Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) Pay Scales (2025–2026)
Air Force ranks and pay on the 2025–2026 Military Salary spine: aviator and officer titles, pay grades, and 16.4% ADF Super — without adding a retired Service Allowance on top.
Last updated September 2026.
Key takeaways
- RAAF salary is Military Salary: Air Force rank, increment, then pay grade.
- Do not add $15,411 Service Allowance. That allowance was rolled into salary on 13 May 2021.
- Flying Officer matches Army Lieutenant. Flight Lieutenant matches Army Captain.
- The $111,517 checksum applies to Flying Officer, pay grade 4, increment 1 — not to every officer.
- ADF Super is typically 16.4%, not the 12% civilian guarantee.
1. Air Force ranks — which PACMAN column to open
Orientation only. Dollar cells live in PACMAN. Convert a title you do not recognise on the tri-service ranks page.
| Air Force rank | Army equivalent | PACMAN schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Aircraftman / Leading Aircraftman | Private / Lance Corporal | Other Ranks — increment, then pay grade |
| Corporal / Sergeant | Corporal / Sergeant | Other Ranks |
| Flight Sergeant / Warrant Officer | Warrant Officer Class 2 / Class 1 | Other Ranks — still not the officer schedule |
| Flying Officer | Lieutenant | Officers. Same pay grade and increment as the Army Lieutenant checksum ($111,517 at PG4, increment 1). |
| Flight Lieutenant / Squadron Leader / Wing Commander / Group Captain | Captain / Major / Lieutenant Colonel / Colonel | Officers. Flight Lieutenant is not a Flying Officer. |
2. RAAF pay is one Military Salary cell
Searchers for RAAF pay scales or Air Force salary need the Air Force column of the Defence salary tables. Army, Navy, and Air Force members at the equivalent rank, same increment, and same pay grade read the same Military Salary. The cluster query ADF pay scales belongs on the ADF pay directory.
3. Flying Officer versus Flight Lieutenant
PACMAN’s public worked example is a Permanent Forces Army Lieutenant, pay grade 4, increment 1: $111,517 Military Salary. The Air Force equivalent of that rank is Flying Officer. A Flight Lieutenant lines up with an Army Captain and a Navy Lieutenant. Using $111,517 for every “RAAF lieutenant” mislabels both ranks. Navy titles are on the Navy pay page; Army titles are on the Army pay page.
4. Service Allowance $15,411 is the pre-2021 stack
Until 13 May 2021 many Permanent Force members received a separate Service Allowance. The Tribunal then rolled Service, Reserve, Trainee and Uniform Allowances into salary. DVA records the same roll-in. Adding $15,411 on top of a 6 November 2025 cell double-counts. Flying allowance can still be paid. It lives in the allowances determination, not as a flat Service Allowance column.
5. 16.4% ADF Super and take-home cash
Most Permanent Force members in ADF Super receive 16.4% employer contributions. The civilian Superannuation Guarantee is 12.0% from 1 July 2025. Super is not fortnightly cash. Model PAYG on the Military Salary cell with the take-home pay calculator. HELP debt uses civilian repayment rules — see the HECS-HELP guide.
6. How to verify an Air Force offer
- Confirm Permanent Forces versus Reserves.
- Open PACMAN, Air Force column, Officers or Other Ranks.
- Match increment and pay grade. Treat the cell as Military Salary.
- Do not add $15,411.
- Checksum: Flying Officer, pay grade 4, increment 1, is the same cell as Army Lieutenant at $111,517.
Primary sources: PACMAN salary, DFRT Determination 2 of 2017 (Salaries), and the ADF Workplace Remuneration Arrangement 2023–2026. Defence pay enquiries: 1800 333 362.
Sources
- Defence Pay and Conditions — salary tables (rates from 6 November 2025)
- DFRT consolidated determinations — Determination 2 of 2017 (Salaries)
- DVA CLIK — Service Allowance rolled into Military Salary from 13 May 2021
ADF pay scales directory
Tri-service hub, then Army, Navy, and rank equivalence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Official Australian tax, superannuation, and take-home pay guidance grounded in current ATO rulings.
What is Royal Australian Air Force salary in 2025–2026?
RAAF salary is Military Salary on the same ADF spine as Army and Navy: Air Force rank, then increment, then pay grade. It is not base pay plus a standalone $15,411 Service Allowance. Confirm the cell in PACMAN (rates effective 6 November 2025).
What Air Force rank matches an Army Lieutenant?
Flying Officer. Flight Lieutenant matches an Army Captain and a Navy Lieutenant. Do not apply the $111,517 Army Lieutenant checksum to a Flight Lieutenant.
Is the $15,411 Service Allowance still added on top of RAAF pay?
No for current Permanent Force members. From 13 May 2021 the Defence Force Remuneration Tribunal rolled Service Allowance into Military Salary.
How much superannuation do Air Force members receive?
Most Permanent Force members in ADF Super receive 16.4% employer contributions, above the 12.0% Superannuation Guarantee that applies to ordinary civilian jobs from 1 July 2025.
Does flying allowance change the salary table?
Flying and other environment allowances sit in the allowances determination. They can raise fortnightly cash. They are not a second Service Allowance line on the salary grid.