Military Ranks: Everything You Need to Know

(Pfc. Kourtney Nunnery/Army)

Understanding military ranks can be tricky, especially when it comes to knowing the military ranks in order.

Understanding military ranks can be tricky, especially when it comes to knowing the military ranks in order.

Some of the military services -- the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps -- have their own enlisted military rank structures; the Coast Guard and Navy generally mirror each other; and the Space Force relies on the Air Force rank system with the exception of specialists, who replaced airmen.

A service member's military rank doesn't just determine their level of responsibility, but also their pay. That's why each service's ranks are tied to paygrades in an "enlisted," "warrant officer" and "officer" number system, written as the letters "E," "W," "O" and a number.

For example, the lowest military enlisted rank is "E-1," while the highest military officer rank in use is "O-10." While each service may call them something different, they all can be boiled down to "E" and "O." The only rank names and abbreviations that are exactly the same across all services who use them are those for warrant officers.

Related: Calculate your military pay

These military ranks are displayed on service member uniforms through a series of symbols, such as chevrons, stripes, stars and bars.

What Are the Military Ranks?

To learn the military ranks, you need to know what each service specifically calls the E and O levels, their abbreviations and how they look in the symbols, also known as insignias. For officers, Air Force, Army and Marine Corps symbols are largely the same, while the Navy and Coast Guard generally mirror each other.

The rank symbols can vary broadly for enlisted troops, with the Marine Corps and Army having many commonalities, and the Coast Guard and Navy again mirroring each other.

Additionally, while all the military services stick to the same paygrade structure, the Navy and Coast Guard organize their enlisted ranks in a "rate" system. Learn more about Navy enlisted rates and Coast Guard enlisted rates.

What Is the Highest Military Rank?

Generally, the highest U.S. military rank is O-10, or a four-star general. A five-star rank, created during World War II, was meant to be reserved for wartime or exceptional circumstances. Only nine Americans ever have held this rank. The last living five-star general was Omar Bradley, who died in 1981.

Army Ranks

The best way to understand Army ranks in order is to see each pay grade paired with what the service calls the rank and the abbreviation used by the Army. You also can read more details for Army enlisted ranks and Army officer ranks.

Paygrade

Rank

Military Rank Abbreviation

Army Enlisted Ranks

  
E-1Private (Recruit)PVT
E-2PrivatePV2
E-3Private First ClassPFC
E-4SpecialistSPC

Army Non-Commissioned Officers (NCO) Ranks

  
E-4CorporalCPL
E-5SergeantSGT
E-6Staff SergeantSSG
E-7Sergeant First ClassSFC
E-8

Master Sergeant

First Sergeant

MSG

1SG

E-9

Sergeant Major

Command Sergeant Major

SGM

CSM

E-9 (special)Sergeant Major of the ArmySMA

Army Warrant Officer Ranks

  
W-1Warrant Officer 1WO1
W-2Chief Warrant Officer 2CW2
W-3Chief Warrant Officer 3CW3
W-4Chief Warrant Officer 4CW4
W-5Chief Warrant Officer 5CW5

Army Commissioned Officers Ranks

  
O-12nd Lieutenant2LT
O-21st Lieutenant1LT
O-3CaptainCPT
O-4MajorMAJ
O-5Lieutenant ColonelLTC
O-6ColonelCOL
O-7Brigadier GeneralBG
O-8Major GeneralMG
O-9Lieutenant GeneralLTG
O-10

Army Chief of Staff (special)

General

GEN

GEN

Air Force Ranks

The best way to understand Air Force ranks in order is to see each paygrade paired with what the service calls the rank and the abbreviation used by the Air Force. Unlike the other services, the Air Force does not have warrant officers. You can also see more specifics for Air Force enlisted ranks and Air Force officer ranks.

Paygrade

Rank

Military Rank Abbreviation

Air Force Enlisted Ranks  
E-1Airman BasicAB
E-2AirmanAmn
E-3Airman First ClassA1C
E-4Senior AirmanSrA
Air Force Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Ranks  
E-5Staff SergeantSSgt
E-6Technical SergeantTSgt
E-7Master SergeantMSgt
E-8Senior Master SergeantSMSgt
E-9

First Sergeant (Chief Master Sergeant)

Chief Master Sergeant

CMSgt
SpecialChief Master Sergeant of the Air ForceCMSAF
Air Force Commissioned Officer Ranks  
O-12nd Lieutenant2d Lt
O-21st Lieutenant1st Lt
O-3CaptainCapt
O-4MajorMaj
O-5Lieutenant ColonelLt Col
O-6ColonelCol
O-7Brigadier GeneralBrig Gen
O-8Major GeneralMaj Gen
O-9Lieutenant GeneralLt Gen
O-10

Air Force Chief of Staff (special)

General

Gen

Coast Guard and Navy Ranks

Both maritime services, the Navy and Coast Guard use a rank structure that mirrors each other. While the symbols for the ranks used on their uniforms are different shades of blue, if you learn to recognize the ranks for one, you'll know the ranks for the other. You also can see more specifics for Navy enlisted ranks, organized by rates; Navy officer ranks; Coast Guard enlisted ranks and rates; and Coast Guard officer ranks.

Paygrade

Rank

Military Rank Abbreviation

Coast Guard and Navy Enlisted Ranks  
E-1Seaman RecruitSR
E-2Seaman ApprenticeSA
E-3SeamanSN
Coast Guard and Navy Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Ranks  
E-4Petty Officer Third ClassPO3
E-5Petty Officer Second ClassPO2
E-6Petty Officer First ClassPO1
E-7Chief Petty OfficerCPO
E-8Senior Chief Petty OfficerSCPO
E-9Master Chief Petty OfficerMCPO

Special (Navy)

Special (Coast Guard)

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy

Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard

MCPON

MCPOCG

Coast Guard and Navy Warrant Officer Ranks  
W-1Warrant Officer 1W01
W-2Chief Warrant Officer 2CW02
W-3Chief Warrant Officer 3CW03
W-4Chief Warrant Officer 4CW04
W-5Chief Warrant OfficerCW05
Coast Guard and Navy Commissioned Officer Ranks  
O-1EnsignENS
O-2Lieutenant, Junior GradeLTJG
O-3LieutenantLT
O-4Lieutenant CommanderLCDR
O-5CommanderCDR
O-6CaptainCAPT
O-7Rear Admiral (Lower Half)RDML
O-8Rear Admiral (Upper Half)RADM
O-9Vice AdmiralVADM
O-10

Chief of Naval Operations (special)

Commandant of the Coast Guard (special)

Admiral

ADM

Marine Corps Ranks

The best way to understand Marine Corps ranks in order is to see each paygrade paired with what the service calls the rank and the abbreviation used by the Marine Corps. You can also read more details for Marine Corps enlisted ranks and Marine Corps officer ranks.

Paygrade

Rank

Military Rank Abbreviation

Marine Corps Enlisted Ranks  
E-1PrivatePvt
E-2Private First ClassPFC
E-3Lance CorporalLCpl
Marine Corps Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Ranks  
E-4CorporalCpl
E-5SergeantSgt
E-6Staff SergeantSSgt
E-7Gunnery SergeantGySgt
E-8

Master Sergeant

First Sergeant

Mgst

1stSgt

E-9

Master Gunnery Sergeant

Sergeant Major

MGySgt

SgtMaj

SpecialSergeant Major of the Marine CorpsSgtMajMarCor
Marine Corps Warrant Officer Ranks  
W-1Warrant OfficerW01
W-2Chief Warrant Officer 2CW2
W-3Chief Warrant Officer 3CW3
W-4Chief Warrant Officer 4CW4
W-5Chief Warrant Officer 5CW5
Marine Corps Commissioned Officer Ranks  
O-12nd Lieutenant2ndLt
O-21st Lieutenant1stLt
O-3CaptainCapt
O-4MajorMaj
O-5Lieutenant ColonelLtCol
O-6ColonelCol
O-7Brigadier GeneralBGen
O-8Major GeneralMajGen
O-9Lieutenant GeneralLtGen
O-10

Commandant of the Marine Corps

General

Gen

Space Force Ranks

The best way to understand Space Force ranks in order is to see each paygrade paired with what the service calls the rank and the abbreviation used by the Space Force. You also can read more details for Space Force enlisted ranks and Space Force officer ranks

Paygrade

Rank

Military Rank Abbreviation

Space Force Enlisted Ranks  
E-1Specialist 1Spc1
E-2Specialist 2Spc2
E-3Specialist 3Spc3
E-4Specialist 4Spc4
Space Force Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) Ranks  
E-5Staff SergeantSSgt
E-6Technical SergeantTSgt
E-7Master SergeantMSgt
E-8Senior Master SergeantSMSgt
E-9Chief Master SergeantCMSgt
SpecialChief Master Sergeant of the Space ForceCMSSF
Space Force Commissioned Officer Ranks  
O-12nd Lieutenant2d Lt
O-21st Lieutenant1st Lt
O-3CaptainCapt
O-4MajorMaj
O-5Lieutenant ColonelLt Col
O-6ColonelCol
O-7Brigadier GeneralBrig Gen
O-8Major GeneralMaj Gen
O-9Lieutenant GeneralLt Gen
O-10GeneralGen
SpecialChief of Space OperationsCSO

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