U.S. uniformed services pay grades

Pay grades are used by the uniformed services of the United States to determine wages and benefits based on the corresponding military rank of a member of the services. While different titles or ranks may be used among the seven uniformed services, pay grades are uniform and equivalent between the services and can be used to quickly determine seniority among a group of members from different services. They are also essential when determining a member's entitlements such as basic pay and allowances.

Pay grades are divided into three groups: enlisted (E), warrant officer (W), and officer (O). Enlisted pay grades begin at E-1 and finish at E-9; warrant officer pay grades begin at W-1 and finish at W-5; and officer pay grades begin at O-1 and finish at O-10. Not all of the uniformed services use all of the grades; for example, the Navy does not use the grade W-1, the Air Force discontinued use of the warrant grades in the 1960s, and both the Public Health Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration do not use any of the enlisted or warrant grades in their entirety.

Members in pay grades O-1, O-2, and O-3 with more than four years of prior cumulative service in an enlisted or warrant officer grade are paid increased wages using the special pay grades of O-1E, O-2E, and O-3E, respectively. This benefit does not affect their rank and is used simply for reward and incentive purposes in recognition of their prior enlisted experience.

For pay tables and information on specific pay grade wages and entitlements for members of the uniformed services, see United States military pay.

Equivalent grades in NATO armed forces

The enlisted grades correspond with the NATO rank codes, with E-1 being equivalent to OR-1, E-2 equivalent to OR-2, and so on. The officer grades are all one higher than their NATO equivalent (except O-1) as the O-1 and O-2 grades are both equivalent to the NATO code of OF-1. Hence O-3 is equivalent to OF-2, O-4 is equivalent to OF-3, and so on. The NATO system does not have an equivalent of the U.S. warrant officer grades.

Enlisted pay grades


Pay grade	Rank by branch of service
Pay grade	Marine Corps	Army	Air Force	Navy	Coast Guard
E-1	Private	Private	Airman basic	Seaman recruit	Seaman recruit
E-2	Private first class	Private	Airman	Seaman apprentice	Seaman apprentice
E-3	Lance corporal	Private first class	Airman first class	Seaman	Seaman
E-4	Corporal	Specialist Corporal	Senior airman	Petty officer third class	Petty officer third class
E-5	Sergeant	Sergeant	Staff sergeant	Petty officer second class	Petty officer second class
E-6	Staff sergeant	Staff sergeant	Technical sergeant	Petty officer first class	Petty officer first class
E-7	Gunnery sergeant	Sergeant first class	Master sergeant	Chief petty officer	Chief petty officer
E-8	Master sergeant First sergeant	Master sergeant First sergeant	Senior master sergeant	Senior chief petty officer	Senior chief petty officer
E-9	Master gunnery sergeant Sergeant major Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps	Sergeant major Command sergeant major Sergeant Major of the Army	Chief master sergeant Command chief master sergeant Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force	Master chief petty officer Command master chief petty officer Force master chief petty officer Fleet master chief petty officer Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy	Master chief petty officer Command master chief petty officer Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard

Warrant officer pay grades


Pay grade	Rank by branch of service
Pay grade	Army	Marine Corps	Navy	Coast Guard	Air Force
W-1	Warrant officer 1	Warrant officer 1	not used	not used	discontinued
W-2	Chief warrant officer 2	Chief warrant officer 2	Chief warrant officer 2	Chief warrant officer 2	discontinued
W-3	Chief warrant officer 3	Chief warrant officer 3	Chief warrant officer 3	Chief warrant officer 3	discontinued
W-4	Chief warrant officer 4	Chief warrant officer 4	Chief warrant officer 4	Chief warrant officer 4	discontinued
W-5	Chief warrant officer 5	Chief warrant officer 5	Chief warrant officer 5	not used	NA

Officer pay grades


Pay grade	Rank by branch of services
Pay grade	Army	Marine Corps	Air Force	Navy	Coast Guard	Public Health Service Commissioned Corps	NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps
O-1 O-1E*	Second lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Second lieutenant	Ensign	Ensign	Ensign	Ensign
O-2 O-2E*	First Lieutenant	First lieutenant	First lieutenant	Lieutenant (junior grade)	Lieutenant (junior grade)	Lieutenant (junior grade)	Lieutenant (junior grade)
O-3 O-3E*	Captain	Captain	Captain	Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Lieutenant
O-4	Major	Major	Major	Lieutenant commander	Lieutenant commander	Lieutenant commander	Lieutenant commander
O-5	Lieutenant colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Lieutenant colonel	Commander	Commander	Commander	Commander
O-6	Colonel	Colonel	Colonel	Captain	Captain	Captain	Captain
O-7	Brigadier general	Brigadier general	Brigadier general	Rear admiral (lower half)	Rear admiral (lower half)	Rear admiral (lower half)	Rear admiral (lower half)
O-8	Major general	Major general	Major general	Rear admiral	Rear admiral	Rear admiral	Rear admiral
O-9	Lieutenant general	Lieutenant general	Lieutenant general	Vice admiral	Vice admiral	Vice admiral	Vice admiral
O-10	General	General	General	Admiral	Admiral	Admiral	Admiral (no appointments)
O-11	General of the Army**	N/A	General of the Air Force**	Fleet admiral**	N/A	N/A	N/A

Notes:
* The pay grade designationS O-1E, O-2E, and O-3E pertain to certain officers who have prior enlisted service.
** The ranks of General of the Army, General of the Air Force, and Fleet Admiral (Navy) are considered special ranks that can be conferred in wartime only. While it is still possible for an officer to be selected for these ranks, they do not appear on the current military pay grade scale.

External links

current and historic pay charts