Master-at-Arms
The civilian and federal jobs that hire Navy Master-at-Armss — with real salaries and the resume that gets callbacks.
Every MA 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 Navy in the first place.
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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.
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Military Role Overview
Master-at-Arms (MA) is the Navy's dedicated law enforcement and security rating. MAs are responsible for the full spectrum of force protection: conducting law enforcement patrols on naval installations, operating physical security programs, performing anti-terrorism/force protection (AT/FP) operations, running detention facilities (brigs), handling military working dogs (MWD), and executing Visit, Board, Search, and Seizure (VBSS) missions on suspect vessels. The rating has grown significantly since the early 2000s when the Navy consolidated its security functions under MA.
Training begins at MA "A" School at Joint Base Langley-Eustis (formerly conducted at Great Lakes, now located in San Antonio for initial training phases). From there, MAs can specialize in areas like K-9 handling at Lackland AFB, Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) protective service details, expeditionary security at coastal riverine units, or brig operations. Advanced MAs coordinate directly with NCIS on investigations, operate DBIDS (Defense Biometric Identification System) for installation access control, and run NLETS (National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System) queries.
What sets Navy MAs apart from other military law enforcement is the maritime dimension. MAs deploy on ships as part of security reaction forces, conduct VBSS boardings in contested waters, provide port security during overseas port calls, and operate within expeditionary security teams protecting forward-deployed naval assets. An MA who served on a destroyer has fundamentally different operational experience than one who ran gate security at a stateside base — and both experiences carry distinct civilian value.
MAs land in federal law enforcement at strong rates — DoD police, VA, DHS, ATF, and US Marshals all recruit MAs out of uniform. From the federal hiring side, the GS-0083 Police series and 1801 General Inspection series exist for backgrounds like yours. The military LE-equivalent training plus cleared experience is the package. — Brad Tachi, Navy Diver veteran & BMR founder
Pay Reality Check
The number that matters when you're deciding what's next: how does civilian pay compare to what you make now?
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
MAs enter the civilian job market with documented law enforcement, investigations, and security management experience that translates across multiple industries. The private security industry and civilian law enforcement both actively recruit veterans with this background, but MA experience reaches well beyond guard work.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2024), police and sheriff's patrol officers earn a median annual wage of $76,290 (O*NET 33-3051.00), while detectives and criminal investigators earn $77,270 (33-3021.00). For MAs who prefer the private sector over sworn law enforcement, security managers supervising protective operations earn significantly more in corporate settings. Protective service supervisors earn a BLS median of $74,960 (33-1090.00), and operations managers — a role that senior MAs with shipboard or expeditionary leadership qualify for — earn a median of $102,950 (11-1021.00).
The growing field of information security is worth noting for MAs with DBIDS, NLETS, or cybersecurity exposure: information security analysts earn a BLS median of $124,910 (15-1212.00), though this path typically requires additional technical certifications. MAs with investigation experience from NCIS task force assignments or crime scene evidence collection are competitive for private investigator roles at $52,370 median (33-9021.00), as well as corporate compliance and fraud investigation positions.
One undervalued path: insurance Special Investigations Units (SIU). Insurance companies hire investigators at competitive salaries, and MA experience with interview techniques, evidence documentation, and report writing transfers directly. These roles often don't require sworn law enforcement credentials.
Civilian Job Title Translations
| Civilian Job Title | Industry | BLS Median Salary | Outlook | Match |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Police Officer O*NET: 33-3051.00 | Law Enforcement | $76,290 | About as fast as average (3%) | strong |
Security Manager O*NET: 33-1090.00 | Corporate Security / Defense | $74,960 | About as fast as average | strong |
Loss Prevention Manager O*NET: 33-1090.00 | Retail / Corporate | $74,960 | About as fast as average | strong |
Correctional Officer O*NET: 33-3012.00 | Government / Private Corrections | $57,970 | Slower than average (-3%) | strong |
Private Investigator O*NET: 33-9021.00 | Legal / Insurance / Corporate | $52,370 | About as fast as average (6%) | moderate |
Compliance Officer O*NET: 13-1041.00 | Finance / Healthcare / Government | $78,420 | About as fast as average | moderate |
Physical Security Specialist O*NET: 33-9032.00 | Defense Contractors / Federal | $38,370 | About as fast as average | strong |
Detective / Criminal Investigator O*NET: 33-3021.00 | Law Enforcement | $77,270 | About as fast as average | strong |
Companies That Hire This Background
See a salary you want? Build a resume targeting it.
BMR rewrites your MA experience for any of the civilian roles above — keywords, achievements, and language hiring managers actually scan for.
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“I am wrapping up a 21 year Naval career, all of which was working on fighters. I had picked up a job as a contractor for a company on the same base I’ve been at for the last ten years. I submitted that resume while on deployment and it worked great. Thanks again Brad. Dave ”
Federal Career Paths
Federal law enforcement is the highest-paying and most direct career path for separating MAs. The GS-0083 Police series covers federal police officer positions at installations, VA medical centers, and federal buildings nationwide — jobs where MA experience is essentially a direct qualification. GS-0080 Security Administration positions manage physical security programs at the enterprise level, overseeing access control systems, vulnerability assessments, and security policy the same way a senior MA manages an installation security department.
For MAs with investigation experience, the GS-1810 and GS-1811 series open doors to federal investigative agencies. GS-1811 Criminal Investigator positions (the '1811' that federal agents hold) exist at agencies beyond the obvious — USPS Inspection Service, VA Office of Inspector General, DOD Inspector General, and the various agency OIG offices all hire 1811s. Veterans' Preference gives MAs a measurable edge, and prior NCIS coordination experience is directly relevant on federal applications.
The GS-0085 Security Guard series is an entry point but shouldn't be the ceiling. MAs with supervisory experience should target GS-0080 Security Administration at GS-9 through GS-13, where they manage programs rather than stand posts. GS-1801 General Inspection/Investigation covers regulatory enforcement roles at agencies like OSHA, EPA, and CBP — a natural fit for MAs who conducted inspections, wrote reports, and enforced compliance standards.
Two non-obvious but strong matches: GS-0089 Emergency Management Specialist positions at FEMA and DOD agencies (MAs with AT/FP experience plan for and respond to emergencies daily), and GS-0343 Management Analyst for MAs with program management experience who want to move into policy and analysis work. Do not overlook GS-0301 Miscellaneous Administration — it is the broadest federal series and accepts a wide range of military experience.
GS Series & Position Matches
| GS Series | Federal Job Title | Typical Grades | Match | Explore |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-0082 | United States Marshal | GS-7, GS-9, GS-11 | View Details → | |
| GS-0083 | Police | GS-5, GS-6, GS-7, GS-9 | View Details → | |
| GS-0084 | Nuclear Materials Courier | GS-7, GS-8 | View Details → | |
| GS-1896 | Border Patrol Agent | GL-5, GL-7, GL-9, GL-11 | View Details → | |
| GS-0080 | Security Administration | GS-9, GS-11, GS-12 | View Details → | |
| GS-0085 | Security Guard | GS-4, GS-5, GS-6 | View Details → | |
| GS-1816 | Immigration Inspection | GS-5, GS-7 | View Details → | |
| GS-1881 | Customs and Border Protection Officer | GS-5, GS-7, GS-9, GS-11 | View Details → | |
| GS-0007 | Correctional Officer | GS-5, GS-6, GS-7 | View Details → | |
| GS-0081 | Fire Protection and Prevention | GS-5, GS-7, GS-9 | View Details → | |
| GS-1811 | Criminal Investigator | GS-7, GS-9, GS-11, GS-13 | View Details → | |
| GS-0089 | Emergency Management | GS-9, GS-11, GS-12 | View Details → | |
| GS-0301 | Miscellaneous Administration and Program | GS-7, 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 to start · 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.
Claims Adjuster, Examiner, and Investigator
The investigative interviewing and report-building an MA does on incident scenes is the same work a claims investigator does verifying a loss, especially in special investigations units chasing fraud.
Flight Attendant
Keeping order on a packed aircraft, calming a hostile passenger, and running emergency procedures is exactly the authority-plus-de-escalation skill set an MA uses every watch.
Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselor
MAs spend their careers talking people down from the edge and reading intent under stress, which is the core relational skill of crisis and addiction counseling.
Emergency Management Director
Running force protection and antiterrorism planning for an installation is essentially civilian emergency management, applied to bases instead of cities.
Animal Trainer
MAs who served as military working dog handlers already do professional-grade detection and protection training, which transfers directly to civilian K-9, service-dog, and security-dog programs.
Firefighter
The physical readiness, emergency-response instinct, and chain-of-command discipline an MA lives by are exactly what fire departments select for, and many departments give veterans hiring preference.
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're applying to civilian law enforcement or security companies, your terminology translates directly. Hiring managers at police departments, federal agencies, and security firms know what VBSS means, what AT/FP stands for, and what a Chief Master-at-Arms does. You likely do not need this section.
But if you're targeting careers outside of law enforcement and security — project management, corporate operations, human resources, insurance, consulting, or any private-sector role where the hiring manager has never heard of DBIDS or a security reaction force — this section is for you. The translations below reframe MA experience into language that resonates with civilian hiring managers in non-security industries. These are not just word swaps; they show how to quantify and contextualize your experience for a completely different audience.
Resume Bullet Examples
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BMR turns your MA duties and accomplishments into civilian bullets that match the job you're applying for — no manual translation, no rewriting.
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Certifications by Career Path
Which certifications you need depends on where you're headed. Find your target career path below.
Cybersecurity
Emergency Management
Federal Employment
Federal Law Enforcement
Investigations
Law Enforcement
Project Management
Security Management
Got a cert? Don't bury it. List it the right way.
The wrong placement can sink an otherwise strong application. BMR knows where each cert ranks, what to call it, and how to frame it for ATS keyword matching and hiring manager attention.
Free to start · Built around your real certs and clearance
Transition Resources
For Staying in Law Enforcement & Security
SkillBridge Programs: Several security companies and law enforcement agencies participate in DOD SkillBridge, allowing MAs to work civilian security roles during their last 180 days of service. Check the SkillBridge database for current openings. Companies like Allied Universal, Securitas, and some federal contract security firms have historically participated.
Civilian Law Enforcement Academies: Many state and local police departments waive portions of academy training for candidates with documented military law enforcement experience. Contact your target department directly — policies vary by jurisdiction. Some departments (federal agencies especially) credit military LE training through direct equivalency.
ASIS International: The ASIS International community is the largest association for security management professionals. Membership provides networking, job boards, and access to certification prep. The CPP (Certified Protection Professional) is the industry gold standard for security management.
ILEA & IACP: The International Association of Chiefs of Police and state-level law enforcement associations provide networking and job listings for those pursuing sworn law enforcement careers.
For Careers Outside of Law Enforcement
Project Management: The PMP certification (PMI) opens doors across industries. MAs who managed security programs, coordinated multi-agency operations, or led expeditionary teams often have enough documented project hours to qualify. Cost: ~$555 (PMI member). GI Bill covers some prep courses.
Safety & Emergency Management: MAs with AT/FP experience are natural fits for emergency management and safety roles. Start with OSHA 30-Hour General Industry (~$150-300 online). For the serious career move, target the CSP (Certified Safety Professional) — your security operations experience counts toward the experience requirement.
Federal Employment (USAJobs): Create your USAJobs profile immediately — do not wait until separation. Use the 'Veterans' filter. Key agencies for MAs: DHS (CBP, TSA, ICE), DOJ (BOP, USMS, FBI support), VA Police, DOD Police, and every federal agency's Office of Inspector General. Federal resumes are 2 pages max — not the 4-6 page myth you see online. Build yours here.
Veteran Networking: American Corporate Partners (ACP) provides free mentorship from corporate executives. You get paired with someone in your target industry. ACP is legitimate and completely free for veterans.
Insurance Investigations / SIU: Insurance companies hire former law enforcement for fraud investigation units. The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) is a good starting resource. Interview and documentation skills from MA duty translate directly — no additional law enforcement credentials required.
Education Benefits: Don't sleep on your GI Bill for professional certifications. Certification exam fees and prep courses are often covered. Check with your local VA education office or use the GI Bill Comparison Tool to verify program approval.
Clearance Leverage: Many MAs hold Secret clearances, and those who worked NCIS task forces or sensitive programs may hold higher. That has real market value — especially with defense contractors and federal agencies. ClearanceJobs.com lists positions requiring active clearances. Do not let yours lapse during transition.
BMR Career Resources
Navy Resume Guide: Rating Translation | Complete Military Resume Guide | Top Companies Hiring Veterans | Build Your Resume Free
Your 30 / 60 / 90-Day Transition Plan
Most people do this backwards. They wait until terminal leave to start, then panic. Here's the sequence that works. Already out? Same plan, start at day one today.
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 MA resume — BMR does it free
- Write 1 strong LinkedIn headline (not "veteran seeking opportunities")
- Pull together your evals/performance reports for accomplishments
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
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 job search like a 90-day op get hired faster than the ones who treat it like an emergency.
Frequently Asked Questions
What civilian jobs can I get with MA experience?
Do I need a police academy to become a civilian police officer?
What if I want to leave law enforcement entirely?
Is my security clearance valuable outside the military?
How does Veterans Preference work for federal law enforcement jobs?
What certifications should I get before separating?
Should I use my GI Bill for a degree or certifications?
Where are the best job markets for former MAs?
How do I explain MA experience in a non-law-enforcement interview?
Can I start job searching while still on active duty?
Translate your MA Master-at-Arms experience into a resume that gets callbacks
Stop rewriting from scratch every time you apply. BMR turns your military experience into civilian and federal resumes — tailored to each job.