RAF roles and trades: an overview of the main career families

The Royal Air Force is far more than pilots. Behind every aircraft that flies sits a huge team of people in dozens of different jobs, and there is a role to suit almost every set of interests and strengths. This guide gives a general overview of the main RAF roles and trades so you can picture where you might fit. The RAF updates its jobs, entry requirements and role names regularly, so treat this as a broad map rather than a definitive list, and always check the current, full range on the official recruitment site at recruitment.raf.mod.uk.

Officer or airman/airwoman?

Almost every RAF career sits in one of two broad tracks. Officers lead, plan and take responsibility for teams and operations, and these roles usually ask for higher academic qualifications. Non-commissioned roles — often called airman or airwoman, or aviator roles — are where much of the specialist, hands-on work happens, from engineering to logistics to intelligence. Both tracks are essential, both offer long careers with training and progression, and the right choice depends on your qualifications, your goals and the kind of work you enjoy.

The main RAF career families

The RAF groups its jobs into broad professions or families so that people with related skills work and train together. In general terms, these include:

• Aircrew — the people who fly and fight, such as pilots and weapon systems officers and operators. These roles are highly competitive and involve additional, specialised aptitude testing beyond the standard assessment.
• Engineering and technical — designing, maintaining and repairing the aircraft, avionics, weapons systems and equipment the RAF depends on. This family rewards a strong technical and problem-solving mindset.
• Aircraft and vehicle maintenance — the hands-on trades that keep aircraft, ground vehicles and mechanical equipment serviceable and safe to use.
• Logistics and supply — moving, storing and managing the people, fuel, parts and supplies that keep the RAF operating anywhere in the world.
• Communications, cyber and intelligence — protecting networks, gathering and analysing information, and keeping the RAF's information and communications secure in an increasingly digital battlespace.
• Force protection — the teams that defend RAF people and assets on the ground, including the RAF Regiment and the RAF Police.
• Medical and support — nurses, medics, dentists and other health and welfare professionals who look after RAF personnel at home and on operations.
• Administrative and personnel roles — human resources, finance, catering, hospitality and the many support functions that keep a large organisation running.

Within each family there are many individual jobs at both officer and airman/airwoman level, and a good number come with a recognised apprenticeship, so you can earn a qualification while you train.

How the DAA connects to your choice of role

Most RAF applicants sit the Defence Aptitude Assessment (DAA), a timed, multiple-choice test with six sections: verbal reasoning, numerical reasoning, work rate, spatial reasoning, mechanical comprehension and electrical comprehension. There is no single overall pass mark. Instead, your scores across the individual sections help determine which roles you qualify for, because different jobs draw on different aptitudes.

This is why the test matters so much when you are thinking about trades. Technical and engineering roles, for example, tend to place more weight on the mechanical, electrical and reasoning sections, while other roles emphasise different strengths. The practical takeaway is simple: the better you prepare across all six sections, the wider your range of eligible roles is likely to be. Preparing well does not just help you pass — it keeps more doors open. To understand how the results are used, read our guide on DAA scores explained, and put the theory into practice with a set of DAA practice tests.

We have deliberately not listed specific score requirements for individual roles here, because they can change and are set by the RAF. The official recruitment site is the only reliable place to confirm the current entry criteria for the job you want.

Choosing your role

Start by being honest about your qualifications, your interests and how you like to work — hands-on and technical, analytical and information-led, physically demanding, or people-focused. Then use the RAF's own role finder to explore the current list in detail, including entry requirements, training pathways and day-to-day responsibilities. It is well worth taking the time here, because the role you pick shapes your training, your postings and your career for years to come.

When you are ready to move forward, our guide on how to join the RAF walks through the full application process from registering your interest to starting basic training. And if you are also weighing up the sea service, the same aptitude test is used across the forces, so much of your preparation will carry over.

Please note: forcesready.co.uk is an independent practice and revision resource. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the RAF, the Royal Navy or the Ministry of Defence. Always confirm the current roles, requirements and application details on the official recruitment websites.