RAF Officer Jobs

RAF officer job trends

What entry qualifications and training do you need?

School, college and training

You can join the RAF as an officer straight after A-levels.

To become an RAF Officer, you’ll need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9-4 (A* to C) or the equivalent including English and maths
• 2 A-levels or the equivalent with 64 UCAS Tariff points.

You will also need to:

• Be aged at least 17.5 years old
• Meet RAF nationality and residency rules
• Have a good level of fitness and general health

You will also need a security check and clearance from the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) if you are successful in your application.

If you’re still at school or getting ready to go to university, you could get:

• An RAF sixth form scholarship
• A medical, dental or engineering sponsorship

University and degrees

You can get support from the armed forces to study for a subsidised degree in these areas:

• Engineering
• Technical
• Business
• Logistics

This scheme is run by the Defence Academy, and its aim is to provide engineering and technical graduates to the Army, Royal Navy, Royal Air Force and the MOD Civil Service.

You’ll get a bursary of £4,000 a year and you can earn training pay on top, up to £2,000, every year you study.

Find out more about the Defence Technical Undergraduate Scheme (DTUS).

Apprenticeships and traineeships

There are so many RAF apprenticeships to choose from – and each one gives you training and experience with a basic salary and an industry-recognised qualification that will benefit you both in the RAF and the wider working world.

You can do RAF apprenticeships to become a:

• Chef
• Catering and hospitality specialist
• Cyberspace communication specialist
• Aircraft technician
• Human Resources professional
• Driver
• Supply, storage and distribution specialist
• Mover
• Firefighter
• RAF police
• RAF regiment gunner
• Photographer
• Intelligence analyst
• Aerospace systems operator
• Vehicle and mechanical equipment technician
• Communications infrastructure technician
• Survival equipment specialist
• Electrician
• Flight operations assistant
• Weapon technician.

Once you’ve gained an apprenticeship with the RAF you’ll visit RAF bases and build some of the key skills that the RAF will be looking for in the selection process for RAF officers.

Career progression

With time and experience, you can move through the ranks to become a pilot officer, flying officer, then flight lieutenant.

Once you leave the RAF you could move into a wide range of careers depending on your skills and qualifications.

What experience do you need for RAF officer jobs?

Work experience

You may not need previous work experience to apply. You can apply for an RAF role as a school leaver. However, any previous work experience can help you to understand what it’s like to follow instructions in a work environment and work with other people.

Examples of relevant work experience include:

• Work shadowing (even if it’s just for a day)
• Work placements in a company
• Industry placements on a degree course

Volunteering and extra-curricular activities

If you’re under 17 you can join the Air Cadets. Every year nearly 56,000 air cadets and volunteers take part in exciting events across the country – so if you love action, adventure and aviation (flying) this could be a great volunteering opportunity for you.

What life and work skills do you need to be a great RAF Officer?

Useful skills to highlight and develop in this career include:

• Self-belief skills – you have to believe in yourself, and that doesn’t mean being arrogant. It means having the confidence to persevere, to try again, to get up when you fall down.
• Good communication skills and teamworking skills – the RAF is one huge team broken down into lots of little teams. It will really help you develop your teamwork skills, whether you’re in demanding situations or working on an RAF base.
• Good problem solving skills – the RAF is all about overcoming challenges in a logical and often creative way.
• Good organisation skills – flying squadrons and planes both depending on everything being organised! As an RAF officer you’ll be leading others. You have to be organised so the squadron doesn’t fall into chaos.
• Self-management skills – you’ll be trained from Day 1, but becoming your very best also comes from within. You can be drilled any number of times, but who is the real person that says “you can do this”? That person is you. You have to be willing to push yourself and accept support from others to be the best you can be.
• IT skills – you’ll often be trained to operate advanced technical equipment.

Vocational qualifications and work experience will help you build these skills over time.

Start building these skills right now - sign up for free Young Professional training.

What does an RAF officer do?

The people and areas you’ll be responsible for leading (along with other RAF officers) are split into squadrons.

Where could you work?

Your daily activities will depend on which of the twenty specialist areas you choose to work in.

They include:

• Air operations — as a pilot and weapons systems officer, you’ll take part in flying sorties, reconnaissance, and search and rescue
• Operations support — as an air traffic and aerospace battle manager or flight operations officer, you’ll provide target information, coordinate refuelling, digitally map terrain and plan missions
• Engineering and logistics — as an aircraft and communications engineer, you’ll commission new aircraft, service fleets and manage supplies
• Support services — as a catering, security or training officer, you’ll provide day-to-day staff services at RAF bases and in the field during operations
• Professions — as a medical, dental or nursing officer, you’ll manage specialist teams.

Your first steps into RAF officer jobs

RAF officer jobs are advertised under different job titles. When you’re looking on job boards, look for the following types of job:

• RAF apprenticeship
• RAF officer

Useful organisations and links

• Find an Apprenticeship
• RAF Careers