Also called: Air Force 1A0
Enlisted aircrew who 'flies' the refueling boom on tankers to pass fuel to other aircraft in midair.
Boom operators lie face-down at the back of a KC-135 or KC-46, steering a long boom into a fighter flying just feet away at 300 mph. They also handle cargo and passengers. Afterward they often work in aviation operations, as flight attendants, or as aircraft dispatchers.
RMC (base pay + housing/food allowances + tax advantage) for typical E-1 to E-7 ranks, 2026 estimate, plus the special-duty, hazardous-duty, or skill pays this specialty usually earns. Enlistment/reenlistment bonuses for this field can be $10k-$50k+.
Approximate: anchored on Bureau of Labor Statistics data for a broader job group.
High school diploma, about 0.5 years after high school. High school diploma, then aircrew fundamentals, survival training, and boom operator training (~6 months). 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: Aviation Management.
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.
Medium risk in 5 years, high in 10. Automatic air-to-air refueling booms are already flying on allied tankers; fewer operators by the 2030s.
Classes: Physics, Geometry.
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.