U.S. Navy Rating Career Guide
HT Civilian Careers: Hull Maintenance Technician
Navy HT Sailors fabricate, install, maintain, repair, inspect, and document shipboard structures, metal layouts, plumbing, sewage, piping, hull systems, oxyacetylene work, welding operations, shop operations, tests, inspections, records, training, and safety procedures. Civilian paths fit welding, pipefitting, shipyard repair, facilities maintenance, fabrication, and quality inspection roles, with trade credentials handled separately.
Official classification grounding
Navy OCCSTDS describes HT Sailors as planning, supervising, and performing fabrication, installation, maintenance, repair, and inspection of shipboard structures, plumbing, sewage, and piping systems; organizing hull repairs; instructing personnel; enforcing safety and security procedures; and preparing records and reports.
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Section 01
Top Civilian Role Matches for HT
Welder or Fabricator Pathway Best direct path
$45k – $100k
HT welding, metal layout, fabrication, installation, oxyacetylene, and repair work can support welding and fabrication roles. Civilian employers will test by process, position, and material, so list Navy experience clearly and pursue AWS or employer qualification as needed.
WeldingFabricationLayoutTesting
BLS current wage table
Pipefitter or Plumbing Pathway
$45k – $110k
Shipboard plumbing, sewage, and piping systems repair can translate into pipefitting or facilities plumbing support. State licensing and apprenticeship rules vary, so frame service experience as preparation and hands-on system exposure.
PipingPlumbingSewageLicensing
BLS current wage table
Shipyard Hull Repair Technician
$50k – $110k
Hull repairs, shipboard structures, shop operations, tests, inspections, and safety procedures fit shipyard repair roles. Strong resumes name materials, repair types, inspections, hot work controls, and records completed.
ShipyardHull repairHot workInspections
BLS current wage table
Facilities Maintenance Technician
$45k – $100k
Fabrication, plumbing, piping, sewage, repairs, safety, and records can fit facilities maintenance. Employers want work orders, preventive maintenance, emergency repair, vendor coordination, and safe work practices.
FacilitiesRepairsPipingWork orders
BLS current wage table
Quality or NDT Support Pathway
$55k – $115k
Tests, inspections, records, welding work, and fabrication quality can support quality or NDT-adjacent roles. Civilian NDT credentials are separate, but HT experience helps if inspection discipline is documented.
QualityInspectionWeldingRecords
BLS current wage table
Section 02
Transferable Strengths: What Civilian Employers Actually See
◆
Procedure discipline
Civilian employers value veterans who can follow manuals, document work, control risk, and hand off accurate information during technical, medical, or shipboard operations.
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Safety and accountability
Translate watchstanding, patient safety, tag-out, inspections, and emergency procedures into civilian safety, compliance, quality, and readiness language.
◆
Systems and environment clarity
Name the shipboard systems, tools, software, patient-care settings, equipment, or facilities you supported so a recruiter can map the work.
◆
Calm under pressure
These ratings often work around patients, alarms, engineering spaces, shipboard casualties, or complex communications systems. Show decision quality and communication under pressure.
◆
Measurable team contribution
Quantify patients, watches, repairs, systems, drills, inspections, records, work orders, or training events wherever your service history allows.
Section 03
Common Mistakes HTs Make in the Civilian Job Search
01
Letting the rating hide the work
HT alone does not tell a civilian employer what you did. Translate it into engineering support, combat systems, healthcare support, welding, piping, or communications maintenance.
02
Overclaiming credentials
Medical, welding, plumbing, electrical, EMS, and electronics credentials are separate civilian gates. List only credentials you hold and describe military experience as preparation.
03
Writing one broad resume
A generic military resume will miss keywords. Pick one target market first, then rewrite bullets around that employer’s systems, tools, risks, and outcomes.
Section 04
Certifications That Can Improve the Signal
AWS Welding Certifications
Cost Testing costs vary by accredited test facility and processTime Preparation varies by processFormat Performance-based welding test
AWS Welding Certifications can help HT veterans prove civilian welding skill by process and position.
Trade proof · Useful for welding roles
NCCER Craft Credentials
Cost Training and assessment pricing varies by accredited organizationTime Varies by craft levelFormat Accredited training and assessment
NCCER Craft Credentials can translate maintenance, welding, plumbing, and construction skill into civilian craft language.
Trade signal · Useful for craft roles
OSHA Outreach Training
Cost OSHA-authorized provider pricing variesTime 10-hour or 30-hour optionsFormat Authorized course completion card
OSHA Outreach Training supports safety credibility but does not replace employer authorization.
Safety signal · Useful across field roles
Section 05
Resume Translation: From Navy Hull Maintenance Technician to Civilian Language
The HT resume should translate Navy duties into civilian systems, tools, records, safety, people, and outcomes.
Before: Navy shorthand
Served as HT. Supported operations, followed procedures, completed maintenance or support tasks, and maintained readiness.
↓
After: Civilian employer language
Fabricated, installed, maintained, repaired, inspected, and documented shipboard structures, hull systems, piping, plumbing, sewage systems, and metal components. Performed layout, shop operations, oxyacetylene work, welding support, tests, inspections, safety enforcement, personnel instruction, records, and reports while supporting hull readiness and safe shipboard maintenance.
A stronger bullet formula
Start with the civilian function.
Name the system, patient-care setting, equipment, tool, or process.
Add scale: patients, systems, repairs, watches, inspections, records, or reports.
Show the standard: medical protocol, technical publication, safety rule, code, or quality requirement.
End with the outcome: safer care, uptime, readiness, faster response, clean records, or reduced risk.
Always quantify: people, equipment, hours, defects, reports, inventory value, or mission volume.
Official duties verified against
Navy OCCSTDS Manual Change 103, July 2025, working copy Navy-OCCSTDS-Change-103-Jul-2025-extracted.md, pages 1020-1028. Salary context uses BLS OOH and OEWS pages cited in each role card. Certification links point to issuing organizations or official program pages and were reviewed on June 15, 2026.
Section 06
HT Civilian Career FAQs
What civilian jobs fit Navy HT experience best?
HT experience fits best where employers need hull, welding, and piping systems, procedure discipline, safety awareness, and documented execution. The right target depends on your platform, training, NECs, and civilian credentials.
Does Navy HT experience automatically grant civilian credentials?
No. Military experience can be valuable, but civilian medical, trade, electronics, welding, EMS, and employer credentials are separate. Be precise about what you hold and what you are pursuing.
How should I write HT experience on a resume?
Use the rating name once, then translate the work. Name systems, tools, patient-care duties, inspections, repairs, records, reports, drills, and outcomes a civilian employer understands.
What should HTs do before applying?
Pick one primary job family, compare postings, identify credential gaps, and rewrite bullets around measurable outcomes. The narrower resume usually performs better than a broad military summary.
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