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 force wide restructuring that was implemented under
Merrill McPeak.[2] These reduced officer AFSCs from 216 to 123 and enlisted AFSCs from 203 to 176.
Enlisted AFSCs
The enlisted AFSC consists of five alphanumeric characters:
Career group (Numerical)
Operations
Logistics & Maintenance
Support
Medical
Professional
Acquisition
Special Investigations
Special Duty Identifiers, typically used for Airmen chosen for specialized jobs
Reporting Identifiers, typically used for Airmen in transitive status: trainees, awaiting retraining, prisoner, etc. And occasionally for Airmen chosen for specialized jobs.
Career field (Alpha, different for each)
Career field subdivision (Numerical, different for each)
Skill level
1 – Helper (recruits or trainees 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)
0 – 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 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.
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)
92W4 – Wounded Warrior - Limited Assignment Status (LAS)
92W5 – Wounded Warrior - Retired/Discharged
92W6 – Reserved for Future Use
92W7 – Reserved for Future Use
92W8 – Wounded Warrior - Ambassador
92W9 – Wounded Warrior – Project Planner/Officer
93P0 – Patient
94N0 – Nuclear Weapons Custodian
95A0 – Non-EAD USAFR Academy Liaison Officer (ALO) or Civil Air Patrol Reserve Assistance Program (CAPRAP) Officer
96A0 – Disqualified Officer, Reasons Beyond Their Control
96B0 – Disqualified Officer, Reasons Within Their Control
96D0 – Officer not available in awarded AFSC for cause
96U0 – Unclassified Officer
96V0 – Un-allotted
97E0 – Executive Officer
99A0 – Unspecified AFSC
99G0 – Gold Bar Diversity Recruiter
Additional information
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. (AFMAN 36–2100)
Enlisted personnel may wear the master badge as a Master Sergeant or above with 5 years in the specialty from award of the 7-skill level. Officers wear the master badge after 15 years in the specialty.
^"Retention". Air Force's Personnel Center.
Archived from the original on 3 February 1999. Retrieved 5 November 2021. The Career Job Reservation program is a Headquarters Air Force tool used when needed to manage the number of First Term Airmen and Guardians allowed to reenlist into their current Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) or Space Force Specialty Code (SFSC) CJR limitations are established to manage projected surpluses and shortages by skill. The CJR program is managed on a fiscal year basis. It implements the reenlistment limitation for the AFSC or SFSC projected to have surplus Airmen or Guardians; however, not all fiscal years will have limitations in specific specialty codes.
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 force wide restructuring that was implemented under
Merrill McPeak.[2] These reduced officer AFSCs from 216 to 123 and enlisted AFSCs from 203 to 176.
Enlisted AFSCs
The enlisted AFSC consists of five alphanumeric characters:
Career group (Numerical)
Operations
Logistics & Maintenance
Support
Medical
Professional
Acquisition
Special Investigations
Special Duty Identifiers, typically used for Airmen chosen for specialized jobs
Reporting Identifiers, typically used for Airmen in transitive status: trainees, awaiting retraining, prisoner, etc. And occasionally for Airmen chosen for specialized jobs.
Career field (Alpha, different for each)
Career field subdivision (Numerical, different for each)
Skill level
1 – Helper (recruits or trainees 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)
0 – 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 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.
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)
92W4 – Wounded Warrior - Limited Assignment Status (LAS)
92W5 – Wounded Warrior - Retired/Discharged
92W6 – Reserved for Future Use
92W7 – Reserved for Future Use
92W8 – Wounded Warrior - Ambassador
92W9 – Wounded Warrior – Project Planner/Officer
93P0 – Patient
94N0 – Nuclear Weapons Custodian
95A0 – Non-EAD USAFR Academy Liaison Officer (ALO) or Civil Air Patrol Reserve Assistance Program (CAPRAP) Officer
96A0 – Disqualified Officer, Reasons Beyond Their Control
96B0 – Disqualified Officer, Reasons Within Their Control
96D0 – Officer not available in awarded AFSC for cause
96U0 – Unclassified Officer
96V0 – Un-allotted
97E0 – Executive Officer
99A0 – Unspecified AFSC
99G0 – Gold Bar Diversity Recruiter
Additional information
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. (AFMAN 36–2100)
Enlisted personnel may wear the master badge as a Master Sergeant or above with 5 years in the specialty from award of the 7-skill level. Officers wear the master badge after 15 years in the specialty.
^"Retention". Air Force's Personnel Center.
Archived from the original on 3 February 1999. Retrieved 5 November 2021. The Career Job Reservation program is a Headquarters Air Force tool used when needed to manage the number of First Term Airmen and Guardians allowed to reenlist into their current Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) or Space Force Specialty Code (SFSC) CJR limitations are established to manage projected surpluses and shortages by skill. The CJR program is managed on a fiscal year basis. It implements the reenlistment limitation for the AFSC or SFSC projected to have surplus Airmen or Guardians; however, not all fiscal years will have limitations in specific specialty codes.