Army · 25C
Your Radio Operator-Maintainer experience maps to civilian jobs like Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers, Except Line Installers and Radio, Cellular, and Tower Equipment Installers and Repairers—and well beyond. Explore the specific roles below, see what each pays and requires, and build from there.
The federal crosswalk lists only a broad “Communications Equipment Operators, All Other” bucket for 25C—so here are the specific civilian roles Radio Operator-Maintainer experience genuinely maps to. See what each involves, what it pays, and why it fits.
$61,270/yr mediantypical $38k–$92k~160K U.S. jobs
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Install, set up, rearrange, or remove switching, distribution, routing, and dialing equipment used in central offices or headends.
Why it fits: Installing and maintaining communications equipment transfers directly to telecom.
$61,310/yr mediantypical $39k–$96k~12K U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Repair, install, or maintain mobile or stationary radio transmitting, broadcasting, and receiving equipment, and two-way radio communications systems used in cellular telecommunications, mobile…
Why it fits: Radio and antenna work maps to cellular and tower equipment roles.
$71,530/yr mediantypical $46k–$122k~159K U.S. jobs
Typical entry: Bachelor’s degree typically expected
Analyze, test, troubleshoot, and evaluate existing network systems, such as local area networks (LAN), wide area networks (WAN), cloud networks, servers, and other data communications networks.
Why it fits: Connectivity and troubleshooting support IT network support.
$95,360/yr mediantypical $59k–$149k~323K U.S. jobs
Typical entry: Bachelor’s degree typically expected
Install, configure, and maintain an organization's local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), data communications network, operating systems, and physical and virtual servers.
Why it fits: Configuring and running comms networks maps to systems administration.
$57,690/yr mediantypical $28k–$125k~26K U.S. jobs
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Set up, operate, and maintain the electronic equipment used to acquire, edit, and transmit audio and video for radio or television programs.
Why it fits: Operating transmission equipment supports broadcast technician roles.
$64,640/yr mediantypical $40k–$101k~99K U.S. jobs
Typical entry: High-school diploma plus short on-the-job training
Install and repair telecommunications cable, including fiber optics.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Radio Operator-Maintainer occupations on the maintenance, repair & installation side—a natural next step.
$66,680/yr mediantypical $42k–$101k~58K U.S. jobs
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Repair, test, adjust, or install electronic equipment, such as industrial controls, transmitters, and antennas.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Radio Operator-Maintainer occupations on the maintenance, repair & installation side—a natural next step.
$48,380/yr mediantypical $33k–$79k~25K U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Install, repair, or adjust audio or television receivers, stereo systems, camcorders, video systems, or other electronic entertainment equipment in homes or other venues.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Radio Operator-Maintainer occupations on the maintenance, repair & installation side—a natural next step.
$129,840/yr mediantypical $78k–$195k~174K U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Design or configure wired, wireless, and satellite communications systems for voice, video, and data services.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Radio Operator-Maintainer occupations on the it, cybersecurity & data side—a natural next step.
$104,750/yr mediantypical $68k–$139k~9K U.S. jobs
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Coordinate, regulate, or distribute electricity or steam.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Radio Operator-Maintainer occupations on the manufacturing & production side—a natural next step.
$119,200/yr mediantypical $77k–$180k~96K U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth
Typical entry: Bachelor’s degree typically expected
Design and implement radio frequency identification device (RFID) systems used to track shipments or goods.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Radio Operator-Maintainer occupations on the engineering & technical design side—a natural next step.
Roles selected from the O*NET occupations that fit Radio Operator-Maintainer experience; the Department of Labor's own crosswalk lists only the broad “Communications Equipment Operators, All Other” category for this code. Pay is BLS OEWS (May 2023). See the O*NET crosswalk.
Use the level that reflects what you actually did—not rank alone. Two people with the same code and very different experience should not submit the same résumé.
Lead with hands-on tasks, tools, equipment, qualifications, safety discipline, and the conditions in which you performed. Do not inflate supervisory scope.
Add team leadership, training, inspections, work allocation, quality control, readiness, and the people or assets you directly supervised.
Emphasize multi-team operations, schedules, resource forecasting, safety systems, policy enforcement, advising leaders, and organization-level results.
A translated title isn't enough. These four moves turn Radio Operator-Maintainer experience into evidence a civilian hiring manager can act on.
List the systems, vehicles, equipment, and tools you personally operated as Radio Operator-Maintainer—plus qualifications, certifications, and the recurring high-stakes tasks you owned.
Soldiers led, dollar value of equipment you were accountable for, workload, readiness rates, and safety or quality outcomes. Scope beats adjectives.
For any target role, name the license, degree, or software it requires and start now—your GI Bill and credentialing assistance can cover most of it.
Recruiters rarely search “25C.” Search job boards by the equipment, skills, and outcomes above as much as by “Radio Operator-Maintainer.”
You don't have to make this jump alone. These programs exist specifically to move service members into civilian careers—most are free, and several pay you while you train.
Train or intern with a civilian employer during your last ~180 days on active duty—at full military pay.
Earn a paycheck while you train for a trade or technical role; USMAP can credit the military training you already have.
Corporate fellowships and hiring events that place transitioning service members and military spouses.
Free career training and nationally recognized certifications for service members, veterans, and spouses.
VA-funded high-tech training (IT, cyber, data, software) that does not touch your GI Bill entitlement.
Free local career centers plus certification and state-by-state license finders for any field.
How to use this: Treat these as targets, not limits. Your exact duties depend on your assignments, so lead with what you actually did—and remember that regulated careers require their own license, certification, or degree.