Coast Guard Ranks in Order: Abbreviations and Pay Grades
The Coast Guard has nine enlisted pay grades (E-1 Seaman Recruit up to E-9 Master Chief Petty Officer), three warrant officer pay grades (W-2 to W-4) and ten officer pay grades ending at O-10 Admiral. 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
Coast Guard enlisted ranks in order
Coast Guard enlisted ranks run E-1 Seaman Recruit to E-9 Master Chief Petty Officer: 9 pay grades and 9 rank titles, plus Fleet/Command Master Chief Petty Officer as a position inside a grade.
| Rank | Abbreviation | Pay grade | 2026 monthly basic pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seaman Recruit | SR | E-1 | $2,407.20 |
| Seaman Apprentice | SA | E-2 | $2,697.90 |
| Seaman | SN | E-3 | $2,836.80 – $3,198.00 |
| Petty Officer Third Class | PO3 | E-4 | $3,142.20 – $3,815.40 |
| Petty Officer Second Class | PO2 | E-5 | $3,342.90 – $4,421.70 |
| Petty Officer First Class | PO1 | E-6 | $3,401.10 – $5,267.70 |
| Chief Petty Officer | CPO | E-7 | $3,932.10 – $7,067.40 |
| Senior Chief Petty Officer | SCPO | E-8 | $5,656.50 – $8,067.30 |
| Master Chief Petty Officer | MCPO | E-9 | $6,910.20 – $10,729.20 |
| Fleet/Command Master Chief Petty Officer position within E-9 | — | 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 Coast Guard is the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG), an E-9 position the defense.gov page lists apart from the other E-9 titles. The MCPOCG is paid $11,166.90 a month in basic pay at any length of service.
The Coast Guard is a part of the Department of Homeland Security in peacetime and the Navy in times of war; its rank titles, E-1 to O-10, are compared with the Navy below.
The defense.gov page adds that Coast Guard rank insignia are the same as the Navy except for color and the seaman recruit rank, which has one stripe.
Coast Guard warrant officer ranks in order
Coast Guard warrant officer ranks run W-2 Chief Warrant Officer 2 to W-4 Chief Warrant Officer 4, 3 pay grades.
| Rank | Abbreviation | Pay grade | 2026 monthly basic pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Warrant Officer 2 | CWO2 | W-2 | $4,621.80 – $7,714.20 |
| Chief Warrant Officer 3 | CWO3 | W-3 | $5,223.30 – $9,162.60 |
| Chief Warrant Officer 4 | CWO4 | W-4 | $5,719.80 – $10,653.60 |
The Coast Guard has warrant officers at W-2, W-3, W-4 only: the defense.gov page lists N/A for W-1 and W-5.
Coast Guard commissioned officer ranks in order
Coast Guard commissioned officer ranks run O-1 Ensign to O-10 Admiral, 10 pay grades.
| Rank | Abbreviation | Pay grade | 2026 monthly basic pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ensign | ENS | O-1 | $4,150.20 – $5,222.40 |
| Lieutenant Junior Grade | LTJG | O-2 | $4,782.00 – $6,617.70 |
| Lieutenant | LT | O-3 | $5,534.10 – $9,004.20 |
| Lieutenant Commander | LCDR | O-4 | $6,294.60 – $10,509.90 |
| Commander | CDR | O-5 | $7,295.40 – $12,394.80 |
| Captain | CAPT | O-6 | $8,751.30 – $15,408.30* |
| Rear Admiral Lower Half | RDML | O-7 | $11,540.10 – $17,242.20 |
| Rear Admiral Upper Half | RADM | O-8 | $13,888.50 – $18,999.90* |
| Vice Admiral | VADM | O-9 | $18,999.90* |
| Admiral | ADM | O-10 | $18,999.90* |
O-10 Admiral is the highest grade listed for the Coast Guard 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 Coast Guard ranks differ from the other branches
The Coast Guard shares its titles at the most pay grades with the Navy (22 of 22). The table shows, branch by branch, where the same pay grade has a different title.
| Branch | Same titles | Where the title differs |
|---|---|---|
| Army | 3 of 22 pay grades | E-4 Petty Officer Third Class in the Coast Guard; Specialist or Corporal in the Army O-3 Lieutenant in the Coast Guard; Captain in the Army O-6 Captain in the Coast Guard; Colonel in the Army 3 of 19 shown |
| Navy | 22 of 22 pay grades | None: every pay grade both branches have uses the same titles. |
| Air Force | 0 of 19 pay grades | E-4 Petty Officer Third Class in the Coast Guard; Senior Airman in the Air Force O-3 Lieutenant in the Coast Guard; Captain in the Air Force O-6 Captain in the Coast Guard; Colonel in the Air Force 3 of 19 shown |
| Marine Corps | 3 of 22 pay grades | E-4 Petty Officer Third Class in the Coast Guard; Corporal in the Marine Corps O-3 Lieutenant in the Coast Guard; Captain in the Marine Corps O-6 Captain in the Coast Guard; Colonel in the Marine Corps 3 of 19 shown |
| Space Force | 0 of 19 pay grades | E-4 Petty Officer Third Class in the Coast Guard; Specialist 4 in the Space Force O-3 Lieutenant in the Coast Guard; Captain in the Space Force O-6 Captain in the Coast Guard; Colonel in the Space Force 3 of 19 shown |
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.
Coast Guard ranks FAQ
- What are the Coast Guard ranks in order?
- Enlisted: E-1 Seaman Recruit; E-2 Seaman Apprentice; E-3 Seaman; E-4 Petty Officer Third Class; E-5 Petty Officer Second Class; E-6 Petty Officer First Class; E-7 Chief Petty Officer; E-8 Senior Chief Petty Officer; E-9 Master Chief Petty Officer (position at this grade: Fleet/Command Master Chief Petty Officer). Warrant officer: W-2 Chief Warrant Officer 2; W-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3; W-4 Chief Warrant Officer 4. Commissioned officer: O-1 Ensign; O-2 Lieutenant Junior Grade; O-3 Lieutenant; O-4 Lieutenant Commander; O-5 Commander; O-6 Captain; O-7 Rear Admiral Lower Half; O-8 Rear Admiral Upper Half; O-9 Vice Admiral; O-10 Admiral.
- What is the lowest rank in the Coast Guard?
- The lowest Coast Guard rank is Seaman Recruit (SR), pay grade E-1, paid $2,407.20 a month in basic pay in 2026.
- What is the highest rank in the Coast Guard?
- The highest Coast Guard rank in the pay table is Admiral (ADM), pay grade O-10, paid $18,999.90 a month, the Executive Schedule Level II cap.
- What rank is E-5 in the Coast Guard?
- E-5 in the Coast Guard is Petty Officer Second Class (PO2). 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 Petty Officer Second Class make in 2026?
- Petty Officer Second Class is pay grade E-5 in the Coast Guard. 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 Lieutenant make in 2026?
- Lieutenant is pay grade O-3 in the Coast Guard. 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 Coast Guard have warrant officers?
- Yes. W-2 Chief Warrant Officer 2; W-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3; W-4 Chief Warrant Officer 4. The Coast Guard has no W-1 and W-5.
- Who is the senior enlisted advisor of the Coast Guard?
- The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard (MCPOCG), an E-9 position paid $11,166.90 a month at any length of service.