For veterans
Your service already taught you a trade. Let's find out which one.
A lot of military work translates directly into skilled trades - it's just filed under a code most civilian employers have never heard of. This tool uses the same military-to-civilian crosswalk the Department of Defense maintains: search your MOS, rating, or AFSC and see the real civilian occupations it maps to, with real pay and training data.
01
Search your code
Enter your MOS, rating, or AFSC - or just browse by branch.
02
See real matches
Real civilian occupations from the DoD crosswalk, with pay and typical education data.
03
Build your roadmap
Pick one, add your own experience, and get a personalized plan - not just a code lookup.
Optional: add your paygrade and years of service to compare what you made in against what these careers typically pay.
Pick a branch or start typing your occupation code or title (e.g. "91B" or "Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic").
Example
Army 91B (Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic) crosswalks to Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists - real overlap in engine diagnostics and hands-on repair, though civilian diesel shops still expect you to build up manufacturer-specific certifications over time.
Official transition resources
HandsOnward isn't a replacement for your official transition benefits - these are worth using alongside it:
- SkillBridge - work with a civilian employer during your last 180 days of service.
- VA.gov - benefits, education (GI Bill), and career resources through the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Does a crosswalk match mean I'm already qualified for that civilian job?
No. It means your military occupation shares real, documented overlap with that civilian role - a starting point, not a guarantee. Many trades (electrician, for example) still require a state license or completing an apprenticeship regardless of your military background, even when your experience transfers strongly.
What if my exact MOS, rating, or AFSC isn't in the crosswalk?
Some highly specialized or combat-specific codes genuinely have no civilian equivalent in the official crosswalk - that's shown honestly rather than forced into a match that doesn't fit. You can still build a profile manually and get matched based on your actual tasks and skills instead of your code.
Where does this crosswalk data come from?
The O*NET Military Occupational Classification crosswalk, maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor from data across all service branches. See our data sources page for how current the underlying database is.
Searching here doesn't require an account and doesn't share your military record with anyone - it's public crosswalk data. Data: O*NET Military Occupational Classification crosswalk, U.S. Department of Labor. Not every military occupation has a direct civilian equivalent - that's shown honestly, not guessed at. See methodology and data sources for how matches are scored and how current this data is.