U.S. uniformed services pay grades: Information from Answers.com

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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 may be used among the seven uniformed services, pay grades are uniform and equivalent between the services and can 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 prior cumulative service in an enlisted and/or warrant 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 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.

1 Enlisted pay grades
2 Warrant officer pay grades
3 Officer pay grades
4 See also

Enlisted pay grades

Pay Grade	Rank by Branch of Service
Pay Grade	Army	Marine Corps	Navy	Air Force	Coast Guard
E-1	Private	Private	Seaman Recruit	Airman Basic	Seaman Recruit
E-2	Private	Private First Class	Seaman Apprentice	Airman	Seaman Apprentice
E-3	Private First Class	Lance Corporal	Seaman	Airman First Class	Seaman
E-4	Specialist Corporal	Corporal	Petty Officer Third Class	Senior Airman	Petty Officer Third Class
E-5	Sergeant	Sergeant	Petty Officer Second Class	Staff Sergeant	Petty Officer Second Class
E-6	Staff Sergeant	Staff Sergeant	Petty Officer First Class	Technical Sergeant	Petty Officer First Class
E-7	Sergeant First Class	Gunnery Sergeant	Chief Petty Officer	Master Sergeant	Chief Petty Officer
E-8	Master Sergeant First Sergeant	Master Sergeant First Sergeant	Senior Chief Petty Officer	Senior Master Sergeant	Senior Chief Petty Officer
E-9	Sergeant Major Command Sergeant Major Sergeant Major of the Army	Master Gunnery Sergeant Sergeant Major Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps	Master Chief Petty Officer Command Master Chief Petty Officer Fleet Master Chief Petty Officer Force Master Chief Petty Officer Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy	Chief Master Sergeant Command Chief Master Sergeant Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force	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	Marines Corps	Navy	Coast Guard
W-1	Warrant Officer 1	Warrant Officer 1
W-2	Chief Warrant Officer 2	Chief Warrant Officer 2	Chief Warrant Officer 2	Chief Warrant Officer 2
W-3	Chief Warrant Officer 3	Chief Warrant Officer 3	Chief Warrant Officer 3	Chief Warrant Officer 3
W-4	Chief Warrant Officer 4	Chief Warrant Officer 4	Chief Warrant Officer 4	Chief Warrant Officer 4
W-5	Chief Warrant Officer 5	Chief Warrant Officer 5	Chief Warrant Officer 5

Officer pay grades

Pay Grade	Rank by Branch of Service
Pay Grade	Army	Marine Corps	Navy	Air Force	Coast Guard	Public Health Service Commissioned Corps	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps
O-1/O-1E	Second Lieutenant	Second Lieutenant	Ensign	Second Lieutenant	Ensign	Ensign	Ensign
O-2/O-2E	First Lieutenant	First Lieutenant	Lieutenant (junior grade)	First Lieutenant	Lieutenant (junior grade)	Lieutenant (junior grade)	Lieutenant (junior grade)
O-3/O-3E	Captain	Captain	Lieutenant	Captain	Lieutenant	Lieutenant	Lieutenant
O-4	Major	Major	Lieutenant Commander	Major	Lieutenant Commander	Lieutenant Commander	Lieutenant Commander
O-5	Lieutenant Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Commander	Lieutenant Colonel	Commander	Commander	Commander
O-6	Colonel	Colonel	Captain	Colonel	Captain	Captain	Captain
O-7	Brigadier General	Brigadier General	Rear Admiral (lower half)	Brigadier General	Rear Admiral (lower half)	Rear Admiral (lower half)	Rear Admiral (lower half)
O-8	Major General	Major General	Rear Admiral	Major General	Rear Admiral	Rear Admiral	Rear Admiral
O-9	Lieutenant General	Lieutenant General	Vice Admiral	Lieutenant General	Vice Admiral	Vice Admiral	Vice Admiral (inactive)
O-10	General	General	Admiral	General	Admiral	Admiral	Admiral (no appointments)

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U.S. uniformed services pay grades

Contents

Enlisted pay grades

Warrant officer pay grades

Officer pay grades

See also