Navy Ranks in Order: Abbreviations and Pay Grades
The Navy has nine enlisted pay grades (E-1 Seaman Recruit up to E-9 Master Chief Petty Officer), five warrant officer pay grades (W-1 to W-5) 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
Navy enlisted ranks in order
Navy 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 Navy is the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON), an E-9 position the defense.gov page lists apart from the other E-9 titles. The MCPON is paid $11,166.90 a month in basic pay at any length of service.
The Navy NCO equivalent, petty officer, is achieved at the rank of petty officer third class (E-4).
The defense.gov page says the area of expertise that the Army and Marine Corps call a military occupational specialty is known in the Navy as a rate.
Navy warrant officer ranks in order
Navy 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 | 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 |
Navy commissioned officer ranks in order
Navy 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* |
The defense.gov page also lists Fleet Admiral for the Navy, 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 Navy ranks differ from the other branches
The Navy shares its titles at the most pay grades with the Coast Guard (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 | 5 of 24 pay grades | E-4 Petty Officer Third Class in the Navy; Specialist or Corporal in the Army O-3 Lieutenant in the Navy; Captain in the Army O-6 Captain in the Navy; Colonel in the Army 3 of 19 shown |
| Air Force | 0 of 19 pay grades | E-4 Petty Officer Third Class in the Navy; Senior Airman in the Air Force O-3 Lieutenant in the Navy; Captain in the Air Force O-6 Captain in the Navy; Colonel in the Air Force 3 of 19 shown |
| Marine Corps | 5 of 24 pay grades | E-4 Petty Officer Third Class in the Navy; Corporal in the Marine Corps O-3 Lieutenant in the Navy; Captain in the Marine Corps O-6 Captain in the Navy; Colonel in the Marine Corps 3 of 19 shown |
| Coast Guard | 22 of 22 pay grades | None: every pay grade both branches have uses the same titles. |
| Space Force | 0 of 19 pay grades | E-4 Petty Officer Third Class in the Navy; Specialist 4 in the Space Force O-3 Lieutenant in the Navy; Captain in the Space Force O-6 Captain in the Navy; 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.
Navy ranks FAQ
- What are the Navy 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-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 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 Navy?
- The lowest Navy 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 Navy?
- The highest Navy rank in the pay table is Admiral (ADM), pay grade O-10, paid $18,999.90 a month, the Executive Schedule Level II cap. Fleet Admiral is listed as reserved for wartime only.
- What rank is E-5 in the Navy?
- E-5 in the Navy 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 Navy. 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 Navy. 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 Navy 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 Navy?
- The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON), an E-9 position paid $11,166.90 a month at any length of service.