Control | GS-7, GS-9, GS-11 | View Details → | |
| GS-0346 | Logistics Management | GS-7, GS-9, GS-11 | View Details → | |
| GS-1825 | Aviation Safety | GS-7, GS-9 | View Details → | |
| GS-2102 | Transportation Clerk and Assistant | GS-4, GS-5, GS-6 | View Details → | |
| GS-0303 | Miscellaneous Clerk and Assistant | GS-3, GS-4, GS-5 | View Details → | |
| GS-0301 | Miscellaneous Administration and Program | GS-5, GS-7, GS-9 | 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.
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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.
Public Safety Telecommunicator
$50,730
Emergency Services(O*NET: 43-5031.00)BLS OEWS May 20243% (As fast as average)
Time-critical coordination under regulationMulti-agency incident escalationReal-time exception monitoring and responseCalm radio and phone communication under pressure
A 911 center runs on the exact muscle you built tracking overdue aircraft: stay calm, work multiple agencies at once, and make the right call fast. The flight-following and emergency-escalation experience transfers almost directly.
How to get there: Apply to a county or city 911 center; most provide paid academy training. APCO Public Safety Telecommunicator certification strengthens the application.
Railroad Conductor and Yardmaster
$75,680
Rail Transportation(O*NET: 53-4031.00)BLS OEWS May 20244% (As fast as average)
Movement sequencing against a live scheduleOperations-board and control-center coordinationStrict adherence to movement rules and authoritiesDeconfliction of timing and routing
Rail operations control is the same job as a flight operations board with trains instead of aircraft. You sequence movement, hold to rules, and deconflict timing across a network. The transition feels natural to a 15P.
How to get there: Hire on with a Class I railroad (Union Pacific, BNSF, CSX, Norfolk Southern); they run paid conductor training. Veteran hiring programs are common.
Meeting, Convention, and Event Planner
$59,440
Hospitality and Events(O*NET: 13-1121.00)BLS OEWS May 20246% (Faster than average)
Multi-vendor scheduling under a fixed deadlineSequencing people and assets against a master timelineBriefing stakeholders and handing off informationContingency planning when the plan slips
Running an event is running an operations board: a master schedule, dozens of moving parts, and a hard go-time. Your daily-schedule and briefing experience maps to building and executing an event run-of-show.
How to get there: Start as an event or operations coordinator; the Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) credential accelerates the move into planner roles.
Power System Dispatcher
$109,620
Utilities(O*NET: 51-8012.00)BLS OEWS May 20244% (As fast as average)
24/7 control-room monitoringReal-time decision-making under regulationCoordinating across multiple control pointsLogging and reporting every action to protocol
A utility control room and a flight operations desk demand the same temperament: monitor a live system, act decisively when something drifts, and document everything. The control-room discipline from 15P is exactly what utilities screen for.
How to get there: Apply to a utility or grid operator; they provide extensive on-the-job and NERC certification training. A clean record and strong attention to detail matter most.
Supply Chain Analyst
$80,880
Manufacturing and Retail(O*NET: 13-1081.02)BLS OEWS May 202417% (Much faster than average)
Demand-to-asset schedulingReconciling activity data into clean reportsCoordinating movement across multiple partiesException tracking and root-cause follow-up
The analyst side of supply chain rewards the part of 15P that reconciled schedules, tracked exceptions, and produced clean reports. It is a desk job that values exactly the data discipline you already have.
How to get there: A CSCP or CLTD certification plus an entry analyst role; many veterans use the GI Bill for a supply-chain certificate to make the jump.
Patient Access and Logistics Coordinator
$117,960
Healthcare(O*NET: 11-9111.00)BLS OEWS May 202423% (Much faster than average)
Coordinating time-sensitive movement of people and resourcesWorking multiple departments to a single scheduleRecords accuracy under regulationCalm coordination during surges
Hospital operations and patient-flow coordination is movement coordination under pressure, just with people instead of aircraft. The scheduling and multi-department deconfliction from 15P carries into healthcare operations.
How to get there: Start as a patient access or operations coordinator; a healthcare-administration certificate or associate degree opens the path toward services manager roles.
Operations Manager
$102,950
General Management(O*NET: 11-1021.00)BLS OEWS May 20246% (Faster than average)
Owning a daily operations schedule end to endCoordinating people and assets against prioritiesDriving on-time performance metricsBriefing teams and reporting to leadership
Running the flight operations desk is running operations. Once you have a civilian operations title, the management track is open, because you already led the schedule, the metrics, and the coordination.
How to get there: Move up from an operations coordinator or supervisor role; a PMP or Lean Six Sigma belt accelerates promotion into management.
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 staying in aviation operations, airfield management, or dispatch, your terminology translates directly. A flight-operations hiring manager already knows what a NOTAM, a FLIP, and a flight-following log are, so do not water those terms down for them. This section is for careers OUTSIDE aviation operations, where a recruiter has never read a DA Form 1801 and needs the civilian-business version of what you did.
The move is to name the system, then name the result in language the target industry uses. Below are translations aimed at non-aviation roles like logistics coordination, operations, and emergency dispatch.
For more on this, see our glossary of 50 military terms translated to civilian language and the guide to explaining military experience in a civilian interview without jargon. The military resume builder applies these translations as you go, or you can get started here.
Resume Bullet Examples
Before (Military)
Maintained flight following on inbound and outbound aircraft, monitoring overdue flights and initiating emergency response coordination
After (Civilian)
Tracked 40+ daily shipments in real time across a regional network, escalating exceptions and coordinating recovery to keep on-time delivery above 98%
Before (Military)
Processed local and cross-country flight clearances, examining each for conformance with Army, DoD, and FAA flight rules
After (Civilian)
Reviewed and authorized 200+ movement requests per month against federal regulation, achieving zero compliance discrepancies on audit
Before (Military)
Built and published the daily flight schedule, sequencing aircraft and crews against mission priorities and airspace constraints
After (Civilian)
Owned the daily operations schedule for a 24/7 facility, sequencing crews and assets against demand and reducing idle time by 15%
Before (Military)
Executed overdue-aircraft procedures, coordinating with control agencies and standing up crash-crew alert when contact was lost
After (Civilian)
Ran incident escalation for a control center, coordinating multiple agencies under time pressure and documenting each event to protocol
Before (Military)
Maintained current files of DoD Flight Information Publications, aeronautical charts, and NOTAMs for crew and command reference
After (Civilian)
Maintained a controlled library of regulatory and technical reference data, ensuring 100% currency for operational decision-making
Before (Military)
Briefed aircrews on weather, airspace, and route conditions before each mission launch
After (Civilian)
Delivered pre-shift operational briefings to field teams on conditions and priorities, cutting mid-shift coordination calls by a third
Before (Military)
Maintained flight operations records and logs in accordance with Army regulation, reconciling daily activity for the command
After (Civilian)
Maintained operational logs and reconciled daily activity reports, producing audit-ready records for leadership review
Before (Military)
Coordinated flight plans with air traffic control, range control, and related agencies to deconflict airspace and timing
After (Civilian)
Coordinated across dispatch, vendors, and regulatory bodies to deconflict schedules and keep multi-party operations on time
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Certifications by Career Path
Which certifications you need depends on where you're headed. Find your target career path below.
Aviation Operations
FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate
Highly RecommendedFederal Aviation Administration
Cost: $5,000-$10,000Time: 5-8 weeks (accelerated)GI Bill Eligible
The gate to airline and Part 135 dispatch. Shares operational control of the flight with the captain. 15P flight-planning experience shortens the study load.
Airport Certified Employee (ACE) - Operations
RecommendedAmerican Association of Airport Executives (AAAE)
Cost: $300-$600Time: 2-4 months
Recognized airport-operations credential covering airfield ops, safety, and compliance. Strong signal for airport authority roles.
Certified Member (CM) - AAAE
RecommendedAmerican Association of Airport Executives (AAAE)
Cost: $400-$800Time: 6-12 months
Mid-level airport management credential; pathway toward Accredited Airport Executive (AAE).
FAA Air Traffic Basics (ATB)
OptionalFAA / AT-CTI schools
Cost: VariesTime: 1-2 semestersGI Bill Eligible
Useful if pursuing FAA controller roles, though direct hiring follows the FAA Academy pipeline with age limits.
Emergency Management
APCO Public Safety Telecommunicator
OptionalAPCO International
Cost: $200-$500Time: 1-2 weeks
Relevant for veterans pivoting into 911 and emergency dispatch, where 15P time-critical coordination transfers.
Federal Employment
USAJobs Federal Resume Workshop
RecommendedOPM / Feds Hire Vets
Cost: FreeTime: 1 day
Not a certification, but the federal-resume framing that lands GS-2150 and GS-2101 referrals. Verify current offerings.
Hospitality Management
Certified Meeting Professional (CMP)
OptionalEvents Industry Council
Cost: $250-$500 examTime: 6-12 months
For veterans pivoting into event and venue operations, where multi-vendor scheduling under deadline maps to flight-ops coordination.
Logistics & Supply Chain
Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution (CLTD)
RecommendedASCM (APICS)
Cost: $1,500-$2,500Time: 4-6 monthsGI Bill Eligible
Industry credential for transportation and distribution roles; pairs well with the movement-coordination side of 15P.
Certified Supply Chain Professional (CSCP)
RecommendedASCM (APICS)
Cost: $1,500-$2,500Time: 6-9 monthsGI Bill Eligible
Gold-standard supply chain certification for veterans pivoting from operations into logistics management.
Operations Management
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt
RecommendedVarious (IASSC, ASQ)
Cost: $200-$3,000Time: 2-4 monthsGI Bill Eligible
Process-improvement credential that reframes flight-ops efficiency work for civilian operations roles.
Project Management
Project Management Professional (PMP)
RecommendedProject Management Institute (PMI)
Cost: $400-$600 examTime: 3-6 months prepGI Bill Eligible
Translates scheduling and coordination experience into a credential operations employers reward. Requires documented project hours.
Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM)
OptionalProject Management Institute (PMI)
Cost: $225-$300 examTime: 2-3 months prepGI Bill Eligible
Entry-level PMI credential for veterans without the PMP experience hours yet.
Safety & EHS
OSHA 30-Hour General Industry
OptionalOSHA / authorized trainers
Cost: $150-$300Time: 4 daysGI Bill Eligible
Useful for ramp, airfield, and warehouse operations roles where ground-safety oversight is part of the job.
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Transition Resources
Staying in Aviation Operations and Airfield Management
If you want to keep working flight lines and operations desks, the fastest credential ladder runs through the FAA. The FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate is the single highest-leverage move, and the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) offers airport-operations credentials (such as the ACE program) that hiring airports recognize. SkillBridge fellowships with regional airlines, airport authorities, and fixed-base operators let you build civilian flight-ops time before you separate. American Corporate Partners (ACP) can pair you with a mentor already working in airline or airport operations.
Careers Outside Aviation Operations
If you are leaving the flight line for good, anchor on the coordination and logistics skills instead. The PMP and a Lean Six Sigma belt translate your scheduling and process work into language operations employers reward, and the Six Sigma for veterans guide covers how that maps to military process work. Use your Secret clearance as leverage for defense and federal roles, and read why skills-based hiring favors veterans before you apply.
Resume and Next Steps
See also the related 88N Transportation Management Coordinator and 92A Automated Logistical Specialist pages for adjacent paths, and explore the full military-to-civilian career crosswalk. For interview reps, the STAR method guide helps you turn flight-ops stories into structured answers. When your target job is posted, build your resume now against that exact listing.
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 15P 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 job is the most direct match for a 15P?
Airfield Operations Specialist is the closest fit. It runs the same flight-following, NOTAM, and ramp-coordination work you did, and BLS (OEWS, May 2024) lists a median wage of $56,750, with the top 10 percent earning more than $111,030. The next step up is Aircraft Dispatcher, which requires an FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate but shares operational control of the flight with the captain.
Do I need a license or certificate to work in civilian aviation operations?
For airfield operations roles, usually no license is required to start, though airport-operations credentials from the American Association of Airport Executives help. For Aircraft Dispatcher, yes: the FAA Aircraft Dispatcher Certificate is mandatory and is the gate to airline and Part 135 dispatch work. Your 15P flight-planning experience shortens the study runway considerably.
What does the work pay outside the flight line?
It depends on the lane. Logisticians earn a median of $80,880 and the field is projected to grow 17 percent from 2024 to 2034 (BLS OEWS and Employment Projections, 2024). Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers earn a median of $102,010, and Business Operations Specialists earn $92,830 (BLS OEWS, May 2024). Aviation-specific roles like Air Traffic Controller sit much higher at a $144,580 median but carry strict FAA hiring rules.
Is my Secret clearance worth anything as a 15P?
Yes. An active Secret clearance is a real hiring advantage for defense contractors and federal transportation roles, and it can save an employer months of processing time. Confirm your status before you apply so you can list it accurately. Our guide on checking your security clearance status after separation walks through how to verify it.
How does Veterans Preference help me on USAJobs?
Veterans preference adds points to your assessed score and, in category rating, can move you into a higher consideration group for the GS-2150 Transportation Operations and GS-2101 Transportation Specialist series that fit 15P. It does not guarantee a job, but it materially improves your standing. Read our 5 vs 10 point veterans preference breakdown to see which applies to you.
What if I want to leave aviation entirely?
Your real transferable skill is time-critical coordination under regulation, and that opens doors well outside aviation. Veterans move into emergency dispatch, supply-chain and logistics coordination, transit and rail operations control, and event or venue operations. The Want to Change Careers Entirely section above lists those paths with salary data and the retraining each one takes.
Can I use my GI Bill for the FAA dispatcher course or other certs?
Many FAA Aircraft Dispatcher programs are offered through GI Bill-approved schools, and certification costs can sometimes be covered through VA programs. Eligibility varies by program and school, so verify approval before you enroll. Our GI Bill certifications directory is a good place to start checking.
Which federal job series should I search first?
Start with GS-2150 Transportation Operations and GS-2101 Transportation Specialist, since both describe movement coordination directly. Add GS-0346 Logistics Management and GS-0301 Miscellaneous Administration and Program for operations-coordinator roles. GS-2152 Air Traffic Control exists but carries FAA-aligned standards better suited to tower-rated controllers.
Where are the jobs concentrated geographically?
Airfield operations and dispatch work clusters around airports, so the strongest markets are major metro and hub-airport regions. Logistics and operations-coordination roles are far more dispersed and follow distribution and manufacturing corridors. If you are tied to a location without an airport, the logistics lane is usually the more flexible bet.
How do I make my 15P experience read like a civilian operations role?
Name the system, then the business result. A clearance-coordination bullet becomes a movement-coordination and regulatory-compliance accomplishment with a number attached. Our military resume builder applies these translations automatically, and the skills translation section above gives you before-and-after examples to model.
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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