Navy Ranks in Order: Enlisted and Officer Ranks With 2026 Pay

Short answer: Navy ranks in order, from lowest to highest, run from seaman recruit (E-1) to master chief petty officer (E-9) for enlisted sailors, then chief warrant officer 2 to chief warrant officer 5, then ensign (O-1) to admiral (O-10) for officers. Fleet admiral is a five-star rank reserved for wartime. The Navy differs from the other services in two ways. Its enlisted leaders are called petty officers rather than sergeants, and its officer titles use naval names such as lieutenant commander and rear admiral.

Last updated: October 28, 2026

Key facts

Enlisted ranks: seaman recruit (E-1) to master chief petty officer (E-9).
Officer ranks: ensign (O-1) to admiral (O-10).
Making chief at E-7 marks the move into the senior enlisted ranks.
A Navy captain is an O-6, three grades above an Army captain.
Coast Guard members wear Navy titles.

Navy enlisted ranks in order

The Defense Department’s rank insignia page lists the Navy’s enlisted ranks by pay grade. The pay column shows the entry-level 2026 monthly basic pay from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service enlisted pay table.

Pay grade	Rank	Abbreviation	Starting basic pay (2026, per month)
E-1	Seaman Recruit	SR	$2,407.20
E-2	Seaman Apprentice	SA	$2,697.90
E-3	Seaman	SN	$2,836.80
E-4	Petty Officer Third Class	PO3	$3,142.20
E-5	Petty Officer Second Class	PO2	$3,342.90
E-6	Petty Officer First Class	PO1	$3,401.10
E-7	Chief Petty Officer	CPO	$3,932.10
E-8	Senior Chief Petty Officer	SCPO	$5,656.50 (from 8 years)
E-9	Master Chief Petty Officer; Fleet/Command Master Chief	MCPO	$6,910.20 (from 10 years)
E-9 (special)	Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy	MCPON	Senior enlisted rate

A brand-new sailor with less than four months of service earns a lower E-1 rate of $2,225.70.

Petty officers and chiefs

The jump to petty officer third class at E-4 is where Navy leadership begins. The Defense Department describes petty officer as the Navy’s equivalent of the noncommissioned officer ranks in the other services. A petty officer’s badge shows a rating mark, which identifies the sailor’s job. The Navy calls that job a rating, much as the Army uses the term military occupational specialty.

Promotion to the first chief grade carries more weight than the pay grade suggests. Chiefs run divisions, train junior officers and wear khaki uniforms like officers. New chiefs receive their anchors at a pinning ceremony, usually held each September.

At the top, the master chief petty officer of the Navy is a single sailor who serves as the senior enlisted adviser to the chief of naval operations. Fleet and force master chiefs do the same job for large commands.

Insignia carry their own signals. The Defense Department notes that gold stripes on a petty officer’s rating badge indicate 12 or more years of good conduct.

Navy warrant officer ranks

Navy warrant officers are technical specialists who usually come from the senior enlisted ranks. The Defense Department lists five grades. It explains that the lowest grade serves under a warrant from the service secretary, and that warrant officers receive a presidential commission on promotion to chief warrant officer 2. They remain specialists, while commissioned officers are generalists.

Pay grade	Rank	Abbreviation	Starting basic pay (2026, per month)
W-1	Warrant Officer 1	WO1	$4,056.60
W-2	Chief Warrant Officer 2	CWO2	$4,621.80
W-3	Chief Warrant Officer 3	CWO3	$5,223.30
W-4	Chief Warrant Officer 4	CWO4	$5,719.80
W-5	Chief Warrant Officer 5	CWO5	$10,169.70 (from 20 years)

Warrant officer pay comes from the DFAS warrant officer table.

Navy officer ranks in order

Officers hold a presidential commission confirmed by the Senate. The Navy groups them into junior grade (O-1 to O-3), mid-grade (O-4 to O-6) and flag officers (O-7 and above). Starting pay comes from the DFAS commissioned officer table.

Pay grade	Rank	Abbreviation	Starting basic pay (2026, per month)
O-1	Ensign	ENS	$4,150.20
O-2	Lieutenant Junior Grade	LTJG	$4,782.00
O-3	Lieutenant	LT	$5,534.10
O-4	Lieutenant Commander	LCDR	$6,294.60
O-5	Commander	CDR	$7,295.40
O-6	Captain	CAPT	$8,751.30
O-7	Rear Admiral Lower Half	RDML	$11,540.10
O-8	Rear Admiral Upper Half	RADM	$13,888.50
O-9	Vice Admiral	VADM	$18,999.90 (pay cap)
O-10	Admiral	ADM	$18,999.90 (pay cap)
Special	Fleet Admiral	FADM	Reserved for wartime

Newly commissioned Naval Academy graduates toss their covers into the air — Newly commissioned officers toss their covers at the end of their graduation ceremony. Photo: Chief Photographer's Mate Johnny Bivera, U.S. Navy. Public domain, via. Wikimedia Commons.

Navy ranks compared with the Army

The table below lines up Navy titles with the Army at the same pay grade. Our guide to Army ranks in order covers the Army side in full.

Pay grade	Navy	Army
E-4	Petty Officer Third Class	Specialist or Corporal
E-7	Chief Petty Officer	Sergeant First Class
O-3	Lieutenant	Captain
O-4	Lieutenant Commander	Major
O-6	Captain	Colonel
O-7	Rear Admiral Lower Half	Brigadier General
O-10	Admiral	General

The captain title is the classic trap. A Navy captain is an O-6 who may command an aircraft carrier, while an Army or Marine captain is an O-3 who typically commands a company. Pay and seniority across services follow the pay grade, not the title.

Navy and Marine Corps ranks side by side

The Navy and the Marine Corps share the Department of the Navy, and the two services work together every day on amphibious ships. Their rank systems still look nothing alike. The Marines use Army-style titles such as sergeant, captain and general. A Marine gunnery sergeant and a Navy chief petty officer are both E-7s, while a Marine major and a Navy lieutenant commander are both O-4s. Our guide to Marine Corps ranks in order lists every Marine grade.

The Navy also supplies the Marines with medical care. Navy hospital corpsmen wear Navy rank but often serve inside Marine units, which is why a Marine platoon may include a sailor with the title petty officer.

How Navy officers wear rank

The Defense Department notes that naval officers wear rank three ways depending on the uniform. Khakis use metal collar pins. Whites use stripes on shoulder boards. Dress blues use gold stripes sewn on the lower sleeve. An ensign wears one thin stripe on the sleeve, and an admiral wears one wide stripe with three narrower ones above it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the lowest rank in the Navy?

Seaman recruit (E-1) is the lowest enlisted rank. Ensign (O-1) is the lowest commissioned officer rank.

What is the highest rank in the Navy?

Admiral (O-10), worn as four stars. On the enlisted side, the top position is held by one sailor, the MCPON.

Is a Navy captain higher than an Army captain?

Yes. A Navy captain is an O-6, equal to an Army colonel. An Army captain is an O-3, equal to a Navy lieutenant.

What rank is a chief in the Navy?

Three grades carry the word chief: E-7, E-8 (senior chief) and E-9 (master chief). Sailors usually just say “chief” for all of them.

What is the difference between a rate and a rating in the Navy?

A rate is a sailor’s pay grade, such as petty officer second class. A rating is the sailor’s job specialty, shown by the mark on the rank badge.

Does the Coast Guard use Navy ranks?

Yes, title for title. A Coast Guard lieutenant and a Navy lieutenant are both O-3s with the same pay.

This article was written by Peter with AI assistance and checked against the sources linked. See our AI use disclosure.