The Air Force has drastically reduced the number of eligible career fields for Active-Duty Airmen seeking reenlistment bonuses in 2026, cutting several maintenance, medical, and other career specialties.
The service’s Selective Retention Bonus list leaked in a social media post May 18, and an Air Force spokesperson confirmed the list as authentic. This year’s list features 24 Air Force Specialty Codes, a 73 percent drop from last year’s list of 89.
The number of career fields included in the annual SRB program expands and contracts depending on manning needs. This year’s drop coincides with strong recruiting numbers—the Air Force announced in April it achieved its 2026 enlisted recruiting goal five months ahead of schedule—and high retention.
In recently released budget documents, the Air Force estimated that it would add 4,300 participants to the SRB program in 2026, down 39 percent from the 7,077 Airmen who reenlisted as part of the 2025 program.
In recent years, the Air Force has declined to release public lists of career fields eligible for retention bonuses and special duty assignment pay, instead making them available on myFSS, accessible only to those on Active-Duty. A records request by Air & Space Forces Magazine for some of those lists remains unfulfilled.
This year’s list dropped about a dozen medical career specialties compared to the 2025 list:
- Surgical Technologist (Urology)
- Surgical Technologist (Orthopedics)
- Surgical Technologist (Otorhinolaryngology)
- Diagnostic Imaging (Nuclear medicine)
- Diagnostic Imaging (Diagnostic Medical Sonography)
- Diagnostic Imaging (MRI)
- Physical Medicine (Orthotic)
- Physical Medicine
- Ophthalmology
- Dental Superintendent
- Dental Hygienist
- Mental Health
- Pharmacy
Several maintenance career specialties focusing on both manned and unmanned aircraft and missile and space systems were also cut in this year’s list:
- B-2 Maintenance
- KC-46 Maintenance
- MQ-1/9 Maintenance
- RQ-4 Maintenance
- Missile and Space Systems Electronics Maintenance
The size of an Airman’s reenlistment bonus varies based on several factors, including monthly basic pay, the length of the reenlistment, and experience level. The list includes four “zones” ranging from just 17 months of service up to 20 years.
Since 2024, the Air Force’s maximum allowable reenlistment bonus has stayed steady at $180,000, with a career cap set at $360,000.
For this year’s list, special operations specialties ranging from Pararescue and Combat Control to Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape are still in demand, but the bonus opportunities will be smaller for less experienced Airmen in Zones A, B, and C.
Air Force Specialty Code Air Force Specialty Zone A Zone B Zone C Zone E 1A8X1G Airborne Cryptologic Language Analyst – Chinese 2.5 2.5 1 0 1A8X1I Airborne Cryptologic Language Analyst – Russian 1.5 1 1 0 1B4X1 Cyber Warfare Operations 4 4 2 0 1C1X1 and one of the following SEIs 053, 054, 055, 056, 362, 364, 955, 956, 957 Air Traffic Control 3 3 0 0 1C5X1D Command & Control Battle Management Operations – Weapons Director 1 1 1 1 1D7X1A Information Technology (IT) Systems – Network Operations 0 1 0 0 1D7X1B Information Technology (IT) Systems – Systems Administration 1 0 0 0 1N3X1G Cryptologic Language Analyst – Chinese 1 0 0 0 1N3X1I Cryptologic Language Analyst – Russian 1 0 0 0 1T0X1 Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape 4 4 2 0 1Z1X1 Pararescue 5 5 4 3 1Z2X1 Combat Control 5 5 4 3 1Z3X1 Tactical Air Control Party 5 5 4 3 1Z4X1 Special Reconnaissance 5 5 4 3 2A3X5B Advanced Fighter Aircraft Integrated Avionics (F-35) 2 2 0 1 2A5X4D Refuel/Bomber Aircraft Maintenance (B-52) 1 0 0 0 2A5X4E Refuel/Bomber Aircraft Maintenance (B-1) 2 3 0 0 2A9X4 Heavy Aircraft Integrated Avionics 0 1.5 0 0 2A9X4A Heavy Aircraft Integrated Avionics, C4ISR Mission Systems (E-3, E-4, E-7, E-11, EC-130H, RC-135, VC-25) 0 1 0 0 3E8X1 Explosive Ordnance Disposal 2 1.5 1 0 4H0X1 Respiratory Care Practitioner 1 1 0 0 4N0X1F Aerospace Medical Service – Flight & Operational Medical 0 0 0 1 4N0X1G Aerospace Medical Service – Aeromedical Evacuation 0 0 0 1 4N0X1H Aerospace Medical Service – National Registry Paramedic 1 0 1 0