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Suggest a Feature →Electronics Technician
Maintains and repairs electronic equipment including radar, communications, and navigation systems aboard ships and at shore stations.
“As an Electronics Technician, you'll maintain and repair the Navy's most advanced radar, communications, and computer systems — the technology that keeps ships connected and combat-ready. You'll earn industry-recognized certifications and develop troubleshooting skills that civilian tech companies pay top dollar for. ET is consistently one of the highest-paid ratings after separation.”
You are an Electronics Technician, which means you fix the electronics that make a warship function — radar, communications, navigation, and the increasingly complex computer networks that tie everything together. If FC maintains the weapons, you maintain everything else electronic, and on a modern warship, that's nearly everything. Your troubleshooting starts at the component level: circuit boards, power supplies, waveguides, antenna systems, and the software that makes hardware useful. When comms go down, the CO doesn't care about your diagnostic process — they want it fixed, and they want it fixed before the next scheduled transmission. You'll work on systems that range from cutting-edge digital arrays to analog equipment that was installed when the ship was commissioned 30 years ago, and you need to understand both. Your training pipeline produces some of the best electronics technicians in the world because the Navy's equipment is complex, the environment is hostile (salt air destroys electronics with prejudice), and the mission demands 100% uptime. Your security clearance and electronics expertise translate directly to the defense industry, telecommunications, and IT infrastructure — ET veterans walk into $65-95K positions in electronics maintenance, network engineering, and systems integration.
MOS Intel
- 1ET splits into surface (radar, comms) and submarine (nuclear and non-nuclear electronics). Research both paths before committing — they lead to very different careers.
- 2Get your CompTIA certifications while in. The Navy trains you on military-specific systems, but civilian employers want industry-recognized certs.
- 3Volunteer for AEGIS weapons system billets (cruisers and destroyers). AEGIS experience is highly valued by defense contractors like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.
Electronics Technician is a strong technical rate that builds genuine skills. The recruiter will tell you about maintaining advanced electronics — and the training is legitimately good. The A School curriculum covers circuit theory and troubleshooting at a depth that rivals community college electronics programs. What they won't tell you: the sea duty is long, the equipment can be outdated, and you will spend a shocking amount of time doing planned maintenance paperwork (3M system) instead of actual electronics work. The civilian translation is good but requires supplementing Navy training with industry certifications. ETs who specialize in AEGIS, radar, or advanced communications find defense contractor jobs in the $70-100K range relatively easily. The rate offers a solid technical foundation — just don't expect every day to be hands-on troubleshooting.
What this actually is in the real world
Your skills translate. Here's what civilian employers call this job.
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment
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