In the January 2016 edition of Navy Enlisted Occupational Standards (NAVPERS 18068F), the job of Aviation Administrator—the title of sailors with the AZ rating, or Aviation Maintenance Administrationman—is placed in the “job family” of Office and Administrative Support, and in the Online Information Network (“O*NET”) the comparable non-military Occupation Title is “Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks” in the Job Family “Office and Administrative Support.)
Strictly speaking, this might be true. But the training provided by the Navy to dedicated AZs opens doors to a slew of other, better-compensated jobs when the AZ sailor’s service time draws to a close—and with the every-present possibility of budget cuts to the military, that time might come before it was expected.
An AZ who has earned the Professional Standards Institute’s certification as an Associate Database Developer is looking at an average salary of over $69,000, while the annual pay of a Microsoft-certified IT Professional working as a Database Administrator ranges between $75,000 and $125,000 as of this writing (spring 2016). It’s true both these certifications involve third-party training, but the work experience of an Aviation Maintenance Administrationman makes these eminently achievable.
As the U.S. Navy’s aviation assets incorporate more technological advances, there has been almost an exponential increase in the demands of maintenance administration because of a better understanding of the cost-savings and increased levels of safety that can be achieved by leveraging historical data.
Other average salaries for jobs that are highly suitable for post-Navy AZs include Senior Data Analyst ($84,000), Database Analyst ($71,000), and SQL Analyst Developer ($61,000). And while nothing may be as rewarding as the time one spends in the Navy, an above-average salary following a Naval career can certainly add an extra layer of appreciation for the time spent in service to one’s country.
Related ItemsAviation Maintenance Administrationman (AZ) Rating BadgeAviation Maintenance Administrationman (AZ) Ball Cap DeviceCWO Aviation Maintenance Technician Hard Shoulder Boards
CWO Aviation Maintenance Technician Soft Epaulets
CWO Aviation Maintenance Technician Sleeve Device
CWO Aviation Maintenance Technician Collar Device