Reference & AI

Army Ranks in Order

Official chart

Every Army rank by pay grade, with the official abbreviation and the 2026 monthly basic pay.

Reviewed by Guilherme Correia, active-duty U.S. Air Force

28 ranks: 13 enlisted, 5 warrant officers, 10 commissioned officers

Same pay grade, same pay: an E-5 in the Navy and an E-5 in the Army draw the same 2026 basic pay for the same years of service.

Army enlisted ranks

Army enlisted: pay grade, rank and 2026 monthly basic pay
GradeRank2026 basic pay
E-1Private$2,407.20
E-2Private (PV2)$2,697.90
E-3Private First Class (PFC)$2,836.80 to $3,198.00
E-4Corporal (CPL)$3,142.20 to $3,815.40
E-4Specialist (SPC)same grade
E-5Sergeant (SGT)$3,342.90 to $4,421.70
E-6Staff Sergeant (SSG)$3,401.10 to $5,267.70
E-7Sergeant First Class (SFC)$3,932.10 to $7,067.40
E-8Master Sergeant (MSG)$5,656.50 to $8,067.30
E-8First Sergeant (1SG)same grade
E-9Sergeant Major (SGM)$6,910.20 to $10,729.20
E-9Command Sergeant Major (CSM)same grade
E-9Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA)same grade

An E-1 with less than four months of service is paid $2,225.70 a month (DFAS 2026 table).

Army warrant officers ranks

Army warrant officers: pay grade, rank and 2026 monthly basic pay
GradeRank2026 basic pay
W-1Warrant Officer 1 (WO1)$4,056.60 to $7,010.10
W-2Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2)$4,621.80 to $7,714.20
W-3Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3)$5,223.30 to $9,162.60
W-4Chief Warrant Officer 4 (CW4)$5,719.80 to $10,653.60
W-5Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5)$10,169.70 to $13,308.30

Army commissioned officers ranks

Army commissioned officers: pay grade, rank and 2026 monthly basic pay
GradeRank2026 basic pay
O-1Second Lieutenant (2LT)$4,150.20 to $5,222.40
O-2First Lieutenant (1LT)$4,782.00 to $6,617.70
O-3Captain (CPT)$5,534.10 to $9,004.20
O-4Major (MAJ)$6,294.60 to $10,509.90
O-5Lieutenant Colonel (LTC)$7,295.40 to $12,394.80
O-6Colonel (COL)$8,751.30 to $15,408.30
O-7Brigadier General (BG)$11,540.10 to $17,242.20
O-8Major General (MG)$13,888.50 to $18,999.90
O-9Lieutenant General (LTG)$18,999.90
O-10General (GEN)$18,999.90

O-7 to O-10 basic pay is capped at Executive Schedule Level II, $18,999.90 a month in 2026.

How to read this chart

The pay grade (E for enlisted, W for warrant officer, O for officer) sets pay; the rank is the title the Army gives that grade. Two titles at one grade, such as the E-8 and E-9 positions, are paid the same. Pay shown is the 2026 monthly basic pay from the first to the highest years-of-service step; the full table has every step, and allowances such as BAH and BAS are paid on top.

From the official chart: "For rank and precedence within the Army, specialist ranks immediately below corporal. Among the services, however, rank and precedence are determined by paygrade."

Keep going

U.S. Department of War, U.S. Military Rank Insignia (read November 9, 2026) · DFAS 2026 Military Pay Tables (effective January 1, 2026)

Results are estimates. Always verify with your finance office.

Reviewed by Guilherme Correia · Military Toolkit editorial

Official sources: war.gov rank insignia chart · DFAS pay tables.