How to become an air force officer
Official title: Air force officer
Also called: Pilot, Air warfare officer, Communication and information systems officer, Engineering officer, Air marshal, Flying officer, RNZAF officer
Air force officers plan and supervise flying operations and oversee the maintenance of military aircraft and equipment.
Main tasks
- Use and maintain military equipment
- Guard airfields and planes in war zones
- Practice wartime and emergency drills
- Train in navigation, first aid and fitness
- Help to stop illegal activities
- Load and unload aircraft supplies
- Join parades and ceremonial events
- Assist in rescues and disaster relief
How to become one
You need to do training to become an air force officer. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job, but Level 2 may be useful. Required: to be over 16.5 years old when you apply and over 18 when you finish your training; to complete a training course; a driver licence; to pass a police check; to pass a medical assessment.
Pay · Past change
- Most common pay: $86,077 to $122,025 a year (median $104,051), a TEC estimate before tax.
- Lower: $68,103 a year · Upper: $140,000 a year
- TEC's pay figures are estimates only. TEC says they must not be used to set pay, in pay negotiations or in visa applications.
- Change in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses: Strong increase (TEC). This is past change, not a forecast.
- People employed in the group Commissioned Officers (Management): 1,923 at the 2018 Census and 2,163 at the 2023 Census (+12.5%). Past change, not a forecast.
Who does this work
- About 310 people did this job at the 2023 Census (TEC).
- In the group Commissioned Officers (Management), 25% of workers are female (sex at birth, 2023 Census).
- Where people in the group Commissioned Officers (Management) work (2023 Census): Auckland 33.3%, Wellington 23.2%, and Manawatū-Whanganui 17.5%.
Related jobs
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Questions people ask
How do I become an air force officer?
You need to do training to become an air force officer. You usually don’t need specific NCEA levels for this job, but Level 2 may be useful. Required: to be over 16.5 years old when you apply and over 18 when you finish your training; to complete a training course; a driver licence; to pass a police check; to pass a medical assessment.
How much does an air force officer earn in New Zealand?
The Tertiary Education Commission estimates median pay at $104,051 a year, before tax. Most common pay is $86,077 to $122,025 a year.
Has the number of people working as an air force officer grown in New Zealand?
It has grown strongly: TEC records a strong increase in the number of people doing this job between the 2018 and 2023 Censuses. This is past change, not a forecast.
Sources
- Tertiary Education Commission (Tahatu Career Navigator): Tahatu career ideas: descriptions, tasks, pay estimates, people employed, employment change 2018 to 2023, entry requirements, registration, interest scores (Site scrape 2026-10 (816 career ideas, sitemap lastmod 2026-10-01)), CC BY 4.0, retrieved 4 October 2026
- Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census totals by topic for individuals 2013, 2018, 2023 (CEN23_TBT_004): employed by occupation, ANZSCO V1.3, summed to unit group (2023 Census (CEN23_TBT_004)), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
- Stats NZ (via Figure.NZ): Census 2023: employed by regional council, occupation (ANZSCO V1.3 unit group) and sex at birth (2023 Census), CC BY 4.0 (Stats NZ), CC BY 3.0 NZ (Figure.NZ), retrieved 4 October 2026
This content is sourced from the Tertiary Education Commission through the Tahatū Career Navigator website (www.tahatu.govt.nz) and used under the CC BY 4.0 licence. All or some of the information has been modified by Peernovo. TEC has not approved, endorsed or tested these modifications. TEC will not be held accountable for any errors within this content.
Qualification information from NZQA, used under CC BY 3.0 NZ.
This work is based on/includes Stats NZ's data which are licensed by Stats NZ for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Census data via Figure.NZ.
Includes information from O*NET OnLine by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET is a trademark of USDOL/ETA. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications.
Sources: Tertiary Education Commission, Tahatū Career Navigator (career ideas, pay estimates, entry requirements and study options, CC BY 4.0, modified by Peernovo); Stats NZ, 2023 Census (via Figure.NZ) and the National Occupation List (CC BY 4.0); NZQA qualification information (CC BY 3.0 NZ); O*NET interest scores (CC BY 4.0); ILO global generative AI exposure index (CC BY 4.0). Links between career ideas and ANZSCO groups, degree fields and broad job groups are Peernovo's.
These results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Graduate outcomes: these results are not official statistics. They have been created for research purposes from the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI), which is carefully managed by Stats NZ.
Updated 4 October 2026