Map your experience to GovCon labor categories
GovCon labor categories for veterans are defined by years of experience, education, and scope of responsibility. This page shows how military roles and quantified scope align to common labor categories (LCATs).
Government contractor labor categories, or LCATs, are defined by years of experience, education level, and the scope of responsibility you can prove on paper. A veteran who led a 12-person team and managed a $2M equipment account often fits a mid-level labor category, while a senior NCO with eight years and a Master's may qualify for a senior LCAT on the same contract.
This mapper reads your military or federal role and the duties you paste, then lists the labor categories you most likely fit, the level you match, typical certifications, and the scope you still need to quantify to reach the next level. Use it before you write your summary so your headline, bullets, and target roles all point at the same LCAT. Everything here is public-safe: no classified details and no program names.
Reviewed by the Good to Go team · Last updated 2026-10-21 · Sources: GSA CALC+, O*NET
Find your likely labor categories
Labor Category Level Calculator
Pick a labor category, enter your years, education, and clearance, and see whether you are Level I, II, III, or IV under the common GSA rule.
Pick a labor category and enter your years of experience to see your likely level.
Common GovCon labor categories and the military roles that map to them
Network Administrator / Engineer
- 25B Information Technology Specialist
- 25N Nodal Network Systems Operator
- 3D1X2 Cyber Transport Systems
- IT (Navy)
- 06xx Marine Data/Comm
Quantify: Users and sites supported, uptime, devices administered, tools (Cisco, Active Directory, SolarWinds).
Typical certs: Security+, Network+, CCNA
Cybersecurity / SOC Analyst
- 17C Cyber Operations Specialist
- 1B4X1 Cyber Warfare Operator
- 25D Cyber Network Defender
- IS / CWT (Navy)
- 17x Cyber (Marine)
Quantify: Alerts triaged, mean time to respond, systems monitored, frameworks (RMF, NIST 800-53, MITRE ATT&CK).
Typical certs: Security+, CySA+, CISSP (senior)
Intelligence Analyst (IC Support)
- 35F Intelligence Analyst
- 35N Signals Intelligence Analyst
- 14N Intelligence Officer
- 1N0X1 All-Source Analyst
- IS (Navy)
Quantify: Products written, briefings given, analysts trained, public-safe analytic domains. No program detail.
Typical certs: Active TS/SCI is typically required
Program / Project Manager
- Platoon Sergeant / First Sergeant
- Company Commander / XO
- Operations Officer (S-3 / J-3)
- Chief / Senior Chief (Navy)
- Flight Chief (USAF)
Quantify: People led, budget managed, schedule delivered, number of concurrent workstreams, customer briefings.
Typical certs: PMP, CAPM, Agile/SAFe
Logistics / Supply Chain Specialist
- 92A Automated Logistical Specialist
- 91B Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic (lead)
- 3E7X1 / 2S0X1 Supply
- LS (Navy)
- 04xx Logistics (Marine)
Quantify: Inventory value, line items, accuracy rate, order-to-delivery time, personnel supervised.
Typical certs: CSCP, APICS, PMP
Systems Engineer / Technical SME
- Signal Officer (25A)
- Electronic Warfare (17E / 29E)
- Avionics / Weapons systems techs
- ET (Navy)
- Systems program staff
Quantify: Systems integrated, lifecycle phases, requirements owned, test events, standards (DoDAF, RMF).
Typical certs: CISSP, INCOSE, vendor certs
Training / Instructional Specialist
- Drill Sergeant / Instructor
- Small Group Leader
- Training NCO
- Master Training Specialist
Quantify: Students trained, courses built, pass rates, curricula owned.
Typical certs: CTT+, ATD, instructor certs
Security Specialist (FSO / ISSO support)
- Security Manager (S-2 / G-2 staff)
- 31B/MP leads with security duties
- Information Security (Navy / USAF)
Quantify: Personnel and facilities supported, clearances processed (counts only), audits passed.
Typical certs: Active clearance; NISP/FSO training
Quantify your military experience so it fits the LCAT
- Match years of experience in the posting to your total cleared, relevant years.
- Mirror the education or certification language the LCAT uses.
- Show scope in numbers: people, users, systems, dollars.
Hiring tip · A strong translated resume can fall one level short if the dates and years are not clear. State total years in your summary.
Labor category mapping for veterans and federal employees: questions answered
What is a labor category (LCAT) and why does it matter for contractors?
A labor category is the job title and requirements a contractor bills the government under, defined by years of experience, education, and scope of responsibility. Recruiters map every candidate to an LCAT, so your resume has to make that mapping easy.
How do I translate my MOS or federal job series into an LCAT?
Start with the civilian role your MOS, AFSC, or GS series most closely matches, then match your total relevant years and your scope to the LCAT level. For example, 25B experience often maps to Network Administrator or Systems Administrator LCATs. Use the mapper above for labor category mapping from your own duties.
What information do recruiters need to map me to a labor category?
Total years of relevant experience, your highest education and certifications, your clearance, and scope in numbers: people led, users or systems supported, and dollars managed. State total years in your summary so the level is clear.
Can I qualify for more than one LCAT?
Yes. Many veterans and federal civilians fit two or three labor categories, for example a Systems Administrator and a Cyber Analyst LCAT. Lead with the strongest match and keep the others visible in your summary and skills.
What happens if my experience doesn't clearly match an LCAT?
Quantify your scope and mirror the language of the labor category you want. A strong translated resume can still fall one level short if dates and years are unclear. A recruiter can place you more easily when people, systems, and dollars are on the page.
Do military years count toward LCAT experience requirements?
Yes, when the work is relevant and the years are clear. Show dates for each role and translate military duties into civilian terms, so a contracts manager can count your cleared, relevant years toward the labor category.
What each step is, for service members and federal employees moving into GovCon
Here is what each part of the process does for your clearance, labor category, and quantified experience.
- Intake
- Your MOS or federal job series, clearance status, and target labor category in one place, so your reviewer sees clearance, scope, and fit fast.
- Expert Review
- The founder reviews your draft and returns 8 specific fixes for clearance formatting, scope, and labor-category language.
- Deliverable
- Your finished GovCon resume or LinkedIn profile, with clearance on top and MOS duties translated into quantified bullets.
- Keep Live
- Monthly refreshes keep clearance wording, labor category keywords, and quantified experience current while you search.
Quantify your scope, then build the resume
The guided translator turns your duties into countable bullets and a readiness score.
Start translatingTurn duties into quantified bullets.
MOS to civilian roles reference.
Find your labor category.
Military job codes to labor categories.
Federal civilians: map your GS grade.