Air Force Active Duty Demographics 

The following Air Force active duty demographics information is current as of 30 September 2021. These statistics are from the current inventory and does not include the Guard, Reserve or Air Force Academy (approx 4,000 cadets).

Snapshot of the Air Force

• 330,678 Active Duty
• 64,873 Officers
• 265,805 Enlisted

The Air Force has 12,534 pilots, 3,232 navigators and1,324 air battle managers in the grade of lieutenant colonel and below.
The Air Force has 23,042 nonrated line officers in the grade of lieutenant colonel and below.

Age

• 35 average age of the officer force
• 28 average age for enlisted force
• 38% are below the age of 26
• 44% of enlisted are below 26
• 14% of officers are below 26

Gender

Women first entered pilot training in 1976, navigator training in 1977 and fighter pilot training in 1993.

• 21.3% women
• 22.6% of the officers are women and
• 20.9% of enlisted corps are women
• 56% of the female officers are line officers; 44% are nonline
• 80% of the male officers are line officers; 20% are nonline
• 70,342 total population of women
• 916 female pilots; 391 navigators; 262 air battle managers

Race

The following percentages, which are self-reported, cover Air Force military members' racial information.

• 71% White
• 15% Black or African American
• 4.4% Asian
• 0.8% American Indian / Native Alaskan
• 1.2% Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander
• 4.7% Identified more than one race
• 3.5% Declined to respond

Ethnicity

"Hispanic or Latino" is considered an ethnic, not a racial, category that is registered separately and in addition to the above racial categories.

• 16.0% Hispanic or Latino
• 79.7% Not Hispanic or Latino
• 4.4% Declined to respond

Marital Status

• 54% married, which is 68% of the officers and 50% of enlisted
• 30,627 active duty members married to another active duty member
• 1,461 married to members of other military services
• 141,963 active duty members married to other (non military)
• 78 active duty members married to Reserve/Guard other service
• 4,133 active duty married to USAFR/ANG
• 152,416 active duty members are not married

Family Members

• 370,438 family members are supported by active duty personnel
• 285,596 family members reside in an Airman's household
• 20.7% of the current force is assigned overseas (including Alaska and Hawaii), which includes
• 9,260 officers and 59,073 enlisted personnel

Total active federal military service

• 10 years for Officers
• 8 years for Enlisted

Officer Academic Education

• 53.0% of officers have advanced or professional degrees
• 41.0% have master's degrees
• 9.6% have professional degrees
• 2.4% have doctorate degrees

Company Grade Officers

• 26.7% of company grade officers have advanced degrees
• 19.2% have master's degrees
• 6.6% have professional degrees
• 0.9% have doctorate degrees

Field Grade Officers

• 85.5% of field grade officers have advanced degrees
• 68.3% have master's degrees
• 12.9% have professional degrees
• 4.3% have doctorate degrees

Enlisted Academic Education

• 60.4% completed some college
• 22.4% have associate's degrees
• 10.1% have bachelor's degrees
• 2.3% have master's degree
• 0.030% have professional degrees

Airmen Tier

• 85.03% have some college
• 2.716% have associate's degrees
• 2.040% have bachelor's degrees
• 0.148% have master's degree
• 0.008% have professional degrees

NCO Tier

• 48.48% some college
• 38.078% have associate's degrees
• 11.850% have bachelor's degrees
• 1.477% have master's degree
• 0.024% have professional degrees

Senior NCO Tier

• 5.80% some college
• 46.789% have associate's degrees
• 34.533% have bachelor's degrees
• 12.741% have master's degrees
• 0.130% have professional degrees

Officer Developmental Education

• 29.61% of officers have completed one or more developmental education courses either in residence or by correspondence
• 7,043 have completed at least one senior developmental course
• 12,109 have completed an intermediate course
• 54 have completed basic developmental course

Source of commission

• 41.3% commissioned through Reserve Officer Training Corps
• 22.4% commissioned through the Air Force Academy
• 19.9% commissioned through Officer Training School
• 16.3% commissioned through other sources (direct appointment, etc.)