This articlemay be in need of reorganization to comply with Wikipedia'slayout guidelines. Please help byediting the article to make improvements to the overall structure.(June 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Pay grades^[1] are used by the eight structurally organizeduniformed services of the United States^[2] (Army,Marine Corps,Navy,Air Force,Space Force,Coast Guard,Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, andNOAA Commissioned Officer Corps), as well as theMaritime Service, to determine wages and benefits based on the correspondingmilitary rank of a member of the services. While different ranks may be used among the eight 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.^[3] They are also essential when determining a member's entitlements such asbasic pay and allowances.^[4]

Pay grades are divided into three groups:^[1]enlisted (E),warrant officer (W), andofficer (O). Enlisted pay grades begin at E-1 and end at E-9; warrant officer pay grades originate at W-1 and terminate at W-5; and officer pay grades start at O-1 and finish at O-10.^[a] Not all of the uniformed services use all of the grades; for example, theCoast Guard does not use the grades of W-1 and W-5, though it has the authority to.^[8][9]

Although authorized to do so, neither theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA Corps) nor theUnited States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps use any of the enlisted or warrant officer grades.^{[6][10][11][12][13]} Additionally, while not officially part of the uniformed services as defined by U.S. law,^[14] theMaritime Service (which provides officers serving in theMaritime Administration and as administrators and instructors at theU.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), and thesix state-operated maritime academies)^[15][16] is also authorized, but does not currently employ, enlisted^[17] or warrant officer grades.^[18]

Officers in pay grades O-1, O-2, and O-3 with more than four years of prior cumulative service (creditable toward both length of service and retirement) in an enlisted or warrant officer grade are paid "... the special rate of basic pay for pay grade O-1E, O-2E, or O-3E,"^[19] respectively.^[4] This benefit does not affect their rank and is used simply for reward and incentive purposes in recognition of their prior enlisted (or warrant officer) experience. A cumulative total of 1,440 days of creditable Federal active duty and/or reserve inactive duty for training days is required to qualify.^[20][21]

The pay grade of W-1 is normally reserved for officers appointed using a "warrant"^[3][22] rather than a "commission"^[23][24] by theSecretary of Defense or by each of the service secretaries, using authority delegated from the President,^[25] to an intermediate rank between enlisted non-commissioned officers and commissioned officers (starting at W-2).^[9] However, appointments to this grade can be made by commission by the service secretaries, defense secretary, or the President,^[22] but this is more uncommon. By law, regulation, and traditional customs and courtesies across the military services, warrant officers serving in pay grade W-1 have the same privileges as commissioned officers (with certain exceptions grounded in the distinction required in the Constitution that all "officers of the United States" be commissioned,^[26] which affects the command authority and specific standing of W-1's under theUniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) and theManual for Courts-Martial).^{[27][28][29][30][31]}

Whilecadets andmidshipmen directly appointed by the President to four of theFederal Service Academies (U.S. Military Academy;U.S. Naval Academy;U.S. Air Force Academy;U.S. Coast Guard Academy) are members of the Regular Component of their Service,^[3] serving on active duty, they hold neither a commission nor a warrant of appointment, nor do they hold an enlisted grade or rank.^[32] U.S. statutes no longer include any pay grade for cadets or midshipmen;^[1] as "inchoate officers"^[33][34] appointed using theAppointments Clause of theU.S. Constitution^[35] as "inferior officers," they are recognized as having only a precedence below the most junior warrant officer, and above the enlisted grades, and almost entirely lack any authority over any other servicemembers (including other cadets and midshipmen) except for specific internal Academy functions, or very narrowly drawn training purposes while serving with their Service for leadership and skills development.^[30]

Those appointed to attend theU.S. Merchant Marine Academy (the fifth Federal Service Academy), by the Administrator of theMaritime Administration (within theDepartment of Transportation),^[36][37] will also be appointed by theSecretary of the Navy directly as Midshipmen,U.S. Navy Reserve, without enlistment.^[38] Additionally, the Service Secretaries will appoint the cadets or midshipmen of the SeniorReserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC),^[39][40] but unlike the cadets and midshipmen of each Federal Service Academy, ROTC cadets and midshipmen are first enlisted into the reserve component of their respective service.^{[41][42][43][3][44][45]} Cadets and midshipmen from both the USMMA and ROTC are appointed as "inchoate officers"^[33][34] without a commission or warrant,^[33] but unlike the other four Federal service academies, they are also appointed under Article II as "inferior officers" in their respective reserve component,^[35] and only serve on active duty during authorized training events (typically the "Sea Year" for USMMA midshipmen,^[17] or for ROTC during the summers between years of college).^[4][45][42] They share the ill-defined precedence, and lack of statutory pay grade, of cadets and midshipmen of the Academies, and have even less apparent authority (since they are generally not in any official duty status) beyond their internal USMMA and ROTC requirements, although they—like the cadets and midshipmen serving in the Regular Component at the Federal Service Academies—have the innate potential to command troops in emergencies, and otherwise perform duties far beyond their academic environment, as required by competent authorities.^{[17][30][31][32][33][34][41]}

The basic pay rate for both Academy and non-active duty ROTC cadets and midshipmen is $1,272.20, effective 1 January 2023, which is "the monthly rate equal to 35 percent of the basic pay of a commissioned officer in the pay grade O–1 with less than two years of service."^[46][20][45]

The enlisted grades correspond with theNATOrank codes,^[47] 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. U.S. warrant officer grades (W-1 through W-5) are depicted in the NATO system asWO-1 through WO-5. The United States is the only nation that has officers in this category.

Rank by branch of service[1][3]
Uniformed services pay grade	Special			E-9			E-8		E-7		E-6						E-5						E-4				E-3		E-2						E-1
United States Army[48]																																			No insignia
	Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman	Sergeant Major of the Army	Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau	Command sergeant major		Sergeant major	First sergeant	Master sergeant	Sergeant first class		Staff sergeant						Sergeant						Corporal		Specialist		Private first class		Private						Private
United States Marine Corps[48]																																			No insignia
	Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman	Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps		Sergeant major		Master gunnery sergeant	First sergeant	Master sergeant	Gunnery sergeant		Staff sergeant						Sergeant						Corporal				Lance corporal		Private first class						Private
United States Navy[48]																																			No insignia
	Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy		Fleet/force master chief petty officer	Command master chief petty officer	Master chief petty officer	Command senior chief petty officer	Senior chief petty officer	Chief petty officer		Petty officer first class						Petty officer second class						Petty officer third class				Seaman		Seaman apprentice						Seaman recruit
Uniformed services pay grade	Special			E-9			E-8		E-7		E-6						E-5						E-4				E-3		E-2						E-1
United States Air Force[48]																																			No insignia
	Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman	Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force	Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau	Command Chief Master Sergeant	First sergeant	Chief master sergeant	First sergeant	Senior master sergeant	First sergeant	Master sergeant	Technical sergeant						Staff sergeant						Senior airman				Airman first class		Airman						Airman basic
United States Space Force[48]
	Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman	Chief Master Sergeant of the Space Force		Chief master sergeant			Senior master sergeant		Master sergeant		Technical sergeant						Sergeant						Specialist 4				Specialist 3		Specialist 2						Specialist 1
United States Coast Guard[48]
	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard			Area-level Command Master Chief Petty Officer	Command master chief petty officer	Master chief petty officer	Senior chief petty officer		Chief petty officer		Petty officer first class						Petty officer second class						Petty officer third class				Seaman		Seaman apprentice						Seaman recruit
Uniformed services pay grade	Special			E-9			E-8		E-7		E-6						E-5						E-4				E-3		E-2						E-1

Note: The Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps consist entirely ofcommissioned officers and do not use any of the enlisted (or warrant officer) pay grades.

Rank by branch of service[1][3]
Uniformed services pay grade	W-5		W-4		W-3		W-2		W-1
United States Army[50] v t e
	Chief warrant officer 5		Chief warrant officer 4		Chief warrant officer 3		Chief warrant officer 2		Warrant officer 1
United States Marine Corps[50] v t e
	Chief warrant officer 5		Chief warrant officer 4		Chief warrant officer 3		Chief warrant officer 2		Warrant officer 1
United States Navy[50] v t e
	Chief warrant officer 5		Chief warrant officer 4		Chief warrant officer 3		Chief warrant officer 2		Warrant officer 1
United States Air Force v t e
	Chief warrant officer 5		Chief warrant officer 4		Chief warrant officer 3		Chief warrant officer 2		Warrant officer 1
U.S. Coast Guard v t e
			Chief warrant officer 4		Chief warrant officer 3		Chief warrant officer 2
Uniformed services pay grade	W-5		W-4		W-3		W-2		W-1

Rank by branch of service^[1][3]

Uniformed services pay grade	Special grade		O-10		O-9		O-8		O-7		O-6		O-5		O-4		O-3		O-2			O-1
United States Army[51] v t e
	General of the Army		General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		First lieutenant			Second lieutenant
United States Marine Corps[52] v t e
			General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		First lieutenant			Second lieutenant
United States Navy[50] v t e
	Fleet admiral		Admiral		Vice admiral		Rear admiral		Rear admiral (lower half)		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Lieutenant (junior grade)			Ensign
United States Air Force[50] v t e
	General of the Air Force		General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		First lieutenant			Second lieutenant
Uniformed services pay grade	Special grade		O-10		O-9		O-8		O-7		O-6		O-5		O-4		O-3		O-2			O-1
United States Space Force[50] v t e
			General		Lieutenant general		Major general		Brigadier general		Colonel		Lieutenant colonel		Major		Captain		First lieutenant			Second lieutenant
United States Coast Guard[50] v t e
			Admiral		Vice admiral		Rear admiral		Rear admiral (lower half)		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Lieutenant (junior grade)			Ensign
United States Public Health Service v t e
			Admiral		Vice admiral		Rear admiral		Rear admiral (lower half)		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Lieutenant (junior grade)			Ensign
NOAA v t e
					Vice admiral		Rear admiral		Rear admiral (lower half)		Captain		Commander		Lieutenant commander		Lieutenant		Lieutenant (junior grade)			Ensign
Uniformed services pay grade	Special grade		O-10		O-9		O-8		O-7		O-6		O-5		O-4		O-3		O-2			O-1

• List of comparative military ranks
• Ranks and insignia of NATO
• General Schedule (US civil service pay scale)
• Military compensation

 This article incorporatespublic domain material from websites or documents of theUnited States Government.

• Current and historic pay charts

• United States Department of Defense
• United States military pay and benefits

• Pages with reference errors
• Pages with duplicate reference names
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Use American English from December 2022
• All Wikipedia articles written in American English
• Use dmy dates from December 2022
• Wikipedia articles needing reorganization from June 2019