What is the lowest rank in Army?
There are 13 enlisted Army ranks: private, private second class, private first class, specialist, corporal, sergeant, staff sergeant, sergeant first class, master sergeant, first sergeant, sergeant major, command sergeant major and sergeant major of the Army.
There are 13 enlisted Army ranks: private, private second class, private first class, specialist, corporal, sergeant, staff sergeant, sergeant first class, master sergeant, first sergeant, sergeant major, command sergeant major and sergeant major of the Army.
Pay Grade | Rank | Abbreviation |
---|---|---|
O-2 | First Lieutenant | 1LT |
O-3 | Captain | CPT |
O-4 | Major | MAJ |
O-5 | Lieutenant Colonel | LTC |
Military officer pay is regulated and limited by US Code. Both three- and four-star admirals and generals who stay in the service long enough will receive the maximum compensation allowed by the code. These ranks are vice admiral for the Navy and lieutenant general for the other branches.
In most armies, the rank of sergeant corresponds to command of a squad (or section). In Commonwealth armies, it is a more senior rank, corresponding roughly to a platoon second-in-command. In the United States Army, sergeant is a more junior rank corresponding to a squad- (12 person) or platoon- (36 person) leader.
The average salary for a First Sergeant is $68,016 per year in United States, which is 21% lower than the average US Army salary of $86,778 per year for this job.
The United States Army has twenty nine grades of enlisted soldiers and officers, with most soldiers enlisting at the entry-level rank of Private (PVT, paygrade E-1). The highest rank achievable in the Army is General of the Army.
Also, to promote to an E-2, which is a private second-class (PV2), you need six months of service or four months of service with advanced college or ROTC. Afterward, promotion to an E-3, or private first class (PFC), happens after 12 months of enlistment and at least four months as an E-2.
Rank | <2 Years Experience | 8 Years Experience |
---|---|---|
Private First Class (E3) | $27,118.80 | $30,571.20 |
Specialist or Corporal (E4) | $30,042.00 | $36,471.60 |
Sergeant (E5) | $32,763.60 | $43,902.00 |
Staff Sergeant (E6) | $35,766.00 | $48,506.40 |
SPECIALIST (SPC)
A Soldier can be promoted to this rank after serving a minimum of two years and attending a training class. Recruits with a four-year degree may enter Basic Combat Training as a specialist.
What military rank is number 1?
United States. The United States of America is a North American nation that is the world's most dominant economic and military power.
major, a military rank standing above captain. It is the lowest field-grade rank. The term was originally used adjectivally in the title sergeant major, the third principal officer in a regiment.

To be eligible for promotion to E-9, and E-8 must have a minimum of 14 years TIS and 21 months of time in grade (TIG).
If you're a resident, your military retirement pay is taxable. This includes all military pension income, regardless of where you were stationed or domiciled while on active duty. Retirement pay is reported on IRS Form 1099-R.
The most basic and straightforward answer is that they all pay the same rate. Your basic military pay is determined by designation (enlisted, warrant officer, officer) and rank, not by which branch you serve.
The time it takes to become a sergeant in the army varies depending on the branch of service and the individual's performance. Generally, it takes 3-6 years of service to be eligible for promotion to sergeant. However, this can be accelerated through exceptional performance and completion of leadership courses.
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SMMC)
The commandant of the Marine Corps chooses the sergeant major, who typically serves for four years. The Marine Corps sergeant major is the highest-ranking enlisted adviser to the Marine Corps commandant.
Soldiers in the Army receive “duty performance points” from their unit commander whenever they demonstrate core qualities of the next rank – including competence, military bearing and leadership. Certain point counts are required to achieve the next rank.
On average, however, the Air Force is the military branch that has the highest pay because, in the Air Force, there are more opportunities to be promoted to the next rank, which leads to many recruits becoming officers.
Yes, you do get paid in Basic Training on the first and fifteenth of every month. The amount depends on your rank. See salaries by rank on the Money & Pay page. You're welcome to send money home via cash or check.
Can you retire as a first sergeant?
Upon reassignment to a non–first sergeant billet, the soldier reverts to rank of master sergeant, unless promoted to the E-9 rank of SGM or CSM. First sergeants can retire at that rank, if they so choose, as long as they have completed first sergeant school and served satisfactorily in rank.
O-2 (Lt): 25 (join + 18 months) O-3 (Capt): 27 (join + 4 years) O-4 (Major): 33 (join + 10 years)
The insignia for a colonel is a silver eagle which is a stylized representation of the eagle dominating the Great Seal of the United States (which is the coat of arms of the United States).
What rank do most enlisted retire at? In the US military the most common rank of enlisted retirees is E7.
Private (PV1) is the lowest rank in the U.S. Army and is primarily for recruits in basic combat training (BCT). They're typically automatically promoted to private second class after six months TIS.
Candidates must have a minimum of nine years of time-in-service to be considered for this rank. Sergeant Major of the Army E-9S: This is the highest of all ranks that can only be held by one enlisted soldier at any given time. This rank brings the highest level of expertise and comes with the highest honors.
The Marine Corps is often first on the ground in combat situations.
All soldiers on active duty receive a basic pay. The Army ranks its soldiers from E1 through E6. E1s with less than two years experience earn an annual salary of $19,660. The wage is slightly lower for the first four months of service.
With the lower minimum AFQT score requirement and a greater likelihood of waiving past minor offenses, the Army is considered the easiest to get into in terms of military branches.
When an officer retires, their commission normally remains in force and effect forever. In return for the privilege of being legally entitled to being addressed by their military rank and getting all their retirement benefits, they basically remain an "officer of the United States" until death.
How long can a major stay in the Army?
Majors who possess critical skills may not be continued any longer than the last day of the month in which they complete 24 years of active commissioned service.
All retired military members are permitted to use their military titles socially and in connection with commercial enterprises. Such military titles must never be used in any manner which may bring discredit to the uniformed services.
China has the world's largest standing army and navy, with Beijing announcing on Sunday the biggest increase to its military budget since 2019.
The highest military rank is O-10, or "five-star general." It is symbolized by five stars for each of the military services.
- The United Kingdom. ...
- Italy. ...
- France. ...
- South Korea. ...
- India. ...
- China. ...
- Russia. ...
- The United States. The US possesses a fleet of ten aircraft carriers, which is its most significant conventional military advantage.
Promotion to Major takes about 11 years. Your assignment might be as a Battalion Commander in charge of hundreds of soldiers or a general staff officer in a division or corps. Outstanding performance will merit more and more challenging positions.
The time it takes to become a major in the army varies depending on the individual's career path and performance. Typically, it takes around 10-12 years of service to reach the rank of major. However, some officers may be promoted more quickly based on their skills and achievements.
Warrant Officers outrank all enlisted members, but are not required to have a college degree.
Each branch of the military has age limits to enlist in active duty: Air Force: 17 - 39. Army: 17 - 35. Coast Guard: 17 - 31.
If you enter as a licensed physician, your rank will typically begin at captain or major (Army/Air Force) or lieutenant or lieutenant commander (Navy), but it may be higher depending on where you are in your civilian career.
Can you do 4 years in the Army?
Most first-term enlistments require a commitment to four years of active duty and two years of inactive (Individual Ready Reserve, or IRR). But the services also offer programs with two-, three- and six-year active-duty or reserve enlistments. It depends upon the service and the job you want.
Many military members put their lives on the line every day, which makes them some of the most underpaid people in America. But there are also other considerations, such as working with hazardous materials and in dangerous situations, being on call 24-7/365, and dealing with long term deployments and family separation.
Does the Army pay for housing? As a Soldier living on base, your housing is covered. If you're living off base, we offer a housing allowance to help pay for living expenses like rent and utilities.
Combat pay is a bonus paid to military service personnel who are serving in regions that are designated hazard zones. The additional pay is generally not subject to federal income tax although Social Security and Medicare taxes are deducted.
The Marines provide a full benefits package that includes salary, medical insurance, housing, vacation time, and other common benefits. A crucial benefit is the career skills one can develop when joining the Marines. These include things like discipline, leadership, and honor.
Among officers, however, Air Force promotes faster than Army and Marine Corps peers through 20 years' service, and even surpasses Navy's pace over a typical 24-year officer career, service promotion data show.
He is also the only person to have ever held a five-star rank in two branches of the U.S. Armed Forces. These officers who held the rank of General of the Army remained officers of the United States Army for life, with an annual $20,000 in pay and allowances, equivalent to $332,000 in 2022.
Lieutenant: Wearing a single gold or silver bar, a lieutenant supervises two to three or more sergeants. Lieutenants can supervise an entire watch shift in a police station or detective squad (narcotics, homicide, etc.)
The five-star ranks were retired in 1981 on the death of General of the Army Omar Bradley. Nine Americans have been promoted to five-star rank, one of them, Henry H. Arnold, in two services (U.S. Army then later in the U.S. Air Force).
No person have ever been awarded or promoted to a seven-star rank, although some commentators might argue that General George Washington posthumously became a seven-star general in 1976 (see Part Seven).
How much does a Navy SEAL make?
How much does a Navy SEAL make? The national average salary for a Navy SEAL is $81,827 in United States. Filter by location to see Navy SEAL salaries in your area. Salary estimates are based on 22 salaries submitted anonymously to Glassdoor by Navy SEAL employees.
No. State and local law enforcement agencies are not subordinate to the FBI, and the FBI does not supervise or take over their investigations. Instead, the investigative resources of the FBI and state and local agencies are often pooled in a common effort to investigate and solve the cases.
Promotion from Sergeant or Detective is to Police Lieutenant; from there on, there is only one promotional ladder. Successive rungs of the promotional ladder are Police Captain, Police Commander, Police Deputy Chief, and Chief of Police.
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.
While all pays are taxable, most allowances are tax-exempt. The primary allowances for most individuals are BAS and BAH, which are tax-exempt. Conus COLA is one allowance that is taxable.
African Americans make up 9 percent of active-duty officers but only 6.5 percent of generals. They are especially underrepresented at the three- and four-star general level, where the most important decisions about the U.S. military are made.
A Spy eliminates all officers (including the Five-Star General). Only the Private can eliminate the Spy. If both pieces are of the same rank, both are removed from the board (often called a "split" by most players and arbiters).
Origins in the American Revolution and early republic. In the early months of the American Revolution, the first regular U.S. fighting force, the Continental Army, was organized by the Second Continental Congress on June 14, 1775.