United States military occupation code

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Since an individual can obtain multiple job specialties, a duty military occupational specialty (DMOS) is used to identify what their primary job function is at any given time. An individual must complete and pass all required training for their military occupational specialty qualification (MOSQ).


The current list of army military occupational specialty codes is published on the United States Army Human Resources Command (HRC) PAMXXI website.[1]

Army enlisted personnel[edit]


The elements of the MOSC are as follows:

  • First three characters: the MOS. The first two characters are always numbers, the third character is always a letter. The two-digit number is usually (but not always) synonymous with the career management field (CMF). For example, CMF 11 covers infantry, so MOS 11B is "rifle infantryman". Among the letters, Z is reserved for "senior sergeant" (E-8), such that 11Z is "senior infantry sergeant".
  • Fifth character: a letter or number and a special qualification identifier (SQI). It may be associated with any MOS unless otherwise specified. Soldiers without any special SQI are assigned the SQI "O" (oscar), often confused with a zero.

MOSC for E-8 and above[edit]

When an enlisted soldier is promoted from sergeant first class to master sergeant in most career types, that soldier will be reclassified administratively to the "senior sergeant" of their career management field. For example, a combat engineer (MOS 12B, part of CMF 12) is promoted from sergeant first class to master sergeant. That soldier is reclassified administratively from MOS 12B to MOS 12Z "senior engineer sergeant"). An example of when this conversion occurs at the MSG to SGM level is the 68 (formerly the 91) CMF. In this case, the soldier becomes a 68Z at the SGM level, not the MSG level. When promoted from master sergeant or first sergeant or sergeant major to command sergeant major, that soldier will be reclassified administratively from their previous "senior sergeant" MOS to the MOS 00Z (zero-zero-zulu), "command sergeant major".

Army warrant officers[edit]



Army commissioned officers[edit]

Commissioned officers' occupational codes are structured somewhat differently. A newly commissioned army officer first receives a "career branch". This is similar to the career management field of the enlisted personnel. Career branch numbers range from 11 to 92. For example: 13 for field artillery, 19 for armor/armored cavalry and 92 for quartermaster. Within each occupational field, there are usually several codes available. Within armor (branch 19) there are three specialties available: 19A (armor, general), 19B (armor), and 19C (cavalry). After an officer's fifth or sixth year of service, he or she may receive a "functional area" designation. More specific than a career branch, this is a specific skill set in which the officer is proficient. For example, an artillery officer who has had schooling in communications and public speaking could end up with a functional area in public affairs (FA46).

Marine corps[edit]

The U.S. Marine Corps begins by separating all jobs into "occupational fields" (OccFld), in which no distinction is made between officers and enlisted marines. The fields are numbered from 01 to 99 and include general categories (intelligence, infantry, logistics, public affairs, ordnance, etc.) under which specific jobs fall.

Each field contains multiple MOSes, each designated by a four-digit numerical indicator and a job title. For example, the infantry field (03) has ten enlisted classifications: rifleman (MOS 0311), riverine assault craft (MOS 0312), light armored vehicle crewman (MOS 0313), scout sniper (MOS 0317), reconnaissance man (MOS 0321), machine gunner (MOS 0331), mortarman (MOS 0341), assaultman (MOS 0351), antitank assault guided missileman (MOS 0352), and infantry unit leader (MOS 0369).

Each of the jobs have authorized ranks associated with them. For example, anyone ranking from private to sergeant can be a rifleman (0311), but only marines ranking from staff sergeant to master gunnery sergeant can be an infantry unit leader (0369).

Duties and tasks are identified by rank because the marine corps MOS system is designed around the belief that increased duties and tasks accompany promotions. The first two digits designate the field and, the last two digits identify the promotional channel and specialty.

For example, the MOS 0311 indicates that it is in occupational field 03 (infantry) and designates the "rifleman" (11) MOS. For warrant officers, the MOS 2305 indicates that it is in occupational field 23 (ammunition and explosive ordnance disposal) and designates the "explosive ordnance disposal officer" (05) MOS. For officers, the MOS 0802 indicates that it is in occupational field 08 (field artillery) and designates the "field artillery officer" (02) MOS.


The United States Navy does not use the military occupational specialty as the marines and the army do, but instead uses their own variant, called a "rate". The navy divides their occupational specialties into "ratings" for enlisted personnel and "designators" for officers.

Enlisted personnel ratings[edit]

The navy indicates its "ratings" by a two or three character code based on the actual name of the rating. These range from ABE (aviation boatswain's mate - equipment) to YN (yeoman). Each sailor and chief petty officer wears a rating badge indicating their rating as part of their rate (rank) insignia on full dress and service dress uniforms.

Commissioned officer designators[edit]

The navy officer "designator" is similar to an MOS but is less complicated and has fewer categories. For example, a surface warfare officer with a regular commission has a designator of 1110; a reserve officer has an 1115 designator. A reserve surface warfare officer specializing in nuclear training (i.e., engineer on a carrier) has a designator of 1165N. Navy officers also have one or more three-character additional qualification designators (AQD) that reflect completion of requirements qualifying them in a specific warfare area or other specialization. In some senses this functions more like the MOS in other services. An officer with the naval aviator designator of 1310 might have an AQD of DV3, SH-60F carrier anti-submarine warfare helicopter pilot, or DB4, F-14 fighter pilot. An officer designated 2100, medical corps officer (physician) may hold an AQD of 6CM, trauma surgeon, or 6AE, flight surgeon who is also a naval aviator. Some AQDs may be possessed by officers in any designator, such as BT2, freefall parachutist, or BS1, shipboard Tomahawk strike officer. Navy officer designators and AQD codes may be found in NAVPERS 15839I, The Manual of Navy Officer Manpower and Personnel Classification.

Coast Guard[edit]

The United States Coast Guard does not use the military occupational specialty concept either, instead dividing their occupational specialties into groups such as aviation, administrative and scientific, deck and weapons, and engineering and hull. Their rating system is very similar to the navy's (e.g. BM, boatswain's mate).

Enlisted personnel ratings[edit]

The coast guard indicates its "ratings" by a two or three character code based on the actual name of the rating. These range from AMT (aviation maintenance technician) to YN (yeoman). Each sailor and chief petty officer wears a rating badge indicating their rating as part of their rate (rank) insignia on full dress and service dress uniforms.

Air force[edit]

The air force utilizes a similar system, but titled "air force specialty code". Enlisted airmen have a five digit code, and officers have a four digit code.

Military occupational specialty codes (1965-1983)

Originally, the MOS system had three to five digits. The first four-digit code number indicated the soldier's job; the first two digits were the field code, the third digit was the sub-specialty and the fourth code number (separated by a period) was the job title. A fifth code digit was for the soldier's special qualification identifier (SQI), which indicated what specialized training the soldier had. If the soldier did not have an SQI, the digit was listed as "0" or was omitted.

One-one is the field code for infantry, 1.1 is the sub-specialty of light weapons, and seven is the SQI for airborne training. Therefore 111.10 is the MOS for an infantryman and 111.17 is for an airborne-qualified paratrooper. Six-seven is the field code for the medical field, 673.0 is the MOS for medical NCO and 673.00 is a generalist medical NCO with no SQI.

1965 reform[edit]

In 1965 the system was revamped. There were completely different codes for enlisted / non-commissioned officers, warrant officers, and commissioned officers.



Officers had a four-digit code number for their career field and specialty. Officers with a special qualification also had an SQI code number prefix to their MOS rather than a code letter suffix. Officers without a special qualification had no prefix number.

1983 reform[edit]



The field code "18" was created for US Army Special Forces, which are now considered part of the regular US Army. Previously they had been considered a layer between the intelligence services and the army. The 18A was for special forces officers and 180A was for special forces warrant officers. The 18X was for special forces candidates who had not yet passed the "Q" course. The "A" team leaders had to be captains instead of lieutenants and were rotated to conventional postings.

Certain field specialty code letters were reserved. The "X" was for recruits or candidates who have pre-selected a career field but had not graduated from AIT. The "Z" is for senior NCOs of E8 or E9 grade. The "A" is for officers and warrant officers in a general capacity. Specialist officers and warrant officers have other field code letters reserved for them.

See also[edit]


  1. ^ US Army Human Resource Command (HRC) PAMXXI website.[dead link]
  4. ^ USArec.army.mil
  5. ^ USArec.army.mil
  6. ^ USArec.army.mil
  7. ^ USArec.army.mil
  8. ^ USAwoa.org
  9. ^ DA Pam 600-3 Army.mil

External links[edit]