Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSC)
The U.S. Air Force uses the Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) system to indicate the military job performed by each servicemember. Different AFSCs are used for various career fields and the scheme varies for officers and enlisted personnel.
Enlisted AFSCs
Generally speaking, all enlisted (airman and non-commissioned officer) personnel have a 5-character AFSC. The first digit represents a general career area:
- 1: Operations
- 2: Logistics
- 3: Support
- 4: Medical
- 5: Professional
- 6: Acquisitions
- 7: Special Investigations
- 8: Special Duty Identifiers
- 9: Reporting Identifiers
The second and third characters identify a career group and career field. The fourth character represents the individual’s skill level:
- 1: Helper
- 3: Apprentice
- 5: Journeyman
- 7: Craftsman
- 9: Superintendent
- 0: Chief Enlisted Manager
The final character represents the specific duty of the airman. For example, an airman with an AFSC of 1N378 has the following characterstics:
- 1: Operations Career Area
- N: Intelligence Career Group
- 3: Cryptologic Linguist Career Field
- 7: Craftsman Skill Level
- 8: Polynesian Language
For more details, view our lists of enlisted AFSCs:
- Operations Enlisted AFSCs
- Logistics Enlisted AFSCs
- Support Enlisted AFSCs
- Medical Enlisted AFSCs
- Other Enlisted AFSCs
Officer AFSCs
Officer AFSCs follow a slightly different system. Each is only four characters and is constructed as follows:
- First Character: Career Group (same as enlisted)
- Second Character: Utilization Field
- Third Character: Functional Area
- Fourth Character: Qualification Level
For more information on Officer AFSCs, see our listings:
June 11th, 2009 at 7:05 pm
What would an Air Force code of C2255E denote for someone who served during the ’70′s?
May 17th, 2010 at 1:28 pm
Curious to know how many enlisted people in the Air Force (including Guard and Reserve) actually fly?
Can you break it doen by job description?
What overall percentage is this?
June 29th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
I’ve been out of the USAF for quite awhile now, and I was just curious:
What current AFSC’s have taken place of the old 702X0 clerk AFSC.
Is there any reference available which shows old AFSC’s and their new equivalents?