Last updated: June 10, 2026 at 9:00 AM ET
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// U.S. Navy Hierarchy

NAVY RANKS

A reference to the United States Navy rank structure — commissioned officers, warrant officers, and enlisted paygrades. Each rank page covers paygrade, pixel-art insignia, current basic pay, history, addressing, prerequisites, and adjacent ranks. Pay data is drawn from the 2026 DFAS basic pay tables.

Portrait of T Madden Alford
Written by
T Madden Alford — U.S. Naval Academy '02 · U.S. Navy Reserve Captain (O-6) · Former submarine officer, USS Key West
Reviewed by
Erik Rivera — U.S. Naval Academy '04 · Former U.S. Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officer
Last reviewed: May 25, 2026 · Sources checked: May 25, 2026

U.S. Navy Ranks — Key Facts

Commissioned officer ranks
10 (O-1 Ensign → O-10 Admiral)
Warrant officer ranks
5 (W-1 → W-5)
Enlisted paygrades
9 (E-1 Seaman Recruit → E-9 Master Chief Petty Officer)
Top enlisted billet
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON)
Highest active rank
Admiral (O-10) — the Chief of Naval Operations and select fleet commanders
Pay source
DFAS basic pay tables (2026)

Source: Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)

Officer Designators
4-Digit Codes
URL, Restricted Line, and Staff Corps officer communities — every Navy officer carries a four-digit designator.
Browse Officer Designators
Officers
O-1 → O-10 + W-1 → W-5
10 commissioned and 5 warrant officer ranks — Ensign through Admiral.
Browse Officer Ranks
Enlisted Ratings
Job Specialties
Tier-1 active Navy ratings across 9 communities — ASVAB minimums, A-school locations, and career paths.
Browse Navy Ratings
Enlisted
E-1 → E-9
9 enlisted paygrades — Seaman Recruit through Master Chief Petty Officer.
Browse Enlisted Paygrades

FULL HIERARCHY

Commissioned Officers (high → low)

  1. O-10Four silver stars — U.S. Navy Admiral flag insigniaADMIRALADM
  2. O-9Three silver stars — U.S. Navy Vice Admiral flag insigniaVICE ADMIRALVADM
  3. O-8Two silver stars — U.S. Navy Rear Admiral flag insigniaREAR ADMIRALRADM
  4. O-7One silver star — U.S. Navy Rear Admiral (Lower Half) flag insigniaREAR ADMIRAL (LOWER HALF)RDML
  5. O-6Silver eagle — U.S. Navy Captain collar deviceCAPTAINCAPT
  6. O-5Silver oak leaf — U.S. Navy Commander collar deviceCOMMANDERCDR
  7. O-4Gold oak leaf — U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander collar deviceLIEUTENANT COMMANDERLCDR
  8. O-3Two silver bars — U.S. Navy Lieutenant collar deviceLIEUTENANTLT
  9. O-2Single silver bar — U.S. Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade collar deviceLIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADELTJG
  10. O-1Single gold bar — U.S. Navy Ensign collar deviceENSIGNENS

Warrant Officers (high → low)

  1. W-5Silver bar with vertical blue stripe — Navy Chief Warrant Officer 5 collar deviceCHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 5CWO5
  2. W-4Gold bar with four narrow blue breaks — Navy Chief Warrant Officer 4 collar deviceCHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 4CWO4
  3. W-3Gold bar with three narrow blue breaks — Navy Chief Warrant Officer 3 collar deviceCHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 3CWO3
  4. W-2Gold bar with two narrow blue breaks — Navy Chief Warrant Officer 2 collar deviceCHIEF WARRANT OFFICER 2CWO2
  5. W-1Navy-blue bar with two narrow gold breaks — Navy Warrant Officer 1 collar deviceWARRANT OFFICER 1WO1

Enlisted Paygrades (high → low)

  1. E-9Chief Petty Officer device with two silver stars above — U.S. Navy Master Chief Petty Officer rate insigniaMASTER CHIEF PETTY OFFICERMCPO
  2. E-8Chief Petty Officer device with one silver star above — U.S. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer rate insigniaSENIOR CHIEF PETTY OFFICERSCPO
  3. E-7Gold rocker over three gold chevrons with eagle and rating mark — U.S. Navy Chief Petty Officer fouled-anchor deviceCHIEF PETTY OFFICERCPO
  4. E-6Eagle over three chevrons with rating mark — U.S. Navy Petty Officer First Class crowPETTY OFFICER FIRST CLASSPO1
  5. E-5Eagle over two chevrons with rating mark — U.S. Navy Petty Officer Second Class crowPETTY OFFICER SECOND CLASSPO2
  6. E-4Eagle over one chevron with rating mark — U.S. Navy Petty Officer Third Class crowPETTY OFFICER THIRD CLASSPO3
  7. E-3Three diagonal stripes — U.S. Navy Seaman (E-3) rate insigniaSEAMANSN
  8. E-2Two diagonal stripes — U.S. Navy Seaman Apprentice (E-2) rate insigniaSEAMAN APPRENTICESA
  9. E-1No rate insignia — U.S. Navy Seaman Recruit (E-1) wears no rating markSEAMAN RECRUITSR

Editorial policy

  • Source priority. We cite navy.mil insignia plates, MyNavyHR / MILPERSMAN, and DFAS basic pay tables first; the U.S. Code (Title 10) and eCFR where statutes apply. Non-government sources are not used as primary evidence on this page.
  • Independence. NavyWeek.org is not affiliated with the U.S. Navy, the Department of Defense, NAVCO, or any federal agency. We do not accept payment to recommend specific recruiters, schools, vendors, or services.
  • Review cadence. DFAS basic pay figures are re-verified each January (after the annual NDAA pay raise) and at every page update. Insignia, NATO codes, and addressing are re-verified quarterly.
  • Reviewer. The page is reviewed for accuracy by the reviewer named in the byline. The "Last reviewed" date at the top of the page reflects the most recent review pass.
  • Corrections. Factual errors are corrected as soon as we can verify the issue against an official source. See the "Report an outdated fact" link below.
  • Not advice. This page is informational only. For decisions about service, benefits, pay, or assignment, rely on official .mil sources and your chain of command, detailer, recruiter, or accredited representative.
See something out of date? Report an outdated fact or reach the editors via the contact page. Please include a link to the official .gov or .mil source you believe is more current.