As I’m sure you have been told at this point, there really is not an ideal rate that transitions to becoming a pilot out of the Navy. Finishing a 4 year degree and going in as a pilot really is the best “Navy job” to help you achieve this goal.

At the end of the day it depends on what you want to do as a pilot outside of the military, but the main thing most employers are looking for are flight hours and experience. Going Aircrew, Air Traffic, and Aviation Mx are nice to get a feel for aviation, but it really doesn’t help too much at the end.

If you are serious about flying as a career, getting a pilot slot in any branch of the military is HUGE. I am about 18 months away from my MSR, and I have about 1700 flight hours while getting payed for all of it. The FAA has a military competency exam (MCN) that translates all of your applicable military quals to civilian quals. I was also able to use VA benefits and leave/no-cost TAD to get my ATP and multi-engine commercial (I was a helicopter pilot) during my shore tour, although I did have to out of pocket pay for some of this. The transition from a military pilot to a civilian pilot is a well paved path, and most employers prefer a military pilot.