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Updated May 21, 2024
Defense Primer: Military Enlisted Personnel
Grade and Rank
Mid-level Noncommissioned Officers (NCOs) (pay
The Armed Forces are hierarchical organizations with
grades E-5 to E-7). NCOs have significantly more
clearly defined levels of authority. These different levels
responsibility than junior enlisted personnel. They lead
are called grades, while rank refers to the order of
small units, typically ranging from a few to several dozen
precedence among those in different grades and within the
personnel, and serve as technical experts in their
same grade (e.g., someone who has been a Sergeant for
occupational specialties. NCOs at this level translate orders
three years outranks someone who has been a Sergeant for
from their superior officers into action.
two years). However, it is common for the term rank to be
used as a synonym for grade. Pay grade is an administrative
Senior Noncommissioned Officers (pay grades E-8 and E-
classification that determines certain rates of pay, but it is
9) typically serve as senior enlisted advisors to commanders
sometimes used to indicate grade as well. For example, a
or as staff NCOs. They also serve as a channel of support
Staff Sergeant in the Army may also be referred to as an E-
for the enlisted force in general. By law, the authorized
6. See Figure 1. The Service Secretaries manage the
daily average of enlisted personnel in pay grades E-8 and E-
accession, promotion, and assignments of enlisted members
9 may not be more than 3.0% and 1.25%, respectively, of
under broad statutory authorities.
the number of enlisted members in a given Service on the
first day of the fiscal year. If the number of E-9s is below
Numbers and Roles
the cap, the difference may be applied to increase the
Enlisted personnel make up about 82% of the Armed
number of E-8s. The statutory caps can be waived in certain
Forces, with officers making up the remaining 18%.
circumstances (10 U.S.C. §517).
Enlisted personnel rank below all officers. Table 1 lists the
number of active duty enlisted personnel in each pay grade.
Insignia
As shown in Figure 1, each enlisted grade in the Armed
Junior enlisted personnel (pay grades E-1 to E-4)
Forces has distinctive insignia, typically worn on the sleeve,
typically work in small units across the Department of
shoulder, collar, and/or headgear (caps, berets, helmets,
Defense. Individuals normally serve in these grades during
etc.).
their first enlistment term (usually four years). More senior
enlisted personnel supervise them. Junior enlisted personnel
make up about 50% of the enlisted workforce.
Table 1. Department of Defense Active Duty Military Enlisted by Pay Grade (as of March 31, 2024)
Services
Pay
Grade
Army
Navy
Marine Corps
Air Force
Space Force
Total
E-9
3,389
2,852
1,554
2,464
52
10,311
E-8
10,842
6,570
3,742
4,785
133
26,072
E-7
35,371
22,419
8,669
23,554
614
90,627
E-6
57,880
53,177
13,220
39,636
824
164,737
E-5
67,021
71,286
24,036
54,053
1,063
217,459
E-4
96,582
50,887
32,174
67,117
679
247,439
E-3
45,655
36,640
37,869
44,425
1,002
165,591
E-2
23,506
12,566
18,922
7,839
152
62,985
E-1
7,493
11,623
4,718
8,197
156
32,187
Total
347,739
268,020
144,904
252,070
4,675
1,017,408
Source: Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center.
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Defense Primer: Military Enlisted Personnel
Figure 1. Pay Grade, Grade, and Insignia of Enlisted Servicemembers
Source: CRS adaptation of Department of Defense web page: https://dod.defense.gov/About/Insignias/Enlisted/, The U.S. Coast Guard, which
normal y fal s under the Department of Homeland Security, uses the same names for enlisted ranks as the Navy.
Resources
Chapter 31 of Title 10, U.S.C.
Army Regulation 611-1, Military Occupational Classification
Structure Development and Implementation.
NAVPERS 18068F, Volume 1, Manual of Navy Enlisted
Kristy N. Kamarck, Specialist in Military Manpower
Manpower and Personnel Classifications and Occupational
Standards.
IF10684
U.S. Air Force, The Enlisted Force Structure, May 2022.
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Defense Primer: Military Enlisted Personnel
Disclaimer
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