Air Force Ranks in Order: Enlisted, Officer and Space Force Ranks
Air Force ranks in order from airman basic to general, with 2026 pay, the return of warrant officers and how Space Force ranks compare.
Short answer: Air Force ranks in order, from lowest to highest, run from airman basic (E-1) to chief master sergeant (E-9) for enlisted Airmen, then second lieutenant (O-1) to general (O-10) for officers. The Air Force also brought back warrant officers in 2024 after phasing them out in 1959. The Space Force, which shares the Department of the Air Force, uses the same officer titles but its own enlisted names, from specialist 1 to chief master sergeant.
Last updated: October 28, 2026
Key facts
- Enlisted ranks: airman basic (E-1) to chief master sergeant (E-9).
- Officer ranks: second lieutenant (O-1) to general (O-10).
- Staff sergeant (E-5) is the first Air Force noncommissioned officer rank.
- The first new Air Force warrant officers graduated on December 6, 2024.
- General of the Air Force is a five-star rank reserved for wartime.
Air Force enlisted ranks in order
The Defense Department’s rank insignia page lists each Air Force rank by pay grade. Pay figures are the starting 2026 monthly rates from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service enlisted pay table.
| Pay grade | Rank | Abbreviation | Starting basic pay (2026, per month) |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | Airman Basic | AB | $2,407.20 |
| E-2 | Airman | Amn | $2,697.90 |
| E-3 | Airman First Class | A1C | $2,836.80 |
| E-4 | Senior Airman | SrA | $3,142.20 |
| E-5 | Staff Sergeant | SSgt | $3,342.90 |
| E-6 | Technical Sergeant | TSgt | $3,401.10 |
| E-7 | Master Sergeant (or First Sergeant) | MSgt | $3,932.10 |
| E-8 | Senior Master Sergeant (or First Sergeant) | SMSgt | $5,656.50 (from 8 years) |
| E-9 | Chief Master Sergeant (or First Sergeant, Command Chief) | CMSgt | $6,910.20 (from 10 years) |
| E-9 (special) | Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force | CMSAF | Senior enlisted rate |
Junior enlisted, NCOs and senior NCOs
The Air Force divides its enlisted force into three tiers. Airman basic through senior airman are junior enlisted Airmen. They learn a job, which the Air Force calls an Air Force specialty, at technical school after basic training.
The Defense Department lists the Air Force staff sergeant as a noncommissioned officer, alongside an Army sergeant and a Marine corporal. That makes the Air Force unusual. In the Army and Marine Corps, an E-4 can already be an NCO, but an Air Force E-4 senior airman is not.
The senior NCO tier covers master sergeant through chief master sergeant. The Defense Department notes that at E-7 through E-9, a first sergeant or command chief holds the same pay grade as a master, senior master or chief master sergeant, with the title depending on the job. A first sergeant handles the welfare and discipline of a unit’s enlisted members.
The chief master sergeant of the Air Force is one Airman. The Air Force’s About Us page lists the current holder alongside the secretary and the chief of staff.
Air Force warrant officers
The Defense Department’s rank chart still says there are no Air Force warrant officers, but that has changed. According to the Air Force, warrant officers “were phased out in 1959” as enlisted members and officers absorbed their duties. The service reintroduced the corps in 2024, and the first 30 graduated from the Warrant Officer Training School at Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama, on December 6, 2024. They work in technical fields such as cyber operations and intelligence.
Air Force warrant officers use the standard W-1 to W-5 grades and the same DFAS warrant officer pay table as the other services. A W-1 starts at $4,056.60 a month in 2026.
Air Force officer ranks in order
Officers are grouped as company grade (O-1 to O-3), field grade (O-4 to O-6) and general officers (O-7 and above). Starting pay comes from the DFAS commissioned officer table.
| Pay grade | Rank | Abbreviation | Insignia | Starting basic pay (2026, per month) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-1 | Second Lieutenant | 2d Lt | One gold bar | $4,150.20 |
| O-2 | First Lieutenant | 1st Lt | One silver bar | $4,782.00 |
| O-3 | Captain | Capt | Two silver bars | $5,534.10 |
| O-4 | Major | Maj | Gold oak leaf | $6,294.60 |
| O-5 | Lieutenant Colonel | Lt Col | Silver oak leaf | $7,295.40 |
| O-6 | Colonel | Col | Silver eagle | $8,751.30 |
| O-7 | Brigadier General | Brig Gen | One star | $11,540.10 |
| O-8 | Major General | Maj Gen | Two stars | $13,888.50 |
| O-9 | Lieutenant General | Lt Gen | Three stars | $18,999.90 (pay cap) |
| O-10 | General | Gen | Four stars | $18,999.90 (pay cap) |
| Special | General of the Air Force | None listed | Five stars | Reserved for wartime |
Officer titles and insignia match the Army and Marine Corps. Only the abbreviations differ, such as “Lt Col” in the Air Force and “LTC” in the Army. Our guide to Army ranks in order shows the Army versions.
Space Force ranks compared
The Space Force sits in the Department of the Air Force and uses identical officer ranks. Its enlisted ranks start differently, as the Defense Department chart shows:
| Pay grade | Air Force | Space Force |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 | Airman Basic | Specialist 1 (Spc1) |
| E-2 | Airman | Specialist 2 (Spc2) |
| E-3 | Airman First Class | Specialist 3 (Spc3) |
| E-4 | Senior Airman | Specialist 4 (Spc4) |
| E-5 | Staff Sergeant | Sergeant (Sgt) |
| E-6 to E-9 | Technical, Master, Senior Master and Chief Master Sergeant | Same titles as the Air Force |
| E-9 (special) | Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force | Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force |
The two services pay identically by grade. A Space Force sergeant and an Air Force staff sergeant are both E-5s and draw the same basic pay.
How Air Force enlisted promotions work
Promotion through the lower ranks is mostly time-based. Airmen move from airman basic to senior airman as they gain time in service and time in grade. From staff sergeant upward, promotion is competitive, and fewer Airmen are selected at each step. The pay table reflects that pyramid: an E-9 at the top of the scale earns $10,729.20 a month, more than four times the E-1 rate.
Frequently asked questions
What is the lowest rank in the Air Force?
Airman basic (E-1) is the lowest enlisted rank. Second lieutenant (O-1) is the lowest officer rank.
What is the highest rank in the Air Force?
General (O-10), shown by four stars. The chief of staff of the Air Force holds that grade.
Is a senior airman an NCO?
No. Senior airman is an E-4 but is not a noncommissioned officer. Air Force NCO status begins at staff sergeant (E-5).
Does the Air Force have warrant officers?
Yes, again. The Air Force phased out warrant officers in 1959 and reintroduced them in 2024. The first class graduated on December 6, 2024.
Are Space Force ranks the same as Air Force ranks?
Officer ranks are the same. Space Force enlisted ranks differ from E-1 to E-5, using specialist 1 to 4 and sergeant, and then match the Air Force from E-6 up.
What is a first sergeant in the Air Force?
A first sergeant is a senior NCO in the E-7 to E-9 grades who serves as a unit’s top enlisted adviser on discipline, morale and welfare. It is a job title worn with a diamond on the rank insignia.
This article was written by Peter with AI assistance and checked against the sources linked. See our AI use disclosure.
Sources
- Department of War: Military rank insignia
- DFAS: 2026 enlisted basic pay table
- DFAS: 2026 commissioned officer basic pay table
- DFAS: 2026 warrant officer basic pay table
- U.S. Air Force: First Air Force warrant officers graduate
