United States Air Force Ranks & Salaries (2024)

Last updated on August 3rd, 2023 at 12:28 am

The United States Air Force (USAF) exists to serve as the spaceborne and space warfighting wing of the U.S. military. It was split apart from the American Army in the early twentieth century. The department was necessary to handle evolving innovation as equipment began to be used in the air. The USAF has a system in place for classifying and ranking its personnel. The ranking is significant since it affects your pay as well as how tasks and duties are assigned.

 

Do you want to know how much the Air Force officers in the American military receive? This article will provide a thorough overview of current U.S. Air Force ranks and the compensation that goes with them.

U.S AIRFORCE RANKS AND SALARIES (2024)

There are three levels of enlisted ranks in the Air Force. Included are Airmen (E-1 through E-4), Non-Commissioned Officers (E-5 and E-6) and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers (E-7 through E-9). The pay for these Air Force ranks are enumerated below.

AIR FORCE RANKS: AIRMAN (E-1 THROUGH E-4)

BASIC AIRMAN (E-1)

An airman basic is a trainee studying military and technical expertise while also exhibiting awareness of military customs, courtesies, traditions, and Air Force standards. Most airmen receive the rank of airman basic upon completing basic military training (E-1).

The starting monthly basic pay wage for an Airman Basic is $1,833. After more than two years of service, this increases to $1,833 per month.

AIRMAN (E-2)

The rank of an Airman comes with the responsibilities of becoming adept in an Air Force work – related speciality and acclimating to the manner of life of the Air Force. Based on their abilities and interests as well as the requirements of the Air Force, all airmen enroll in training at Air Force schools for their specific specializations.

How much money does an airman make in the American Air Force? The mean annual pay for a U.S. Air Force airman in the country is about $52,971, which is 28% more than the national median.

AIRMAN FIRST CLASS (E-3)

First-class airmen are regarded as having adapted completely to life in the air force and the military. Their level of responsibility grows over time. Air Force requirements must be met by an airman first class. They act as an example for underlings.

A base pay wage for an Airman First Class starts at $2,161 per month. Once they have served for more than three years, this climbs to up to $2,436 each month.

SENIOR AIRMAN (E-4)

The senior airman is a transitional rank between journeyman and non-commissioned officer (NCO). It is crucial that airmen acquire management and leadership abilities. This is accomplished through independent study and professional military experience (PME).

In the United States, the annual total pay for an E4 – Air Force – Senior Airman is approximately $66,529.

AIR FORCE RANKS: NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER (NCO) (E-5 AND E-6)

STAFF SERGEANT (E-5)

The Air Force’s staff sergeant (SSgt) rank is the entry-level NCO position. The staff sergeant has specialized NCO supervisory duties and is regarded as a craftsman. To reach the level of staff sergeant, an Air Force member must have served on active service for an average of far more than four years.

A US Air Force E5 – Air Force – Staff Sergeant is expected to earn an annual salary of $82,913.

TECHNICAL SERGEANT (E-6)

Second-level NCO positions in the Air Force are called technical sergeants (TSgt). Technological sergeants are trained to supervise as well as carry out incredibly difficult technical tasks. They are in charge of each employee under their supervision’s professional growth.

How much money does an Air Force E-6 Technical Sergeant make? An E6 Air Force Technical Sergeant makes an average US pay of $69416 per year.

AIR FORCE SENIOR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER (SNCO) RANKS (E-7 THROUGH E-9)

MASTER SERGEANT (E-7)

The master sergeant (MSgt) primarily performs as a craftsman in addition to having more senior leadership responsibilities. The duties associated with this level have greatly risen. It necessitates a deep technical and management viewpoint. To reach the position of master sergeant, an individual soldier must have been on combat service for an average of over about 17 years.

A US Air Force E7-Master Sergeant is expected to earn a yearly salary of $87,117.

SENIOR MASTER SERGEANT (E-8)

Senior master sergeant (SMSgt) duties are similar to those of a superintendent or manager. A senior master sergeant must have more than two decades of service-wide, on-active-duty experience before being promoted.

E8-Senior Master Sergeants in the United States make an average of $77,820 annually.

CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT (E-9)

The chief master sergeant is the country’s highest uniformed position in the Air Force, aside from the chief master sergeant of the Air Force. The CMSAF is a specialized grade with unique, by law-established basic and retirement pay rates. A chief master sergeant must have as much of about 22 years of military experience, in active duty, on average.

A Chief Master Sergeant in the US Air Force is meant to make a total of $104,339 annually.

COMMAND CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT (E-9)

Senior advisors to base and unit leaders are command chief master sergeants. The CMCs provide the commander with advice on all enlisted concerns, along with all subjects impacting the mission and operations of the unit. All SNCOs in a command are functionally managed by the command chief.

CHIEF MASTER SERGEANT OF THE AIR FORCE

The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF) is a distinctive non-commissioned rank in the US Air Force. The person who holds this rank and position in the Air Force is at the topmost enlisted leadership position. The Air Force Chief of Staff appoints the CMSAF, which acts as the enlisted personnel advisor.

The typical Air Force Chief Master Sergeant-Air salary in the United States is $90,490.

CONCLUSION

The U.S. Air Force has a complex compensation structure which is contingent on rank and number of years of service. This article just covers the bare minimum of USAF salaries and rankings. Much like most professions, the compensation in the United States Air Force increases as you continue to serve. The base wage continually rises, as you can see in the above numbers. The monthly salary amounts given above are the absolute minimums, together with the pay schedules for armed soldiers. The best part is that you’ll at least get that amount, and possibly more based on how long you’ve been serving.