Salary for air force officer

Do you have a goal of joining the Air Force or already in it? Have you already decided what rank and branch you want to be in? If yes, then this article makes perfect sense for you. We’ll look at the salary of air force officers, benefits and career promotion, ranks and positions, discussion on becoming an officer and as well as who can join the Air Force military.

The Air Force offers a number of incentives to those who join their ranks. Some include:

-A starting salary around $62,000

-An annual pay raise of 2.5%

-A 401K plan that allows you to contribute up to $18,000 per year (this amount increases with your rank), as well as a matching contribution from the Air Force

-Tuition assistance, which can help you pay for college courses or vocational training programs

-Housing allowance while you’re deployed overseas

Salary for air force officer

The United States Air Force serves as the aerial and space warfare branch of the military. It was divided from the U.S. Army in the early 20th century in order to support changing technology as equipment went to the air.

The USAF has a structure for how it ranks its service members. The ranking is important as it not only assigns roles and responsibilities, but also relates to how much you get paid.

Here is a detailed outline of Air Force rankings and 2021 pay.

Air Force Ranks And Pay For 2021 – Enlisted

InsigniaPay GradeRankAbbreviation2021 Minimum Monthly Pay
E-1Airman BasicAB$1,785
E-2AirmanAmn$2,001
airman first class smallE-3Airman First ClassA1C$2,104
E-4Senior AirmanSrA$2,330
E-5Staff SergeantSSgt$2,542
air force e 6 insigniaE-6Technical SergeantTSgt$2,775
E-7Master SergeantMSgt$3,208
E-8Senior Master SergeantSMSgt$4,480
E-9Chief Master SergeantCMSgt$5,473
command chief master sergeant insig smallE-9Command Chief Master SergeantCCM$5,473
chief master sergeant of the air force insigE-9Chief Master Sergeant Of The Air ForceCMSAF$5,473

The pay in the United States Air Force improves the longer you serve just like most occupations. As you will notice in the charts (below) the base pay steadily increases yet eventually reaches a cap for each ranking.

Here is a detailed breakdown of USAF ranks and pay based on years served

Years 2 – 6

Pay GradeLess than 2 YearsOver 2 YearsOver 3 YearsOver 4 YearsOver 6 Years
E-1$1,785$1,785$1,785$1,785$1,785
E-2$2,001$2,001$2,001$2,001$2,001
E-3$2,104$2,236$2,372$2,372$2,372
E-4$2,330$2,450$2,583$2,713$2,829
E-5$2,542$2,713$2,844$2,978$3,187
E-6$2,775$3,053$3,188$3,319$3,455
E-7$3,208$3,501$3,635$3,813$3,952

Years 8 – 16

Pay GradeOver 8 YearsOver 10 YearsOver 12 YearsOver 14 YearsOver 16 Years
E-1$1,785$1,785$1,785$1,785$1,785
E-2$2,001$2,001$2,001$2,001$2,001
E-3$2,372$2,372$2,372$2,372$2,372
E-4$2,829$2,829$2,829$2,829$2,829
E-5$3,406$3,585$3,607$3,607$3,607
E-6$3,763$3,883$4,114$4,185$4,237
E-7$4,190$4,324$4,562$4,760$4,895
E-8$4,615$4,819$4,945$5,097$5,261
E-9N/A$5,637$5,765$5,926$6,115

Years 18 – 26

Pay GradeOver 18 YearsOver 20 YearsOver 22 YearsOver 24 YearsOver 26 Years
E-1$1,785$1,785$1,785$1,785$1,785
E-2$2,001$2,001$2,001$2,001$2,001
E-3$2,372$2,372$2,372$2,372$2,372
E-4$2,829$2,829$2,829$2,829$2,829
E-5$3,607$3,607$3,607$3,607$3,607
E-6$4,297$4,297$4,297$4,297$4,297
E-7$5,039$5,095$5,282$5,383$5,765
E-8$5,557$5,706$5,962$6,103$6,452
E-9$6,306$6,612$6,871$7,144$7,560

30+ Years

Pay GradeOver 30 YearsOver 34 YearsOver 38 YearsOver 40 Years
E-8$6,582$6,582$6,582$6,582
E-9$7,938$8,335$8,752$8,752

The pay rates posted above do not include a variety of bonus and benefits exclusive to the U.S. Air Force. 

Additional incentives, pay, and bonuses may also include:

  • Uniform allowances
  • Family separation allowance
  • Hardship duty pay
  • Re-Enlistment bonuses
  • Quick ship bonuses
  • BAH – Basic Allowance for Housing
  • Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus

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