U.S. Navy · Aviation

AB Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AB)

Navy Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AB) is a deck-aviation rating with three sub-rates: ABE (Launch & Recovery Equipment) runs catapults, arresting gear, and recovery equipment; ABF (Fuels) operates aviation fueling and lubricating-oil systems; ABH (Handling) directs spotting, movement, firefighting, and salvage around aircraft on flight and hangar decks. The current MyNavyHR ABE, ABF, and ABH community pages all list the same Navy ASVAB qualifying line score, VE+AR+MK+AS = 161, plus the Navy AFQT minimum of 31.

last verified 2026-07-07

AB (Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AB)) is in the Navy and requires a minimum AFQT of 31 and VE+AR+MK+AS of at least 161. Last verified 2026-07-07 against MyNavyHR ABE/ABF/ABH community pages.

Quick check

Can I qualify for this job?

Enter the scores you already know. Leave a box blank if you do not have that score yet.

AFQT minimum 31Enter AFQT
VE+AR+MK+AS minimum 161Enter VE+AR+MK+AS

Plain requirement

What you need.

  • Min AFQT31
  • Training~6 weeks
  • VE+AR+MK+AS line score≥ 161

AFQT 31 is a percentile. The line score above is not — it is a Navy composite, a weighted sum of your ASVAB subtest standard scores. Work yours out from your score sheet with the Navy ASVAB line score calculator.

Source: MyNavyHR ABE/ABF/ABH community pages · last verified 2026-07-07.

Role brief

About AB — Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AB).

Navy Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AB) is a deck-aviation rating with three sub-rates: ABE (Launch & Recovery Equipment) runs catapults, arresting gear, and recovery equipment; ABF (Fuels) operates aviation fueling and lubricating-oil systems; ABH (Handling) directs spotting, movement, firefighting, and salvage around aircraft on flight and hangar decks. The current MyNavyHR ABE, ABF, and ABH community pages all list the same Navy ASVAB qualifying line score, VE+AR+MK+AS = 161, plus the Navy AFQT minimum of 31.

Starting pay · 2026

What this job pays as a junior enlisted member.

Base pay is set by pay grade, not by job — every Navy enlistee at the same grade earns the same monthly base pay. These are the 2026 active-duty rates (3.8% raise, effective 2026-01-01).

GradeRankMonthly base payService
E-1Seaman Recruit (SR)$2,407after 4 months of service
E-2Seaman Apprentice (SA)$2,698under 2 years
E-3Seaman (SN)$2,837under 2 years
E-4Petty Officer 3rd Class$3,142under 2 years
  • Plus food allowance (BAS)$460/moFlat enlisted rate, tax-free, paid on top of base pay.
  • Plus housing allowance (BAH)Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is paid on top of base pay and is tax-free, but it varies by duty-station ZIP code, pay grade, and whether you have dependents — there is no single nationwide figure. Use the official DoD BAH calculator for your assignment location.DoD BAH rate lookup →

Source: DFAS 2026 active-duty basic pay tables (3.8% raise, effective Jan 1 2026) · last verified 2026-05-23 · date retrieved 2026-05-23.

Eligibility notes

What AB candidates should check.

  • ABE, ABF, and ABH now each publish the same MyNavyHR ASVAB requirement: VE + AR + MK + AS = 161. Older public tables still show 173 or 184, so use the MyNavyHR community pages as the current score source before comparing snippets.
  • Aviation Boatswain's Mate splits into three sub-rates: ABE (Launch & Recovery Equipment), ABF (Fuels), and ABH (Handling). The Navy.com ABE recruiting page describes ABE as one of three ratings in the Aviation Deck field.
  • ABE Sailors operate, maintain, and perform organizational maintenance on catapults, barricades, arresting gear, water brakes, blast deflectors, and launch/recovery control equipment.
  • ABF Sailors operate and maintain aviation fueling and lubricating-oil systems, fuel farms, fuel quality controls, and related firefighting crews.
  • ABH Sailors supervise aircraft movement, spotting, securing, crash rescue, firefighting, salvage, and damage-control duties around aircraft.
  • All three MyNavyHR AB pages list 20/100 uncorrected vision standards, normal color perception, and normal hearing. ABE and ABH also state visual acuity must be correctable to 20/20.
  • Navy.com lists ABE Class A technical school at Pensacola, Florida, as five weeks. ABF and ABH public MyNavyHR pages do not list a separate A-school length in the score block, so this page keeps the AB training estimate as an about-6-week planning figure.
  • The Navy general AFQT minimum of 31 (Tier I HSDG / 50 Tier II GED) applies to AB applicants in addition to the rating-specific line-score requirement; confirm the current numbers with your Navy recruiter before signing a rating contract.

What is the difference between ABE, ABF, and ABH in the Navy?

ABE, ABF, and ABH are Aviation Boatswain's Mate sub-rates. ABE focuses on launch and recovery equipment such as catapults and arresting gear. ABF focuses on aviation fuels. ABH focuses on aircraft handling, spotting, firefighting, crash rescue, and salvage.

What ASVAB score do you need to be an Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AB)?

The current MyNavyHR ABE, ABF, and ABH community pages each list ASVAB VE + AR + MK + AS = 161. AB applicants also need the Navy general AFQT minimum of 31 for tier-1 applicants.

What ASVAB score do you need for ABE (Aviation Boatswain's Mate Equipment)?

The MyNavyHR ABE community page lists ASVAB VE + AR + MK + AS = 161, plus 20/100 uncorrected vision, normal color perception, and normal hearing requirements. ABE Sailors operate and maintain launch and recovery equipment.

What ASVAB score do you need for ABF (Aviation Boatswain's Mate Fuels)?

The MyNavyHR ABF community page lists ASVAB VE + AR + MK + AS = 161, plus 20/100 uncorrected vision, normal color perception, and normal hearing. ABF Sailors operate aviation fueling and lubricating-oil systems.

What ASVAB score do you need for ABH (Aviation Boatswain's Mate Handling)?

The MyNavyHR ABH community page lists ASVAB VE + AR + MK + AS = 161, plus 20/100 uncorrected vision, normal color perception, and normal hearing. ABH Sailors direct aircraft handling, spotting, crash rescue, firefighting, and salvage.

Why do some AB ASVAB tables show 173 or 184 instead of 161?

Older rating-list PDFs and secondary tables can still appear in search results. This page now uses the current MyNavyHR ABE, ABF, and ABH community pages, which each list VE + AR + MK + AS = 161 as of 2026-07-07.

How long is Aviation Boatswain's Mate A-school?

Navy.com lists Aviation Boatswain's Mate Launch & Recovery (ABE) Class A technical school in Pensacola, Florida, as five weeks. ABF and ABH public score pages do not publish a separate training length in the same score block, so use the 5-6 week range as a planning estimate and confirm the current class pipeline with a recruiter.

What are the rating requirements for AB Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AB)?

The Navy Aviation Boatswain's Mate (AB) rating (AB) requires a minimum AFQT of 31 and VE+AR+MK+AS of at least 161, with initial training of about 6 weeks. Those are the ASVAB-based entry requirements; a recruiter confirms the full enlistment picture (medical, background, and current openings). Source: MyNavyHR ABE/ABF/ABH community pages, last verified 2026-07-07.

Source: MyNavyHR ABE/ABF/ABH community pages · last verified 2026-07-07 · date retrieved 2026-07-07.

Nearby targets

Related Navy score targets.

Related

Practice AFQT plus AB line-score subtests.

AFQT + VE+AR+MK+AS practice targets

Compare Navy ASVAB requirements

Independent test-prep — not affiliated with DoD or the ASVAB program. See officialasvab.com for the test program.

Sources