Just over 500 senior master sergeants are getting a promotion to chief master sergeant this year, the Air Force Personnel Center announced Nov. 7, as the promotion rate held relatively steady.
Out of 2,275 eligible Airmen, 503 were tapped to move up to E-9, for a selection rate of 22.1 percent.
That’s just a little down from last year, when 506 were selected with a rate of 22.5 percent—which was the highest rate in seven years.
The full list of selectees is available now on AFPC’s website.
Selectees’ average time in grade was 3.16 years, equal to the past two years and up slightly from the previous three years.
Average time in service was 20.86 years, roughly in line with the past several years.
Promotion rates for Air Force senior noncommissioned officers have held steady or climbed in recent years, while mid-grade NCOs saw plunging rates in 2022 and 2023 followed by modest recoveries in 2024. Chief master sergeant was the final enlisted rank to have its promotion stats announced.
Officials say they are trying to rebalance the enlisted force structure after determining they were promoting too many Airmen to senior NCO ranks without the necessary experience, leaving a gap in leadership. Lower promotion rates in the middle tier are meant to give NCOs more time in grade to develop.
The service is also revamping its professional military education enterprise by introducing “Foundations” courses—base-level PME classes for enlisted personnel to attend between established schools such as the Airman Leadership School, the Noncommissioned Officer Academy, and the Senior NCO Academy.
Finally, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David A. Flosi said in September that he is exploring the idea of consolidating some of the branch’s more than 130 Air Force Specialty Codes, which could impact promotions as officials try to balance the needs of different career fields.
Chief Master Sergeant Promotion Statistics
| YEAR | SELECTED | ELIGIBLE | SELECTION RATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 503 | 2,275 | 22.1 |
| 2023 | 506 | 2,249 | 22.50 |
| 2022 | 514 | 2,526 | 20.34 |
| 2021 | 505 | 2,775 | 18.19 |
| 2020 | 518 | 2,763 | 18.75 |
| 2019 | 530 | 2,529 | 20.96 |
| 2018 | 479 | 2,241 | 21.37 |
| 2017 | 472 | 2,142 | 22.04 |
| 2016 | 531 | 2,229 | 23.82 |
| 2015 | 525 | 2,521 | 20.83 |
| 2014 | 479 | 2,525 | 18.97 |