Certifications
Certification pathways by domain with resources, costs, and military funding options.
Detailed Guides
Section titled “Detailed Guides” Certification Funding Every military/veteran funding pathway — CA, COOL, GI Bill, VET TEC, SkillBridge, MyCAA.
Cloud Certifications AWS, Azure, and GCP paths with free military programs.
Project Management PMP, CAPM, Agile/SAFe with military experience mapping.
FAA Part 107 (Drones) $175 remote pilot cert — insurance, career outlook, vet training.
Aviation / Pilot PPL to ATP pathway, GI Bill rules, military pilot credit.
Trade & Technical CDL, welding, HVAC, electrical — military skills waivers.
Certification Domains
Section titled “Certification Domains”SANS/GIAC
Section titled “SANS/GIAC”- GPEN — Penetration Tester
- GWAPT — Web Application Penetration Tester
- SANS Roadmap — career progression
Offensive Security (OffSec)
Section titled “Offensive Security (OffSec)”- OSCP — Penetration Testing with Kali Linux — includes HTB/THM prep guide
- OSWE — Advanced Web Attacks
CompTIA
Section titled “CompTIA”- CASP+ (CAS-004)
- Security+ — DoD 8570 baseline. Study: Jason Dion practice exams and Professor Messer (free). Don’t pay $1,200 for the bundle — buy voucher separately via Pearson VUE Gov Store or use COOL.
CMMC (for Defense Contractors)
Section titled “CMMC (for Defense Contractors)”- Required for DoD contractors — SBA CMMC Roundtable info
- Small business cost estimates: higher than initially projected
- Relevant for anyone starting a defense contracting company
- ISC2 CC — free entry-level security certification
Detailed guide: Cloud Certifications
| Path | Entry | Intermediate | Advanced |
|---|---|---|---|
| AWS | Cloud Practitioner ($100) | Solutions Architect Assoc ($150) | SA Professional ($300) |
| Azure | AZ-900 ($99-$165) | AZ-104 ($165) | AZ-305 ($165) |
| GCP | Cloud Digital Leader ($99) | Assoc Cloud Engineer ($200) | Professional Architect ($200) |
Cleared cloud engineer salary: $120,000-$175,000 (DC metro average: $173,000)
Free military programs: Microsoft MSSA, AWS re/Start, Google Career Certs, Cisco NetAcad
Detailed guide: Project Management Certifications
| Cert | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PMP | $405 (PMI member) | Holders earn 29-33% more. Military experience qualifies. |
| CAPM | $225 | Entry-level, no experience required |
| PSM I | $150 | Best value Agile cert (Scrum.org) |
| SAFe Agilist | ~$895 | Most common enterprise Agile |
- DAU courses count toward PMP education requirements
- PMP + clearance = defense PM ($100k-$150k)
Detailed guide: FAA Part 107
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Exam cost | $175 (written test only, no flight hours) |
| Renewal | Free online recurrent course every 24 months |
| Part 108 (BVLOS) | New framework expected 2026 — premium tier |
| Best stack | Part 107 + clearance + GIS = $90k-$130k |
Insurance: $300-$600/yr hobbyist, $600-$1,200/yr commercial (Skywatch AI, BWI)
Detailed guide: Aviation Certifications
- PPL — $15,000-$30,000 (not GI Bill eligible on its own)
- Military pilots: Skip checkride via Part 61.73 + Military Competency test
- R-ATP: Military pilots qualify at 750 hours (vs 1,500 standard)
- RTAG — nonprofit for veteran aviation careers
- CNO — Computer Network Operations
- CCNA Ninja — free NetAcad training with voucher opportunity
- CompTIA Server+
- Cisco Military Programs — free CCNA tracks
- HAM Radio — $50 total (exam + FCC fee), three levels (Technician/General/Extra)
- Study free at hamstudy.org and ARRL
- General or Extra recommended for MARS program and RF engineering careers
- IEEE Continuing Education
Detailed guide: Trade Certifications
| Trade | Cost | Salary | Military Pathway |
|---|---|---|---|
| CDL | $3k-$10k | $55k-$130k | Skills test waiver |
| Welding (CWI) | ~$1k-$1.3k | $70k-$120k+ | Some COOL |
| HVAC (EPA 608) | $10-$150 | $50k-$90k+ | COOL funded |
| Electrical | Free (apprenticeship) | $60k-$100k+ | IBEW |
MOS-to-Certification Quick Reference
Section titled “MOS-to-Certification Quick Reference”| MOS/Rate | Recommended Cert Path | Target Salary |
|---|---|---|
| 25-series (Signal) | Net+/Sec+ → Cloud certs | $90k-$150k |
| 35-series (Intel) | Part 107 + GIS + analytics | $75k-$120k |
| 17-series (Cyber) | OSCP / CISSP / cloud security | $100k-$160k |
| 15-series (Aviation) | Part 107, A&P, PPL | $75k-$130k |
| 12-series (Engineer) | PMP + trade certs | $80k-$140k |
| 11-series (Infantry) | PMP + Agile + clearance | $80k-$130k |
| Navy IT/CT | CompTIA trifecta → cloud | $90k-$150k |
| Air Force 1D7/3D | AWS + Azure + clearance | $100k-$160k |
Look up your specific MOS at Army COOL, Navy COOL, Marine COOL, or Air Force COOL.
Career Networking
Section titled “Career Networking”Community insight: 15 years of cyber experience without formal certs makes the job market brutal. Get at least one industry cert to get past HR filters, even if your skills are solid.
Active job postings shared by community members (2026):
- ARSOF remote cyber TMs (Maryland) — seeking OSCP, OSWP, OSED, PEN 100/200
- AI SOC Engineer at Tyto Athene (Reston, VA) — SOCOM-focused
- IT Manager at MetroStar (Rosslyn, VA) — CISSP + TS/SCI
Related Pages
Section titled “Related Pages” Certification Funding All military/veteran funding programs.
Credentialing Assistance Army CA program — updated FY2025 changes.
Learning Resources Free and paid learning platforms.
Leaving Service Transition guide with SkillBridge directory.