United States Air Force Ranks In Order

This table of the United States Air Force ranks from lowest to highest shows the Air Force's rank structure from lowest to highest including rank insignia, abbreviation, and rank classification.

The United States Air Force has twenty two grades of enlisted airmen and officers, with most airmen enlisting at the entry-level rank of Airman Basic (AB, paygrade E-1). The highest rank achievable in the Air Force is General of the Air Force.

Click any rank for detailed rank information including duties and responsibilities, promotion information, salary, and more.

Structure of the Air Force

While the Air Force has many different types of aircraft, less than 25% of Air Force personnel are involved with Aviation. The rest ensure our military has the most advanced capabilities with Space Systems and Cyber Warfare. Unlike other branches, personnel may spend their entire careers in Business Acquisition. In other branches, only mid-rank and high-rank Officers with advanced degrees may work in this field. The Air Force values all its servicemembers, but places Pilots in especially high regard.

History of the Air Force

The Air Force was founded in 1947, just after WWII. It was created using most of the existing Army Air Corps that had just made significant contributions to the war effort. The Air Force is the most technological of the branches, as well as the "most business-like" (least strict). There is a general concensus in the military that quality of life for servicemembers in the Air Force is highest. Just as the Army fights land wars and the Navy fights sea wars, the Air Force was originally envisioned to fight air wars. While wars in the past 70 years couldn't be fought with aircraft alone, the age of Drones and Artificial Intelligence may cause a paradigm shift where air-only wars are possible.