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Air Force Technical Sergeant

E-6 Noncommissioned Officer, U.S. Air Force
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Master Sergeant

Air Force Ranks » Technical Sergeant RankTSgt PayTSgt Rank HistoryPromotion Information

Rank badge of a Technical Sergeant E-6 Technical Sergeant - U.S. Air Force Ranks

Air Force Technical Sergeant
Air Force E-6 Technical Sergeant Air Force Military Ranks
Class Noncommissioned Officer
Abbr. TSgt
Title Sergeant (last name)
Paygrade E-6 (DoD Paygrade)
OR-6 (NATO Code)
Basic Pay $2,849/mo

Technical Sergeant (TSgt) is the second Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) rank in the US Air Force. It is the rank just above Staff Sergeant and below Master Sergeant. Within the enlisted Air Force, TSgt is known as the second hardest promotion to acquire, next to the promotion to Senior Master Sergeant, which is capped by federal law. A Staff Sergeant must have served five years along with twenty three months in grade in order to even be considered for promotion to TSgt; it takes an average of eleven years in service to reach this rank. TSgt's hold a 7-skill level and are capable of dealing with highly complex technical duties as well as provide supervision for their subordinates. They are to not only perform to the best of their ability but to get those they supervise to work at their best too.

The rank insignia for Technical Sergeant is the same as the Staff Sergeant's, three silver, downward pointing chevrons outlined in blue with an encircled star at the point with a curved chevron below the star, except that it has two curved chevrons below the encircled star.

Technical Sergeant is the 6th rank in the United States Air Force , ranking above Staff Sergeant and directly below Master Sergeant. A technical sergeant is a Noncommissioned Officer at DoD paygrade E-6, with a starting monthly pay of $2,849.

How do you become a Technical Sergeant?

A Technical Sergeant is most often promoted from Staff Sergeant (SSgt), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience. Click here to learn more about promotion to Technical Sergeant.

What is the proper way to address a Technical Sergeant?

The correct way to address a Technical Sergeant named Mr. Smith is "Sergeant Smith", or written as TSgt Smith. In formal situations, a Technical Sergeant should always be addressed by their full rank.

How much does a Technical Sergeant earn?

Basic pay for an entry-level Technical Sergeant with 2 or less years of experience is $2,849.40 per month.

A Technical Sergeant receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Technical Sergeant's final compensation package.

In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Air Force Technical Sergeant may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including hostile fire pay, personal money allowance, and more.

For full details on the Air Force's Technical Sergeant compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Air Force Technical Sergeant Pay Chart. A full table of the Air Force's current paygrades are available at the Air Force Pay Chart.

Patch of a Technical Sergeant Equivalent Ranks to the Air Force's E-6 Technical Sergeant

To learn more about the Air Force's rank structure, see our complete list of Air Force ranks.

The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Technical Sergeant is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Air Force rank to GS grade conversion table .

To see a list of military medals and decorations that can be earned by servicemembers in the Air Force and other branches of the military, see our list of military decorations and medals.