Air Force releases staff sergeant/20E5 promotion cycle statistics

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Sahara L. Fales
  • Air Force’s Personnel Center Public Affairs

Air Force officials have selected 13,864 senior airmen for promotion to staff sergeant out of 33,341 eligible for a selection rate of 41.58 percent in the 20E5 promotion cycle.

The average overall score for those selected was 348. Selectees’ average time in grade was 1.66 years and time in service was 4.16 years.

The staff sergeant promotion list is available on the Enlisted Promotions page of the Air Force’s Personnel Center website, the Air Force Portal and myPers. Airmen can access their score notices on the virtual Military Personnel Flight via the AFPC secure applications page.

Increments will begin Oct. 1, which is a 1-month delay from the pre-COVID timeline. Those who should have promoted on Sept. 1 will be projected for promotion on Oct. 1 and will be retroactively applied with backdated pay.

The 20E5 promotion selection rate is lower than previous cycles because COVID restrictions and safety precautions caused some Airmen and Space Professionals to experience delayed testing.

The next in-system supplemental is tentatively scheduled for the second week in October and Department of the Air Force officials reserved promotion quotas to account for this delay, consistent with worldwide E-5 manning requirements. 

Approximately 15 percent of Airmen and Space Professionals eligible for promotion in the 20E5 cycle will be considered for promotion in the supplemental process. Historically, only 5 to 8 percent of promotion eligible Airmen are considered in the supplemental process.

Please refer to myPers for updated information on future supplemental releases.