Also called: Air Force 1A3X1, AWACS Systems Operator, Airborne Mission Systems Specialist
Flies aboard radar and spy planes like the E-3 AWACS, running and fixing the radios, radar and computers mid-flight.
Operators set up the aircraft's communications, data links and radar before takeoff, then keep them running during 10-plus-hour missions. When a system fails in the air, they troubleshoot and fix it on the spot. They work alongside weapons directors and intelligence crew.
RMC (base pay + housing/food allowances + tax advantage) for typical E-1 to E-7 ranks, 2026 estimate, plus the special-duty, flight or hazardous-duty pays this job usually earns.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 1 year after high school. High school diploma, Air Force basic training, aircrew fundamentals, survival school and systems training. Free-college benefits: Tuition Assistance (up to $4,500/yr) while serving, the Post-9/11 GI Bill (36 months of tuition + housing stipend) afterward, and SkillBridge internships before separating.
Ways in: Military, On-the-job training. Training cost: Get paid while you train.
Majors to look at: Electronics, Computer Networking.
Growing about average. Military specialties are not in BLS projections. The services recruit for this job every year and openings track force size and retention rather than market growth.
Low risk in 5 years, medium in 10. Self-diagnosing systems grow; fixing failures mid-flight stays human.
Classes: Electronics, Computer science, Physics.
Career Universe is an early version. Pay, training and AI-risk figures are estimates to start your own research, not verified facts. The research was written with AI research assistants, checked by validation scripts and spot-checked by hand. Check anything important with schools, employers and official sources. How the numbers work.