Air Force Specialty Code

After the Air Force separated from the Army in 1947, it retained the Army's system of MOS occupation codes, modifying them in 1954. These were 5-digit codes; for example a maintenance data systems specialist was 39150 and a weather technician was 25170. In October 1993, the Air Force implemented a new system of AFSCs, aligning occupations with the forcewide restructuring that was implemented under Merrill McPeak.[1] These reduced officer AFSCs from 216 to 123 and enlisted AFSCs from 203 to 176.

The enlisted AFSC consists of five alphanumeric characters:

• Career group (Numerical)
  1. Operations
  2. Logistics & Maintenance
  3. Support
  4. Medical
  5. Professional
  6. Acquisition
  7. Special Investigations
  8. Special Duty Identifiers, typically used for Airmen chosen for specialized jobs
  9. Reporting Identifiers, typically used for Airmen in transitive status: trainees, awaiting retraining, prisoner, etc.
• Career field (Alpha, different for each)
• Career field subdivision (Numerical, different for each)
• Skill level

1 – Helper (recruits or retrainees in technical school)

3 – Apprentice (technical school graduates applying and expanding their job skills)

5 – Journeyman (experienced Airmen functioning as front-line technicians and initial trainers)

7 – Craftsman (Airmen with many years of experience in the specialty, responsible for supervision and training)

9 – Superintendent (Airmen in the grade of Senior Master Sergeant and above, with at least 14 years of experience, responsible for broad supervision)

10 – Chief Enlisted Manager (CEM) (Airmen in the grade of Chief Master Sergeant responsible for policy and direction on a broad scale, from the individual squadron to HQ USAF levels)

• Specific AFSC (Numeric, specialty within career field subdivision)

For example, in the AFSC 1N371:

• The career group is 1 (Operations)
• The career field is N (Intelligence)
• The career field subdivision is 3 (Cryptologic Linguist)
• The skill level is 7 (Craftsman)
• The specific AFSC is 1 (Crypto-Linguist Specializing in a Germanic Language)

For some specialties, an alpha prefix is used to denote a special ability, skill, qualification or system designator not restricted to a single AFSC (such as "X" for an aircrew position). Additionally, an alpha suffix (a “shredout”) denotes positions associated with particular equipment or functions within a single specialty (an Afrikaans specialist in the Germanic linguist field would have an "E" shredout). Using the above example, the AFSC X1N371E would refer to a Germanic Cryptologic Linguist who is aircrew qualified and specializes in Afrikaans.

Here is an extended listing of AFSC groups. Most categories have numerous actual AFSCs in them.

Operations

• 1A – Aircrew Operations
  
  • 1A0X1 – In-Flight Refueling Specialist
  • 1A1X1 – Flight Engineer
  • 1A2X1 – Aircraft Loadmaster
  • 1A3X1 – Airborne Mission Systems Specialist
  • 1A6X1 – Flight Attendant
  • 1A8X1 – Airborne Cryptologic Language Analyst
  • 1A8X2 – Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operator
  • 1A9X1 – Special Mission Aviator
• 1B – Cyber Warfare
  
  • 1B4X1 – Cyber Warfare Operations[2]
• 1C – Command and Control Systems Operations
  
  • 1C0X1 – Airfield Management Apprentice
  • 1C0X2 – Aviation Resource Management
  • 1C1X1 – Air Traffic Control
    
  • 1C3X1 – Command and Control Operations (C2 OPS)
    
  • 1C5X1 – Command & Control Battle Management Ops (1C5X1D Weapons Director)
    
  • 1C4X1 – Tactical Air Control Party (TACP)
  • 1C6X1 – Space Systems Operations
    
  • 1C7X1 – Airfield Management
  • 1C8X3 – Radar, Airfield & Weather Systems (RAWS)
• 1D - Cyberspace Support
  • 1D7X1 - Cyber Defense Operations
• 1N – Intelligence
  
  • 1N0X1 – All Source Intelligence Analyst
  • 1N1X1 – Geospatial Intelligence
  • 1N2X1 – Signals Intelligence Analyst
  • 1N3X1 – Cryptologic Language Analyst
  • 1N4X1 – Fusion Analyst
  • 1N5X1 – Electronic Signals Intelligence Exploitation Apprentice
  • 1N6X1 – Electronic Systems Security Assessment Apprentice
  • 1N7X1 – Human Intelligence Specialist [3]
  • 1N8X1 – Targeting Analyst
• 1P – Aircrew Flight Equipment
  
  • 1P0X1 – Aircrew Flight Equipment
• 1S – Safety
  • 1S0X1 – Safety[4]

• 1T – Special Warfare Enabler
  • 1T0X1 – Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE)

• 1U – Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA)
  • 1U0X1 – Sensor Operator
  • 1U1X1 – Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Pilot
• 1W – Weather
  
  • 1W0X1 – Weather
• 1Z – Special Warfare

• • 1Z1X1 - Pararescue
  • 1Z2X1 - Combat Control
  • 1Z3X1 - Tactical Air Control Party (TACP)
  • 1Z4X1 - Special Reconnaissance

Maintenance and Logistics

• 2A - Aerospace Maintenance[5]
  • 2A0X1 – Avionics Test Station and Components
  • 2A2X1 – Special Operations Forces/Personnel Recovery (SOF/PR) Integrated Communication/Navigation/Mission Systems
  • 2A2X2 – Special Operations Forces/Personnel Recovery (SOF/PR) Integrated Instrument and Flight Control Systems
  • 2A2X3 – Special Operations Forces/Personnel Recovery (SOF/PR) Integrated Electronic Warfare Systems
  • 2A3X3 – Tactical Aircraft Maintenance
  • 2A3X4 – Fighter Aircraft Integrated Avionics (A-10, U-2, F-15, F-16)
  • 2A3X5 – Advanced Fighter Aircraft Integrated Avionics (F-22, F-35, MQ-1, MQ-9, RQ-4)
  • 2A3X7 – Tactical Aircraft Maintenance (5th Generation)(F-22, F-35)
  • 2A3X8 – Remotely Piloted Aircraft Maintenance
  • 2A5X1 – Airlift/Special Mission Aircraft Maintenance
  • 2A5X2 – Helicopter/Tiltrotor Aircraft Maintenance
  • 2A5X3 – Mobility Air Forces Electronic Warfare Systems
  • 2A5X4 – Refuel/Bomber Aircraft Maintenance
  • 2A6X1 – Aerospace Propulsion
  • 2A6X2 – Aerospace Ground Equipment (AGE)
  • 2A6X3 – Aircrew Egress Systems
  • 2A6X4 – Aircraft Fuel Systems
  • 2A6X5 – Aircraft Hydraulic Systems
  • 2A6X6 – Aircraft Electrical and Environmental Systems
  • 2A7X1 – Aircraft Metals Technology
  • 2A7X2 – Nondestructive Inspection (NDI)
  • 2A7X3 – Aircraft Structural Maintenance[6]
  • 2A7X5 – Low Observable Aircraft Structural Maintenance
  • 2A8X1 – Mobility Air Forces Integrated Communication/Navigation/Mission Systems
  • 2A8X2 – Mobility Air Forces Integrated Instrument and Flight Control Systems
  • 2A9X1 – Bomber/Special Integrated Communication/Navigation/Mission Systems
  • 2A9X2 – Bomber/Special Integrated Instrument and Flight Control Systems
  • 2A9X3 – Bomber/Special Electronic Warfare and Radar Surveillance Integrated Avionics

• 2F – Fuels
  • 2F0X1 – Fuels[7]

• 2G – Logistics Plans
  • 2G0X1 – Logistics Plans[8]

• 2M – Missile and Space Systems Maintenance[9]
  • 2M0X1 – Missile and Space Systems Electronic Maintenance
  • 2M0X2 – Missile and Space Systems Maintenance
  • 2M0X3 – Missile and Space Facilities
• 2P – Precision Measurement
  • 2P0X1 – Precision Measurement Equipment Laboratory[10]
• 2R – Maintenance Management[11]
  • 2R0X1 – Maintenance Management Analysis
  • 2R1X1 – Maintenance Management Production
• 2S – Materiel Management[12]
  • 2S0X1 – Materiel Management

• 2T – Transportation & Vehicle Management[13]
  • 2T0X1 – Traffic Management
  • 2T1X1 – Ground Transportation
  • 2T2X1 – Air Transportation
  • 2T3X1 – Mission Generation Vehicular Equipment Maintenance
  • 2T3X1A - Fire Truck and Refueling Maintenance
  • 2T3X1C - Material Handling Equipment Maintenance
  • 2T3X7 – Fleet Management and Analysis

• 2W – Munitions & Weapons
  • 2W0X1 – Munitions Systems
  • 2W1X1 – Aircraft Armament Systems
  • 2W2X1 – Nuclear Weapons

Support

• 3D – Cyberspace Support (activated on 1 November 2009, merging 2EXXX, 3AXXX, and 3CXXX)[14]
  • 3D0X1 – Knowledge Operations Management[15]
  • 3D0X2 – Cyber Systems Operations[16]
  • 3D0X3 – Cyber Surety[17] (IA which includes COMSEC, EMSEC, and COMPUSEC)
  • 3D0X4 – Computer Systems Programming
  • 3D1X1 – Client Systems[18]
  • 3D1X2 – Cyber Transport Systems[19]
    • 3D1X2R – Data Links
  • 3D1X3 – RF Transmission Systems[20]
  • 3D1X4 – Spectrum Operations[21]
  • 3D1X7 – Cable and antenna systems[22]
  • 3D190 – Cyberspace Support Superintendent (merged with 3D090 in 2015)
  • 3D100 – Chief Enlisted Manager

• 3E – Civil Engineering
  • 3E0X1 – Electrical Systems
  • 3E0X2 – Electrical Power Production
  • 3E1X1 – Heating, Ventilation, AC, and Refrigeration
  • 3E2X1 – Pavements and Construction Equipment
  • 3E3X1 – Structural
  • 3E4X1 – Water and Fuel Systems Maintenance
  • 3E4X3 – Pest Management
  • 3E5X1 – Engineering
  • 3E6X1 – Operations Management
  • 3E7X1 – Fire Protection
  • 3E8X1 – Explosive Ordnance Disposal
    

    USAF EOD Basic Occupational Badge
  • 3E9X1 – U.S. Air Force Emergency Management
    
• 3F – Force Support
  
  • 3F0X1 – Personnel
  • 3F1X1 – Services
    
  • 3F2X1 – Education and Training
  • 3F3X1 – Manpower
  • 3F4X1 – Equal Opportunity
  • 3F5X1 – Administration
    
• 3G0X1 – Air National Guard Strength Management

• 3H – Historian
  • 3H0X1 – Historian
• 3N – Public Affairs
  
  • 3N0X2 – Broadcast Journalist (phasing out 1 Oct 2020)
  • 3N0X5 – Photojournalist (phasing out 1 Oct 2020)
  • 3N0X6 - Public Affairs Specialist
  • 3N1X1 – Regional Band
    
  • 3N2X1 – Premier Band
• 3P – Security Forces
  
  • 3P0X1 – Security Forces
    • 3P0X1A – Military Working Dog Handler
    • 3P0X1B – Combat Arms Training and Maintenance

Medical

• Medical
  • 4A0X1 – Health Services Management
  • 4A1X1 – Medical Material
  • 4A2X1 – Biomedical Equipment
  • 4B0X1 – Bioenvironmental Engineering
  • 4C0X1 – Mental Health Service
  • 4D0X1 – Diet Therapy
  • 4E0X1 – Public Health
    
  • 4H0X1 – Cardiopulmonary Laboratory
  • 4J0X2 – Physical Medicine
    • 4J0X2A – Orthotics
  • 4M0X1 – Aerospace and Operational Physiology
  • 4N0X1 – Aerospace Medical Service
    • 4N0X1B- Neurodiagnostic Medical Technician
    • 4N0X1C- Independent Duty Medical Technician
    • 4N0X1F- Flight and Operational Medical Technician
  • 4N1X1 – Surgical Service
  • 4P0X1 – Pharmacy
  • 4R0X1 – Diagnostic Imaging
  • 4T0X1 – Medical Laboratory
  • 4T0X2 – Histopathology
  • 4V0X1 – Ophthalmic
• Dental
  • 4Y0X1 – Dental Assistant
    • 4Y0X1H – Dental Hygienist
  • 4Y0X2 – Dental Laboratory

Professional

• 5J – Paralegal
  • 5J0X1 – Paralegal[23]
• 5R – Religious Affairs Airman
  • 5R0X1 – Religious Affairs Airman[24]

Acquisition

• 6C – Contracting
  • 6C0X1 – Contracting[25]
• 6F – Financial
  • 6F0X1 – Financial Management & Comptroller[26]

The officer AFSC consists of four alphanumeric characters:

• Career Group (Numerical)
  • 1 (Operations)
  • 2 (Logistics)
  • 3 (Support)
  • 4 (Medical)
  • 5 (Professional Services)
  • 6 (Acquisition)
  • 7 (Special Investigations)
  • 8 (Special Duty Identifier)
  • 9 (Reporting Identifier)
• Utilization Field (Numerical, different for each)
• Functional Area (Alpha, different for each)
• Qualification Level
  • 0 – Qualified commander (when used in conjunction with “C” in the 3rd position)
  • 1 – Entry (any AFSC)
  • 2 – Intermediate (is only used for pilots, bomber navigators, missile launch officers, and cyberspace officers)
  • 3 – Qualified (any AFSC)
  • 4 – Staff (relates only to the level of functional responsibility and is restricted to positions above wing level; it does not denote additional specialty qualifications)

For example, in the AFSC 11M4:

• The career group is 11 (Pilot)
• The functional area is M (Mobility)
• The qualification level is 4 (Staff)

For example, in the AFSC T63A3

• The career group is 63 (acquisition manager)
• The functional area is A (all 63 officers are "A")
• The qualification level is 3 (fully qualified)
• The prefix "T" designates a formal training instructor (other pre-fixes are available for other specialty positions)

As with enlisted AFSCs, prefixes and suffixes may be applied to make the AFSC more specific.

Operations

• 10C0 – Operations Commander
• 11BX – Bomber Pilot
• 11EX – Experimental Test Pilot
• 11FX – Fighter Pilot
• 11GX – Generalist Pilot
• 11HX – Combat Rescue Pilot (includes both helicopter and fixed-wing)
• 11KX – Trainer Pilot
• 11MX – Mobility Pilot
• 11RX – Recce/Surv/Elect Warfare Pilot
• 11SX – Special Operations Pilot
• 11UX – Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) Pilot
• 12BX – Bomber Combat Systems Officer
• 12EX – Experimental Test Combat Systems Officer
• 12FX – Fighter Weapon Systems Officer (WSO)
• 12GX – Generalist Combat Systems Officer
• 12HX – Combat Rescue Combat Systems Officer
• 12KX – Trainer Combat Systems Officer
• 12MX – Mobility Combat Systems Officer
• 12RX – Recce/Surv/Elect Warfare Combat Systems Officer
• 12SX – Special Operations Combat Systems Officer
• 12UX – Remotely Piloted Aircraft Pilot
• 13AX – Astronaut
• 13BX – Air Battle Manager

• 13CX – Special Tactics Officer[31]
• 13DX – Combat Rescue Officer
• 13LX – Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) Officer
• 13MX – Airfield Operations
• 13NX – Nuclear and Missile Operations

• 13OX - Multi-Domain Warfare Officer[32]
• 13SX – Space Operations

• 14FX – Information Operations
• 14NX – Intelligence

• 15AX – Operations Research Analyst

• 15W – Weather and Environmental Sciences Officer
• 16FX – Foreign Area Officer
• 16GX – Air Force Operations Staff Officer
• 16PX – Political-Military Affairs Strategist
• 16RX – Planning & Programming
• 17CX – Cyberspace Operations Commander
• 17DX – Cyberspace Operations
• 17SX – Cyberspace Warfare Operations Officer
• 18AX – Attack Remotely Piloted Aircraft Pilot (18X established in October 2009[33])
• 18GX – Generalist Remotely Piloted Aircraft Pilot
• 18RX – Recce Remotely Piloted Aircraft Pilot

Support

• 30C0 – Mission Support Group Commander or Deputy Group Commander
• 31PX – Security Forces
• 32EX – Civil Engineer
• 35BX – Band
• 35PX – Public Affairs

• 38FX – Force Support (Services, Personnel, & Manpower) (previously 38PX)

Medical

• 40C0 – Medical Commander

• 41AX – Hospital Administration, Health Services Administrator and Medical Service Corps
• 42BX – Physical Therapist
• 42EX – Optometrist
• 42FX – Podiatrist
• 42GX – Physician Assistant
• 42NX – Audiology/Speech Pathologist
• 42PX – Clinical Psychologist
• 42SX – Clinical Social Worker
• 42TX – Occupational Therapist Biomedical Specialists
• 43AX – Aerospace & Operational Physiologist

• 43BX – Biomedical Scientist
• 43DX – Dietitian
• 43EX – Bioenvironmental Engineer
• 43HX – Public Health
• 43MX – Medical Entomologist
• 43PX – Pharmacist
• 43TX – Biomedical Laboratory
• 44AX – Chief, Hospital/Clinic Services
• 44BX – Preventive Medicine
• 44DX – Pathologist
• 44EX – Emergency Services Physician
• 44FX – Family Physician
• 44GX – General Practice Physician
• 44HX – Nuclear Medicine Physician
• 44JX – Clinical Geneticist
• 44KX – Pediatrician
• 44MX – Internist
• 44NX – Neurologist
• 44PX – Psychiatrist
• 44RX – Diagnostic Radiologist
• 44SX – Dermatologist
• 44TX – Radiotherapist
• 44UX – Occupational Medicine
• 44YX – Critical Care Medicine
• 44ZX – Allergist
• 45AX – Anesthesiologist
• 45BX – Orthopedic Surgeon
• 45EX – Ophthalmologist
• 45GX – OB/GYN
• 45NX – Otorhinolaryngologist
• 45PX – Physical Medicine Physician
• 45SX – Surgeon
• 45UX – Urologist

• 46AX – Nurse Administrator
• 46FX – Flight Nurse
• 46GX – Nurse-Midwife
• 46MX – Nurse Anesthetist
• 46NX – Clinical Nurse
• 46PX – Mental Health Nurse
• 46SX – Operating Room Nurse
• 46YX – Privileged Advanced Practice Nurse
• 47BX – Orthodontist
• 47DX – Oral and Maxillofacial Pathologist
• 47EX – Endodontist

• 47GX – Dentist
• 47HX – Periodontist
• 47KX – Pediatric Dentist
• 47PX – Prosthodontist
• 47SX – Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon
• 48AX – Aerospace Medicine Specialist
• 48GX – General Medical Officer (GMO), Flt Surg
• 48RX – Residency Trained Flight Surgeon
• 48VX – Pilot-Physician

Professional

• 51JX – Judge Advocate

• 52RX – Chaplain

During the course of their Air Force careers, Airmen sometimes switch jobs and receive multiple AFSCs to denote training in multiple specialties. A Primary AFSC (PAFSC) is the designation for the specialty in which the individual possesses the highest skill level and is, therefore, the AFSC that he or she is best qualified to perform. The Duty AFSC (DAFSC) reflects the actual manpower position the Airman is assigned to. The Control AFSC (CAFSC) is a management tool to make assignments, assist in determining training requirements, and consider individuals for promotion. Often an enlisted Airman's PAFSC will reflect a higher skill level than his or her CAFSC since the CAFSC skill level is tied to rank while the PAFSC skill level is tied to performance and education.

Usually, the PAFSC, DAFSC, and CAFSC will be the same. However, situations such as retraining, special duties, or Air Force-level changes necessitate these distinctions. Additionally, Airmen that have retrained into multiple specialties will have several Secondary AFSCs (2AFSC, 3AFSC, etc.). Air Force officers are limited to 3 AFSCs in MilPDS while Enlisted may have 4 AFSCs on record.

Special Experience Identifiers (SEIs) are established to identify special experience and training. The Air Force Enlisted Classification Directory (AFECD) and Air Force Officer Classification Directory (AFOCD) Section III contains the complete list of authorized SEIs and includes designation criteria and authorized AFSC combinations. (AFI 36-2101)

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• AFI 36-2101, Classifying Military Personnel (Officer and Enlisted) (PDF)
• U.S. Air Force Officer Classification Directory (AFOCD) and U.S. Air Force Enlisted Classification Directory (AFECD) – Only accessible to military personnel