Army Ranks in Order: Abbreviations and Pay Grades
The Army has nine enlisted pay grades (E-1 Private up to E-9 Sergeant Major), five warrant officer pay grades (W-1 to W-5) and ten officer pay grades ending at O-10 General. Pay grade, not the rank name, sets basic pay: $2,407.20 to $18,999.90 a month in 2026.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Page reviewed against DFAS pay tables and defense.gov rank titles October 27, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Army enlisted ranks in order
Army enlisted ranks run E-1 Private to E-9 Sergeant Major: 9 pay grades and 10 rank titles, plus First Sergeant and Command Sergeant Major as positions inside a grade.
| Rank | Abbreviation | Pay grade | 2026 monthly basic pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private | — | E-1 | $2,407.20 |
| Private | PV2 | E-2 | $2,697.90 |
| Private First Class | PFC | E-3 | $2,836.80 – $3,198.00 |
| Specialist | SPC | E-4 | $3,142.20 – $3,815.40 |
| Corporal | CPL | E-4 | $3,142.20 – $3,815.40 |
| Sergeant | SGT | E-5 | $3,342.90 – $4,421.70 |
| Staff Sergeant | SSG | E-6 | $3,401.10 – $5,267.70 |
| Sergeant First Class | SFC | E-7 | $3,932.10 – $7,067.40 |
| Master Sergeant | MSG | E-8 | $5,656.50 – $8,067.30 |
| First Sergeant position within E-8 | 1SG | E-8 | $5,656.50 – $8,067.30 |
| Sergeant Major | SGM | E-9 | $6,910.20 – $10,729.20 |
| Command Sergeant Major position within E-9 | CSM | E-9 | $6,910.20 – $10,729.20 |
A dash means defense.gov lists no abbreviation for that rank.
An E-1 with under four months of active duty is paid $2,225.70 a month; the E-1 row above is the rate after that.
The senior enlisted person of the Army is the Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA), an E-9 position the defense.gov page lists apart from the other E-9 titles. The SMA is paid $11,166.90 a month in basic pay at any length of service.
The Army has two ranks at E-4. A corporal is expected to fill a leadership role and has a higher rank than a specialist, even though both receive E-4 pay.
The tables list Specialist before Corporal, lowest to highest: the Army footnote on the defense.gov page says that, for rank and precedence within the Army, specialist ranks immediately below corporal.
Army warrant officer ranks in order
Army warrant officer ranks run W-1 Warrant Officer 1 to W-5 Chief Warrant Officer 5, 5 pay grades.
| Rank | Abbreviation | Pay grade | 2026 monthly basic pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrant Officer 1 | WO1 | W-1 | $4,056.60 – $7,010.10 |
| Chief Warrant Officer 2 | CW2 | W-2 | $4,621.80 – $7,714.20 |
| Chief Warrant Officer 3 | CW3 | W-3 | $5,223.30 – $9,162.60 |
| Chief Warrant Officer 4 | CW4 | W-4 | $5,719.80 – $10,653.60 |
| Chief Warrant Officer 5 | CW5 | W-5 | $10,169.70 – $13,308.30 |
Army commissioned officer ranks in order
Army commissioned officer ranks run O-1 Second Lieutenant to O-10 General, 10 pay grades.
| Rank | Abbreviation | Pay grade | 2026 monthly basic pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Second Lieutenant | 2LT | O-1 | $4,150.20 – $5,222.40 |
| First Lieutenant | 1LT | O-2 | $4,782.00 – $6,617.70 |
| Captain | CPT | O-3 | $5,534.10 – $9,004.20 |
| Major | MAJ | O-4 | $6,294.60 – $10,509.90 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | LTC | O-5 | $7,295.40 – $12,394.80 |
| Colonel | COL | O-6 | $8,751.30 – $15,408.30* |
| Brigadier General | BG | O-7 | $11,540.10 – $17,242.20 |
| Major General | MG | O-8 | $13,888.50 – $18,999.90* |
| Lieutenant General | LTG | O-9 | $18,999.90* |
| General | GEN | O-10 | $18,999.90* |
The defense.gov page also lists General of the Army for the Army, a rank reserved for wartime only; it gives no pay grade or pay for it, so it is not in the table.
Basic pay at Executive Schedule Level V is capped at $15,408.30 a month in 2026; amounts held at that cap for O-6 are marked with an asterisk.
Basic pay at Executive Schedule Level II is capped at $18,999.90 a month in 2026; amounts held at that cap for O-8 to O-10 are marked with an asterisk.
How Army ranks differ from the other branches
The Army shares its titles at the most pay grades with the Marine Corps (19 of 24). The table shows, branch by branch, where the same pay grade has a different title.
| Branch | Same titles | Where the title differs |
|---|---|---|
| Navy | 5 of 24 pay grades | E-4 Specialist or Corporal in the Army; Petty Officer Third Class in the Navy O-3 Captain in the Army; Lieutenant in the Navy O-6 Colonel in the Army; Captain in the Navy 3 of 19 shown |
| Air Force | 10 of 19 pay grades | E-4 Specialist or Corporal in the Army; Senior Airman in the Air Force E-7 Sergeant First Class in the Army; Master Sergeant (position at this grade: First Sergeant) in the Air Force E-9 Sergeant Major (position at this grade: Command Sergeant Major) in the Army; Chief Master Sergeant (positions at this grade: First Sergeant, Command Chief Master Sergeant) in the Air Force 3 of 9 shown |
| Marine Corps | 19 of 24 pay grades | E-2 Private in the Army; Private First Class in the Marine Corps E-3 Private First Class in the Army; Lance Corporal in the Marine Corps E-4 Specialist or Corporal in the Army; Corporal in the Marine Corps E-7 Sergeant First Class in the Army; Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps E-9 Sergeant Major (position at this grade: Command Sergeant Major) in the Army; Master Gunnery Sergeant or Sergeant Major in the Marine Corps |
| Coast Guard | 3 of 22 pay grades | E-4 Specialist or Corporal in the Army; Petty Officer Third Class in the Coast Guard O-3 Captain in the Army; Lieutenant in the Coast Guard O-6 Colonel in the Army; Captain in the Coast Guard 3 of 19 shown |
| Space Force | 11 of 19 pay grades | E-1 Private in the Army; Specialist 1 in the Space Force E-2 Private in the Army; Specialist 2 in the Space Force E-3 Private First Class in the Army; Specialist 3 in the Space Force E-4 Specialist or Corporal in the Army; Specialist 4 in the Space Force E-6 Staff Sergeant in the Army; Technical Sergeant in the Space Force E-7 Sergeant First Class in the Army; Master Sergeant in the Space Force E-8 Master Sergeant (position at this grade: First Sergeant) in the Army; Senior Master Sergeant in the Space Force E-9 Sergeant Major (position at this grade: Command Sergeant Major) in the Army; Chief Master Sergeant in the Space Force |
These are 2026 rates. A 2027 raise is not final: the proposals would take effect on January 1, 2027, and none is enacted yet. The military pay raise 2027 page tracks where each stands.
Army ranks FAQ
- What are the Army ranks in order?
- Enlisted: E-1 Private; E-2 Private; E-3 Private First Class; E-4 Specialist or Corporal; E-5 Sergeant; E-6 Staff Sergeant; E-7 Sergeant First Class; E-8 Master Sergeant (position at this grade: First Sergeant); E-9 Sergeant Major (position at this grade: Command Sergeant Major). Warrant officer: W-1 Warrant Officer 1; W-2 Chief Warrant Officer 2; W-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3; W-4 Chief Warrant Officer 4; W-5 Chief Warrant Officer 5. Commissioned officer: O-1 Second Lieutenant; O-2 First Lieutenant; O-3 Captain; O-4 Major; O-5 Lieutenant Colonel; O-6 Colonel; O-7 Brigadier General; O-8 Major General; O-9 Lieutenant General; O-10 General. The Army lists Specialist before Corporal because, for rank and precedence within the Army, specialist ranks immediately below corporal (defense.gov footnote).
- What is the lowest rank in the Army?
- The lowest Army rank is Private, pay grade E-1, paid $2,407.20 a month in basic pay in 2026.
- What is the highest rank in the Army?
- The highest Army rank in the pay table is General (GEN), pay grade O-10, paid $18,999.90 a month, the Executive Schedule Level II cap. General of the Army is listed as reserved for wartime only.
- What rank is E-5 in the Army?
- E-5 in the Army is Sergeant (SGT). E-5 basic pay is $3,342.90 to $4,421.70 a month in 2026, depending on years of service.
- How much does a Sergeant make in 2026?
- Sergeant is pay grade E-5 in the Army. Monthly basic pay is $3,342.90 to $4,421.70 depending on years of service, or $40,114.80 to $53,060.40 a year (monthly times 12). That is basic pay only; BAH, BAS and special pays are extra.
- How much does a Captain make in 2026?
- Captain is pay grade O-3 in the Army. Monthly basic pay is $5,534.10 to $9,004.20 depending on years of service, or $66,409.20 to $108,050.40 a year (monthly times 12). That is basic pay only; BAH, BAS and special pays are extra.
- Does the Army have warrant officers?
- Yes. W-1 Warrant Officer 1; W-2 Chief Warrant Officer 2; W-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3; W-4 Chief Warrant Officer 4; W-5 Chief Warrant Officer 5.
- Who is the senior enlisted advisor of the Army?
- The Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA), an E-9 position paid $11,166.90 a month at any length of service.