Navy · AB
As an Aviation Boatswain's Mate, you kept aircraft launching and recovering safely under intense tempo—handling fuels, equipment, and flight-deck operations. That transfers to airport ground support, fuels and hazmat handling, logistics, and operations careers.
There's no one-to-one civilian crosswalk for AB—the Department of Labor doesn't map a single job title to it. These are the specific civilian roles Aviation Boatswain's Mate experience genuinely maps to: what each pays, what it involves, and why it fits.
$58,920/yr mediantypical $46k–$91k~9K U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth
Typical entry: High-school diploma plus short on-the-job training
Supervise and coordinate the activities of ground crew in the loading, unloading, securing, and staging of aircraft cargo or baggage.
Why it fits: Your Aviation Boatswain's Mate experience maps directly onto the transportation & logistics side of this role.
$37,660/yr mediantypical $29k–$50k~3M U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — many openings
Typical entry: High-school diploma plus short on-the-job training
Manually move freight, stock, luggage, or other materials, or perform other general labor.
Why it fits: Your Aviation Boatswain's Mate experience maps directly onto the transportation & logistics side of this role.
$44,470/yr mediantypical $35k–$60k~779K U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — many openings
Typical entry: High-school diploma plus short on-the-job training
Operate industrial trucks or tractors equipped to move materials around a warehouse, storage yard, factory, construction site, or similar location.
Why it fits: Your Aviation Boatswain's Mate experience maps directly onto the transportation & logistics side of this role.
$75,020/yr mediantypical $46k–$115k~138K U.S. jobs
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Diagnose, adjust, repair, or overhaul aircraft engines and assemblies, such as hydraulic and pneumatic systems.
Why it fits: Your Aviation Boatswain's Mate experience maps directly onto the aviation & aircraft side of this role.
$36,390/yr mediantypical $29k–$49k~2.9M U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth; many openings
Typical entry: High-school diploma plus short on-the-job training
Receive, store, and issue merchandise, materials, equipment, and other items from stockroom, warehouse, or storage yard to fill shelves, racks, tables, or customers' orders.
Why it fits: Your Aviation Boatswain's Mate experience maps directly onto the transportation & logistics side of this role.
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Directly supervise and coordinate activities of material-moving machine and vehicle operators and helpers.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Aviation Boatswain's Mate occupations on the transportation & logistics side—a natural next step.
$51,140/yr mediantypical $34k–$107k~18K U.S. jobs
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Ensure the safe takeoff and landing of commercial and military aircraft.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Aviation Boatswain's Mate occupations on the aviation & aircraft side—a natural next step.
Typical entry: Associate degree, apprenticeship, or vocational training
Supervise and coordinate activities of passenger attendants.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Aviation Boatswain's Mate occupations on the transportation & logistics side—a natural next step.
Typical entry: High-school diploma plus short on-the-job training
Directly supervise and coordinate the activities of helpers, laborers, or material movers, hand.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Aviation Boatswain's Mate occupations on the transportation & logistics side—a natural next step.
$87,290/yr mediantypical $40k–$129k~28K U.S. jobs
Typical entry: Bachelor’s degree typically expected
Inspect equipment or goods in connection with the safe transport of cargo or people.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Aviation Boatswain's Mate occupations on the transportation & logistics side—a natural next step.
$99,200/yr mediantypical $59k–$176k~199K U.S. jobs
★ Bright Outlook — Rapid growth
Typical entry: Bachelor’s degree typically expected
Plan, direct, or coordinate transportation, storage, or distribution activities in accordance with organizational policies and applicable government laws or regulations.
Why it fits: Closely related to your Aviation Boatswain's Mate occupations on the management & project leadership side—a natural next step.
Roles selected from the O*NET occupations that fit Aviation Boatswain's Mate experience; the Department of Labor doesn't publish a one-to-one crosswalk for this code. Pay is BLS OEWS (May 2023). See the O*NET crosswalk.
Adjacent and stretch fields where your experience gives you a credible starting point.
$75,020/yr medianAircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians (representative)
Why it fits: Flight-deck launch/recovery and ramp work transfer to airport ground operations.
What it takes: Document equipment and safety.
Explore this route →$81,140/yr medianOccupational Health and Safety Specialists (representative)
Why it fits: Aviation fuels and safety experience fit fuels and hazmat roles.
What it takes: Hazmat/DOT and OSHA credentials.
Explore this route →$48,940/yr medianSurveying and Mapping Technicians (representative)
Why it fits: Cargo, equipment, and readiness experience support logistics roles.
What it takes: Forklift/OSHA; document volume.
Explore this route →$65,930/yr medianFirst-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers (representative)
Why it fits: Directing flight-deck teams maps to operations supervision.
What it takes: Translate tempo, team size, and safety.
Explore this route →$137,380/yr medianAir Traffic Controllers (representative)
Why it fits: Airfield coordination supports airport operations.
What it takes: Document facilities and traffic.
Explore this route →Why it fits: Experience supports federal aviation and support series.
What it takes: Target the specialized experience.
Explore this route →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 Aviation Boatswain's Mate experience into evidence a civilian hiring manager can act on.
List the systems, vehicles, equipment, and tools you personally operated as Aviation Boatswain's Mate—plus qualifications, certifications, and the recurring high-stakes tasks you owned.
Sailors 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 “AB.” Search job boards by the equipment, skills, and outcomes above as much as by “Aviation Boatswain's Mate.”
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.