U.S. Marine Corps MOS Career Guide
5955 Civilian Careers: Ground Control Station Technician
Marine Corps 5955 Ground Control Station Technicians maintain MQ-9 UAS ground control stations, peripheral command-and-control equipment, secure and unsecure flight operations support, data dissemination paths, cyber and information security controls, SATCOM coordination, shop production, parts evacuation, and maintenance reporting. Civilian paths cluster around UAS support, SATCOM, C2 systems, field service, and secure systems support.
Official MOS grounding
NAVMC 1200.1L describes 5955 as maintaining MQ-9 UAS Ground Control Station equipment and related command-and-control systems. The entry highlights installation, programming, upgrades, troubleshooting, flight safety support, data collection and dissemination, cyber and information security measures, SATCOM provider coordination, shop supervision, repair evacuation, parts requisition, maintenance reports, and aviation communications planning support.
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Section 01
Top Civilian Role Matches for 5955
UAS Ground Control Station Technician Best UAS bridge
$65k – $135k
This is the most direct civilian path for a 5955. The official MOS centers on MQ-9 ground control station maintenance, peripheral command-and-control equipment, secure and unsecure flight operations, data links, and maintenance production. Civilian employers want proof that you can keep control stations, SATCOM paths, and operator-facing systems available. Name the equipment category, security requirements, troubleshooting actions, parts coordination, and impact on launch, recovery, or remote flight support.
UASGCSMQ-9C2 systems
Uncrewed aviation support demand varies by program
SATCOM or Data Link Technician
$65k – $130k
5955 experience coordinating with commercial and military SATCOM providers can translate into satellite communications, data-link support, and remote operations infrastructure roles. The key is showing more than ticket passing. Describe link availability, coordination timelines, secure connections, troubleshooting flow, escalation, documentation, and how you supported aircrew-to-aircraft connectivity. Defense, aerospace, telecom, and unmanned systems employers all value that combination.
SATCOMData linksRemote opsSecure connectivity
BLS May 2025 wage table
Command-and-Control Systems Technician
$70k – $140k
Ground control stations are part of a larger command-and-control environment. A 5955 can target C2 systems support when the resume connects hardware, software, peripherals, cyber controls, information security, maintenance reporting, and operational support. This path fits defense contractors, test ranges, operations centers, and UAS programs. Lead with system availability and disciplined maintenance rather than generic IT help desk language.
C2 systemsCyber controlsMaintenance reportsOperations support
IT infrastructure demand remains strong
Field Service Engineer Pathway
$75k – $145k
Some 5955s can pursue field service engineer or senior field technician roles, especially with strong electronics, SATCOM, networking, or vendor system experience. The word engineer may require a degree or employer-specific definition, so position yourself carefully. Emphasize installation, upgrades, troubleshooting, parts evacuation, customer coordination, maintenance production, and technical expertise during planning or employment of aviation communications systems.
Field serviceInstallationUpgradesCustomer support
Pay varies by contract and travel
Cyber or Systems Support Technician
$60k – $125k
NAVMC specifically calls out cyber security and information security measures for 5955. That can support systems support, security operations support, and cleared IT technician pathways if paired with the right credentials. Do not oversell yourself as a cyber analyst unless the experience fits. Instead, show secure configuration, access discipline, patch or upgrade support, documentation, incident escalation, and compliance with local or higher-headquarters instructions.
Cyber hygieneSystems supportSecure operationsDocumentation
BLS OOH median $96,800
Section 02
Transferable Strengths: What Civilian Employers Actually See
◆
UAS mission systems context
Civilian UAS employers value technicians who understand how ground equipment affects flight operations. Explain how your maintenance protected operator connectivity, flight safety, data flow, and mission timelines.
◆
SATCOM coordination under time pressure
Coordinating secure data links between aircrew and aircraft is a strong differentiator. Translate it into provider coordination, link troubleshooting, escalation discipline, and on-time restoration of mission connectivity.
◆
Cyber and information security discipline
5955 experience includes security measures around operational systems. Civilian employers need plain evidence: access controls, secure configuration, compliance checks, documentation, and coordination with cyber or information assurance teams.
◆
Maintenance production ownership
Daily maintenance production, repair evacuation, parts requisition, and report monitoring show that you can manage more than a single bench task. That is valuable for field service and operations-support roles.
◆
Planning support for aviation communications
Providing technical expertise during planning and installation shows that you can advise operations leaders, not only fix equipment after it breaks. Use examples of site planning, configuration, installation, or employment support.
Section 03
Common Mistakes 5955s Make in the Civilian Job Search
01
Writing only MQ-9 without explaining the civilian function
MQ-9 experience matters, but many recruiters need the function translated. Spell out ground control station maintenance, SATCOM coordination, secure data links, C2 support, upgrades, and troubleshooting.
02
Overstating cyber scope
Cyber security measures are part of 5955, but that does not automatically make every 5955 a cyber analyst. Be specific about configuration, compliance, access control, documentation, and escalation.
03
Hiding provider coordination and flight-safety impact
Commercial employers value coordination across vendors and operations teams. Include SATCOM provider coordination, remote flight support, flight safety, maintenance reports, and parts evacuation in the story.
Section 04
Certifications That Can Improve the Signal
CompTIA Security+
Cost Exam voucher pricing changes by market; verify current CompTIA store priceTime Usually weeks to a few months of studyFormat Vendor-neutral cybersecurity exam
CompTIA Security+ is often useful for cleared systems support, defense contractor, and cyber-adjacent technician roles. For a 5955, it pairs well with secure GCS operations, information security controls, and C2 systems maintenance.
Cleared-market signal · Useful for defense systems support
CompTIA Network+
Cost Exam voucher pricing changes by market; verify current CompTIA store priceTime Usually weeks to a few months of studyFormat Vendor-neutral networking exam
Network+ helps translate GCS, SATCOM, and C2 support into civilian network language. It is a good first bridge if you want telecom, systems support, or field service roles tied to connected mission equipment.
Network bridge · Helps connect maintenance to IT infrastructure
Cisco CCNA
Cost Cisco exam pricing varies by country and exam delivery partnerTime Usually several months of studyFormat Proctored networking exam
CCNA can be valuable when 5955 experience includes networked communications, site infrastructure, or data-link troubleshooting. It is strongest when paired with hands-on configuration examples and not presented as a replacement for system-specific experience.
Higher ceiling · Supports networked C2 and field-service roles
Section 05
Resume Translation: From Military UAS systems maintenance to Civilian Language
The 5955 resume has to translate systems, maintenance discipline, troubleshooting, records, safety, and mission impact without assuming a civilian recruiter understands Marine aviation terminology.
Before: Vague military language that undersells your scope
Served as a 5955 Marine. Maintained equipment, troubleshot systems, supported missions, trained Marines, managed records, and coordinated repairs in an aviation unit.
↓
After: Civilian language that gets callbacks
Maintained MQ-9 unmanned aircraft ground control station equipment and peripheral command-and-control systems supporting local and remote flight operations. Performed installation, programming, upgrades, troubleshooting, maintenance production tracking, repair evacuation, parts requisition, and maintenance report monitoring for mission systems tied to flight safety and data dissemination. Coordinated with commercial and military SATCOM providers to support secure, on-time data links between aircrew and aircraft. Applied cyber and information security requirements to operational systems while advising leaders on planning, employment, and installation of aviation communications equipment.
Use this structure for each bullet
System or equipment supported, with operating environment
Failure, inspection, configuration, or readiness problem addressed
Diagnostic method, maintenance action, or coordination step used
Compliance, safety, cyber, supply, or documentation requirement managed
Result in uptime, inspection readiness, sortie support, repair cycle time, or team output
Always quantify: GCS assets supported, data-link events, upgrades completed, outages restored, parts actions, shop production metrics
Last updated June 2026 using the
BLS May 2025 OEWS tables, relevant BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook pages, and official credential information from issuing organizations linked in the certification section. Military duties were verified against NAVMC 1200.1L through the local Markdown accessibility copy and code index.
Section 06
5955 Civilian Career FAQs
What civilian field is closest to 5955?
UAS ground control station support is the closest match, followed by SATCOM, command-and-control systems support, defense field service, and secure systems technician roles. The strongest fit depends on whether your experience leans toward electronics, networked systems, provider coordination, or maintenance production.
Does 5955 experience qualify me for cyber jobs?
It can support cyber-adjacent roles, but it does not automatically equal cyber analyst experience. Use Security+ or similar credentials to reinforce the bridge, then describe the actual security controls, documentation, access discipline, configuration support, and escalation work you performed.
How should a 5955 describe MQ-9 work without exposing sensitive details?
Stay at the system-function level. Describe ground control station maintenance, secure data links, SATCOM coordination, upgrades, troubleshooting, maintenance reporting, flight-safety support, and information security compliance. Avoid classified details, tactics, frequencies, locations, or mission-specific information.
What should a 5955 quantify on a resume?
Quantify ground control stations supported, maintenance actions completed, outages restored, upgrade packages installed, SATCOM or data-link events coordinated, parts requisitions, repair evacuations, shop personnel supported, and readiness or availability improvements when you can document them.
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