Marine Corps Ranks in Order: Abbreviations and Pay Grades
The Marine Corps has nine enlisted pay grades (E-1 Private up to E-9 Master Gunnery Sergeant), 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
Marine Corps enlisted ranks in order
Marine Corps enlisted ranks run E-1 Private to E-9 Master Gunnery Sergeant: 9 pay grades and 10 rank titles, plus First Sergeant as a position inside a grade.
| Rank | Abbreviation | Pay grade | 2026 monthly basic pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private | — | E-1 | $2,407.20 |
| Private First Class | PFC | E-2 | $2,697.90 |
| Lance Corporal | LCpl | E-3 | $2,836.80 – $3,198.00 |
| Corporal | Cpl | E-4 | $3,142.20 – $3,815.40 |
| Sergeant | Sgt | E-5 | $3,342.90 – $4,421.70 |
| Staff Sergeant | SSgt | E-6 | $3,401.10 – $5,267.70 |
| Gunnery Sergeant | GySgt | E-7 | $3,932.10 – $7,067.40 |
| Master Sergeant | MSgt | E-8 | $5,656.50 – $8,067.30 |
| First Sergeant position within E-8 | — | E-8 | $5,656.50 – $8,067.30 |
| Master Gunnery Sergeant | MGySgt | E-9 | $6,910.20 – $10,729.20 |
| Sergeant Major | SgtMaj | 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 Marine Corps is the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SgtMajMC), an E-9 position the defense.gov page lists apart from the other E-9 titles. The SgtMajMC is paid $11,166.90 a month in basic pay at any length of service.
In the Marine Corps, a master gunnery sergeant and a sergeant major are both E-9s, but the sergeant major has the higher rank.
Marine Corps warrant officer ranks in order
Marine Corps 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 | WO | W-1 | $4,056.60 – $7,010.10 |
| 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 |
| Chief Warrant Officer 5 | CWO5 | W-5 | $10,169.70 – $13,308.30 |
Marine Corps commissioned officer ranks in order
Marine Corps 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 | 2ndLt | O-1 | $4,150.20 – $5,222.40 |
| First Lieutenant | 1stLt | O-2 | $4,782.00 – $6,617.70 |
| Captain | Capt | O-3 | $5,534.10 – $9,004.20 |
| Major | Maj | O-4 | $6,294.60 – $10,509.90 |
| Lieutenant Colonel | LtCol | O-5 | $7,295.40 – $12,394.80 |
| Colonel | Col | O-6 | $8,751.30 – $15,408.30* |
| Brigadier General | BGen | O-7 | $11,540.10 – $17,242.20 |
| Major General | MajGen | O-8 | $13,888.50 – $18,999.90* |
| Lieutenant General | LtGen | O-9 | $18,999.90* |
| General | Gen | O-10 | $18,999.90* |
The defense.gov page lists no wartime-only five-star rank for the Marine Corps (N/A), so O-10 is the top of 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 Marine Corps ranks differ from the other branches
The Marine Corps shares its titles at the most pay grades with the Army (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Army | 19 of 24 pay grades | E-2 Private First Class in the Marine Corps; Private in the Army E-3 Lance Corporal in the Marine Corps; Private First Class in the Army E-4 Corporal in the Marine Corps; Specialist or Corporal in the Army E-7 Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps; Sergeant First Class in the Army E-9 Master Gunnery Sergeant or Sergeant Major in the Marine Corps; Sergeant Major (position at this grade: Command Sergeant Major) in the Army |
| Navy | 5 of 24 pay grades | E-4 Corporal in the Marine Corps; Petty Officer Third Class in the Navy O-3 Captain in the Marine Corps; Lieutenant in the Navy O-6 Colonel in the Marine Corps; Captain in the Navy 3 of 19 shown |
| Air Force | 10 of 19 pay grades | E-4 Corporal in the Marine Corps; Senior Airman in the Air Force E-7 Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps; Master Sergeant (position at this grade: First Sergeant) in the Air Force E-9 Master Gunnery Sergeant or Sergeant Major in the Marine Corps; Chief Master Sergeant (positions at this grade: First Sergeant, Command Chief Master Sergeant) in the Air Force 3 of 9 shown |
| Coast Guard | 3 of 22 pay grades | E-4 Corporal in the Marine Corps; Petty Officer Third Class in the Coast Guard O-3 Captain in the Marine Corps; Lieutenant in the Coast Guard O-6 Colonel in the Marine Corps; Captain in the Coast Guard 3 of 19 shown |
| Space Force | 11 of 19 pay grades | E-1 Private in the Marine Corps; Specialist 1 in the Space Force E-2 Private First Class in the Marine Corps; Specialist 2 in the Space Force E-3 Lance Corporal in the Marine Corps; Specialist 3 in the Space Force E-4 Corporal in the Marine Corps; Specialist 4 in the Space Force E-6 Staff Sergeant in the Marine Corps; Technical Sergeant in the Space Force E-7 Gunnery Sergeant in the Marine Corps; Master Sergeant in the Space Force E-8 Master Sergeant (position at this grade: First Sergeant) in the Marine Corps; Senior Master Sergeant in the Space Force E-9 Master Gunnery Sergeant or Sergeant Major in the Marine Corps; 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.
Marine Corps ranks FAQ
- What are the Marine Corps ranks in order?
- Enlisted: E-1 Private; E-2 Private First Class; E-3 Lance Corporal; E-4 Corporal; E-5 Sergeant; E-6 Staff Sergeant; E-7 Gunnery Sergeant; E-8 Master Sergeant (position at this grade: First Sergeant); E-9 Master Gunnery Sergeant or 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.
- What is the lowest rank in the Marine Corps?
- The lowest Marine Corps 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 Marine Corps?
- The highest Marine Corps rank in the pay table is General (Gen), pay grade O-10, paid $18,999.90 a month, the Executive Schedule Level II cap.
- What rank is E-5 in the Marine Corps?
- E-5 in the Marine Corps 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 Marine Corps. 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 Marine Corps. 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 Marine Corps 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 Marine Corps?
- The Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SgtMajMC), an E-9 position paid $11,166.90 a month at any length of service.