The United States Air Force utilizes a sophisticated, standardized method for classifying every job performed by its personnel, from pilots to maintenance technicians. This system is necessary to manage the training, assignment, and career progression for hundreds of thousands of Airmen across a wide spectrum of specialized work. The official designation that serves as the foundation for this workforce management is the Air Force Specialty Code, commonly known by its acronym, AFSC. This code provides an immediate, universally understood identifier for an individual’s specific occupational expertise.
The Official Terminology: Air Force Specialty Codes (AFSC)
The Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) is the classification system used to identify a specific job within the Air Force. The AFSC standardizes training requirements, manages personnel assignments, and tracks the qualifications of all Airmen throughout their careers. This classification ensures that positions requiring specific skill sets can be filled by any Airman who possesses the corresponding code. The code documents an individual’s primary expertise and their current duty specialty. The U.S. Space Force uses a similar structure called the Space Force Specialty Code (SFSC).
Decoding the AFSC Structure
Enlisted AFSCs consist of a five-digit alphanumeric code, while officer AFSCs are typically four digits. The code is broken down into five positions:
Career Group (1st Position)
The first position, a number, represents the Career Group, the broadest occupational category.
Career Field (2nd Position)
The second position, an alphabet character, identifies the Career Field, refining the type of work. For example, in the Operations Group (1), the letter may specify Aircrew Operations (1A) or Cyber Warfare (1B).
Career Field Subdivision (3rd Position)
The third position, a number, indicates the Career Field Subdivision, providing more detail about the functional job area.
Skill Level (4th Position)
The fourth position, a number, is reserved for the Skill Level, measuring an Airman’s experience and proficiency.
Air Force Specialty (5th Position)
The fifth character, a number, identifies the specific Air Force Specialty within that functional area.
For instance, in the code 1N371, ‘1’ is the Operations Group, ‘N’ is the Intelligence Field, ‘3’ is the Cryptologic Linguist Subdivision, ‘7’ is the Craftsman skill level, and the final ‘1’ completes the specific job title.
Major Career Fields and Job Groupings
The AFSC system organizes the entire Air Force workforce into nine primary career groups, which are then broken down into numerous career fields.
Operations
The Operations Group (beginning with ‘1’) includes personnel who directly employ weapons and supporting systems for combat and other missions. Roles encompass pilots, aircrew members, and those in specialized space, nuclear, and missile operations. Intelligence specialists, who analyze and disseminate threat information, also fall under this group.
Logistics and Maintenance
Personnel in the Logistics and Maintenance Group (beginning with ‘2’) ensure all equipment and systems are available and functional. This includes aerospace maintenance, involving technicians working on aircraft propulsion and avionics systems. Specialties also cover managing supply chains, vehicle maintenance, and the repair of munitions and weapons systems.
Support and Administration
The Support Group (beginning with ‘3’) contains administrative, security, and infrastructure roles that sustain the daily function of a base. Specialties include Security Forces, who provide law enforcement and security, and Civil Engineering, which covers fire protection, explosive ordnance disposal, and facility maintenance. Personnel, finance, and public affairs specialists are also categorized here.
Medical and Health
The Medical Group (beginning with ‘4’) is composed of all health professionals, including physicians, nurses, and specialized technicians. Roles include health services management, biomedical equipment repair, and mental health services. Other AFSCs cover bioenvironmental engineering, diet therapy, and diagnostic imaging.
Special Warfare and Security
The Special Warfare and Security Group involves highly specialized and physically demanding roles focused on ground operations and direct action. This category includes Pararescue (PJ), Combat Control, and Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) specialists. These Airmen often work in austere environments to conduct personnel recovery, air traffic control, and close air support.
Differences in Enlisted and Officer Designations
The AFSC system reflects the differing roles and responsibilities between officers and enlisted personnel. Officer AFSCs are generally broader, focusing on leadership, management, and policy-making within a functional area. For example, a pilot officer’s code (11X) focuses on the operational command aspect of their role.
Enlisted personnel, by contrast, are assigned AFSCs that are highly specific and technical, reflecting their hands-on expertise. Their codes identify the exact task-oriented specialty, such as ‘Tactical Aircraft Maintenance’ (2A3X3). While officers plan missions and provide directives, enlisted Airmen execute the specialized technical tasks needed to accomplish the mission. Officers manage personnel and resources, leading to a broader AFSC classification, while enlisted careers emphasize technical mastery and proficiency.
Understanding Skill Levels and Career Progression
The fourth digit of an enlisted AFSC indicates the skill level, a numerical measure of an Airman’s proficiency and experience. This number tracks career progression as Airmen complete training and gain experience. The progression includes:
- 3-level (Apprentice): Awarded upon graduation from technical school.
- 5-level (Journeyman): Earned after on-the-job training and mandatory courses, signifying a fully qualified front-line technician.
- 7-level (Craftsman): The supervisory level, awarded after promotion to a non-commissioned officer rank and completion of additional training.
- 9-level (Superintendent): The highest skill level, held by senior non-commissioned officers who perform broad supervisory and management duties within their career field.