Air Force Ranks in Order
The Air Force uses Army-style officer ranks and its own enlisted ladder built around the Airman and Sergeant titles. Warrant officers were abolished in the 1950s and reintroduced in 2024 for cyber and information-technology specialists.
Enlisted ranks (E-1 to E-9)
| Pay grade | Rank | Abbreviation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | Airman Basic | AB | no insignia |
| E-2 | Airman | Amn | |
| E-3 | Airman First Class | A1C | |
| E-4 | Senior Airman | SrA | not an NCO |
| E-5 | Staff Sergeant | SSgt | first NCO grade |
| E-6 | Technical Sergeant | TSgt | |
| E-7 | Master Sergeant | MSgt | senior NCO; may serve as First Sergeant (a duty, not a rank) |
| E-8 | Senior Master Sergeant | SMSgt | |
| E-9 | Chief Master Sergeant / Command Chief / Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force | CMSgt / CCM / CMSAF | CMSAF is the senior enlisted airman |
Warrant officers (reintroduced 2024)
| Pay grade | Rank | Abbreviation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| W-1 | Warrant Officer 1 | WO1 | cyber and IT career fields |
| W-2 | Chief Warrant Officer 2 | CW2 |
Commissioned officers (O-1 to O-10)
| Pay grade | Rank | Abbreviation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-1 | Second Lieutenant | 2d Lt | |
| O-2 | First Lieutenant | 1st Lt | |
| O-3 | Captain | Capt | flight commander |
| O-4 | Major | Maj | |
| O-5 | Lieutenant Colonel | Lt Col | squadron commander |
| O-6 | Colonel | Col | group or wing commander |
| O-7 | Brigadier General | Brig Gen | one star |
| O-8 | Major General | Maj Gen | two stars |
| O-9 | Lieutenant General | Lt Gen | three stars |
| O-10 | General | Gen | four stars |
| special | General of the Air Force | GAF | five stars; held only by Henry H. Arnold |
How pay grades work
Every U.S. service uses the same pay-grade ladder: E-1 to E-9 for enlisted, W-1 to W-5 for warrant officers and O-1 to O-10 for commissioned officers. Basic pay is set by grade and years of service in the annual tables published by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, so a Sergeant (E-5) in the Army and a Petty Officer Second Class (E-5) in the Navy earn the same basic pay at the same length of service. The Space Force uses the same officer ranks as the Air Force.
Compare with the other services: Army · Navy · Air Force · Marine Corps · Space Force.
Frequently asked questions
What are the Air Force ranks in order?
Enlisted: Airman Basic, Airman, Airman First Class, Senior Airman, Staff Sergeant, Technical Sergeant, Master Sergeant, Senior Master Sergeant, Chief Master Sergeant and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force. Officers: Second Lieutenant through General, the same titles as the Army.
Does the Air Force have warrant officers?
Yes, again. The Air Force stopped appointing warrant officers in 1959 and brought the rank back in 2024 for cyber and information-technology specialists, starting with Warrant Officer 1.
What rank is a First Sergeant in the Air Force?
First Sergeant is a special duty, not a separate rank: a Master Sergeant, Senior Master Sergeant or Chief Master Sergeant serving as a unit's first sergeant wears a diamond in the insignia.