Air Force Ranks in Order: Abbreviations and Pay Grades
The Air Force has nine enlisted pay grades (E-1 Airman Basic up to E-9 Chief Master Sergeant), no warrant officer ranks and ten officer pay grades ending at O-10 General. Pay grade, not the rank name, sets basic pay: $2,407.20 to $18,999.90 a month in 2026.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Page reviewed against DFAS pay tables and defense.gov rank titles October 27, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Air Force enlisted ranks in order
Air Force enlisted ranks run E-1 Airman Basic to E-9 Chief Master Sergeant: 9 pay grades and 9 rank titles, plus First Sergeant (E-7, E-8, E-9) and Command Chief Master Sergeant as positions inside a grade.
| Rank | Abbreviation | Pay grade | 2026 monthly basic pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airman Basic | — | E-1 | $2,407.20 |
| Airman | Amn | E-2 | $2,697.90 |
| Airman First Class | A1C | E-3 | $2,836.80 – $3,198.00 |
| Senior Airman | SrA | E-4 | $3,142.20 – $3,815.40 |
| Staff Sergeant | SSgt | E-5 | $3,342.90 – $4,421.70 |
| Technical Sergeant | TSgt | E-6 | $3,401.10 – $5,267.70 |
| Master Sergeant | MSgt | E-7 | $3,932.10 – $7,067.40 |
| First Sergeant position within E-7 | — | E-7 | $3,932.10 – $7,067.40 |
| Senior Master Sergeant | SMSgt | E-8 | $5,656.50 – $8,067.30 |
| First Sergeant position within E-8 | — | E-8 | $5,656.50 – $8,067.30 |
| Chief Master Sergeant | CMSgt | E-9 | $6,910.20 – $10,729.20 |
| First Sergeant position within E-9 | — | E-9 | $6,910.20 – $10,729.20 |
| Command Chief Master Sergeant position within E-9 | — | E-9 | $6,910.20 – $10,729.20 |
A dash means defense.gov lists no abbreviation for that rank.
An E-1 with under four months of active duty is paid $2,225.70 a month; the E-1 row above is the rate after that.
The senior enlisted person of the Air Force is the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF), an E-9 position the defense.gov page lists apart from the other E-9 titles. The CMSAF is paid $11,166.90 a month in basic pay at any length of service.
At E-8 the Air Force has two positions at the same pay grade: whether one is a senior master sergeant or a first sergeant depends on the person's job.
Air Force commissioned officer ranks in order
Air Force commissioned officer ranks run O-1 Second Lieutenant to O-10 General, 10 pay grades.
| Rank | Abbreviation | Pay grade | 2026 monthly basic pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Lieutenant | 2d Lt | O-1 | $4,150.20 – $5,222.40 |
| First Lieutenant | 1st Lt | O-2 | $4,782.00 – $6,617.70 |
| Captain | Capt | O-3 | $5,534.10 – $9,004.20 |
| Major | Maj | O-4 | $6,294.60 – $10,509.90 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | Lt Col | O-5 | $7,295.40 – $12,394.80 |
| Colonel | Col | O-6 | $8,751.30 – $15,408.30* |
| Brigadier General | Brig Gen | O-7 | $11,540.10 – $17,242.20 |
| Major General | Maj Gen | O-8 | $13,888.50 – $18,999.90* |
| Lieutenant General | Lt Gen | O-9 | $18,999.90* |
| General | Gen | O-10 | $18,999.90* |
The defense.gov page also lists General of the Air Force for the Air Force, a rank reserved for wartime only; it gives no pay grade or pay for it, so it is not in the table.
Basic pay at Executive Schedule Level V is capped at $15,408.30 a month in 2026; amounts held at that cap for O-6 are marked with an asterisk.
Basic pay at Executive Schedule Level II is capped at $18,999.90 a month in 2026; amounts held at that cap for O-8 to O-10 are marked with an asterisk.
Air Force warrant officers
The Air Force has no warrant officer ranks: the defense.gov page lists N/A for W-1 to W-5, so the pay grades go from E-9 straight to O-1.
How Air Force ranks differ from the other branches
The Air Force shares its titles at the most pay grades with the Space Force (11 of 19). The table shows, branch by branch, where the same pay grade has a different title.
| Branch | Same titles | Where the title differs |
|---|---|---|
| Army | 10 of 19 pay grades | E-4 Senior Airman in the Air Force; Specialist or Corporal in the Army E-7 Master Sergeant (position at this grade: First Sergeant) in the Air Force; Sergeant First Class in the Army E-9 Chief Master Sergeant (positions at this grade: First Sergeant, Command Chief Master Sergeant) in the Air Force; Sergeant Major (position at this grade: Command Sergeant Major) in the Army 3 of 9 shown |
| Navy | 0 of 19 pay grades | E-4 Senior Airman in the Air Force; Petty Officer Third Class in the Navy O-3 Captain in the Air Force; Lieutenant in the Navy O-6 Colonel in the Air Force; Captain in the Navy 3 of 19 shown |
| Marine Corps | 10 of 19 pay grades | E-4 Senior Airman in the Air Force; Corporal in the Marine Corps E-7 Master Sergeant (position at this grade: First Sergeant) in the Air Force; Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps E-9 Chief Master Sergeant (positions at this grade: First Sergeant, Command Chief Master Sergeant) in the Air Force; Master Gunnery Sergeant or Sergeant Major in the Marine Corps 3 of 9 shown |
| Coast Guard | 0 of 19 pay grades | E-4 Senior Airman in the Air Force; Petty Officer Third Class in the Coast Guard O-3 Captain in the Air Force; Lieutenant in the Coast Guard O-6 Colonel in the Air Force; Captain in the Coast Guard 3 of 19 shown |
| Space Force | 11 of 19 pay grades | E-1 Airman Basic in the Air Force; Specialist 1 in the Space Force E-2 Airman in the Air Force; Specialist 2 in the Space Force E-3 Airman First Class in the Air Force; Specialist 3 in the Space Force E-4 Senior Airman in the Air Force; Specialist 4 in the Space Force E-5 Staff Sergeant in the Air Force; Sergeant in the Space Force E-7 Master Sergeant (position at this grade: First Sergeant) in the Air Force; Master Sergeant in the Space Force E-8 Senior Master Sergeant (position at this grade: First Sergeant) in the Air Force; Senior Master Sergeant in the Space Force E-9 Chief Master Sergeant (positions at this grade: First Sergeant, Command Chief Master Sergeant) in the Air Force; Chief Master Sergeant in the Space Force |
These are 2026 rates. A 2027 raise is not final: the proposals would take effect on January 1, 2027, and none is enacted yet. The military pay raise 2027 page tracks where each stands.
Air Force ranks FAQ
- What are the Air Force ranks in order?
- Enlisted: E-1 Airman Basic; E-2 Airman; E-3 Airman First Class; E-4 Senior Airman; E-5 Staff Sergeant; E-6 Technical Sergeant; E-7 Master Sergeant (position at this grade: First Sergeant); E-8 Senior Master Sergeant (position at this grade: First Sergeant); E-9 Chief Master Sergeant (positions at this grade: First Sergeant, Command Chief Master Sergeant). Commissioned officer: O-1 Second Lieutenant; O-2 First Lieutenant; O-3 Captain; O-4 Major; O-5 Lieutenant Colonel; O-6 Colonel; O-7 Brigadier General; O-8 Major General; O-9 Lieutenant General; O-10 General.
- What is the lowest rank in the Air Force?
- The lowest Air Force rank is Airman Basic, pay grade E-1, paid $2,407.20 a month in basic pay in 2026.
- What is the highest rank in the Air Force?
- The highest Air Force rank in the pay table is General (Gen), pay grade O-10, paid $18,999.90 a month, the Executive Schedule Level II cap. General of the Air Force is listed as reserved for wartime only.
- What rank is E-5 in the Air Force?
- E-5 in the Air Force is Staff Sergeant (SSgt). E-5 basic pay is $3,342.90 to $4,421.70 a month in 2026, depending on years of service.
- How much does a Staff Sergeant make in 2026?
- Staff Sergeant is pay grade E-5 in the Air Force. Monthly basic pay is $3,342.90 to $4,421.70 depending on years of service, or $40,114.80 to $53,060.40 a year (monthly times 12). That is basic pay only; BAH, BAS and special pays are extra.
- How much does a Captain make in 2026?
- Captain is pay grade O-3 in the Air Force. Monthly basic pay is $5,534.10 to $9,004.20 depending on years of service, or $66,409.20 to $108,050.40 a year (monthly times 12). That is basic pay only; BAH, BAS and special pays are extra.
- Does the Air Force have warrant officers?
- No. The Air Force has no warrant officer ranks; enlisted ranks end at E-9 and commissioned officers start at O-1.
- Who is the senior enlisted advisor of the Air Force?
- The Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF), an E-9 position paid $11,166.90 a month at any length of service.