PERSONNEL SPECIALIST (PS)
The U.S. Navy administrative and logistics personnel specialist rating — PS.
OVERVIEW
Personnel Specialist (PS) is the U.S. Navy's personnel records and pay rating. PSs maintain the Navy's official personnel records in NSIPS and MyNavy HR systems, process pay actions in DJMS-AC, manage transfers and discharges, and serve as the command's primary administrative interface to BUPERS.
The administrative and logistics community keeps the Navy running — pay, personnel, legal, public affairs, religious ministry, retail services, and supply support. Admin-community Sailors serve in nearly every shore command and ship and are essential to readiness, retention, and quality of life for the entire force.
A-school for the rating runs ~9 weeks at Naval Technical Training Center, Meridian MS, where Sailors complete the technical foundation needed to report to their first fleet command. Entry requires the ASVAB line score VE+MK+CS=151 and an enlistment obligation of 4–6 years. PSs advance through the standard enlisted paygrade structure (E-1 through E-9), competing in the Navy-Wide Advancement Examination (NWAE) at E-4 through E-6 and via the Selection Board at E-7 through E-9. Senior PSs typically serve as Leading Petty Officer (LPO), Work Center Supervisor, Leading Chief Petty Officer (LCPO), or Command Master Chief (CMC), and may pursue Limited Duty Officer (LDO), Chief Warrant Officer (CWO), or commissioning programs such as STA-21, MECP, or OCS.
Across the active force, PS Sailors are essential to the Navy's mission readiness, and the rating remains an in-demand career field with strong reenlistment bonuses (SRB), advancement opportunities, and pathways into Navy Reserve, civilian DoD, and industry careers after service.
WHAT PSs DO
PSs maintain Sailor personnel and pay records, process orders and reporting endorsements, manage promotions and advancements, prepare separation packages, and counsel Sailors on benefits and entitlements.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- PSs maintain Sailor personnel and pay records, process orders and reporting endorsements, manage promotions and advancements, prepare separation packages, and counsel Sailors on benefits and entitlements.
- Stand watches and qualify on the rating's Personnel Qualification Standards (PQS), maintain training jackets, and mentor junior PSs as required by the chain of command.
- Lead the PS work center as Leading Petty Officer or Work Center Supervisor — managing maintenance documentation in 3M/MFOM, parts ordering, and personnel qualifications.
- Support general military training (GMT), damage control, force protection, and watch-bill assignments common to every Sailor regardless of rating.
THIS RATING ABSORBED
The PS rating's mission today includes work that flowed from the following decommissioned U.S. Navy ratings:
HISTORY
Personnel Specialist was established in 2005 by consolidating the Personnelman (PN) and Disbursing Clerk (DK) ratings into a single converged personnel-and-pay specialty.
The Navy's administrative ratings trace to the 19th-century Yeoman of the Watch and Ship's Writer billets and were progressively restructured through the 1948 enlisted-rating consolidation, the 1972 Zumwalt-era reforms, and the 21st-century rating modernization initiatives that merged, split, and renamed several legacy specialties.
Today the Personnel Specialist (PS) rating is overseen by the Enlisted Community Management (ECM) office at My Navy HR and the Center for Personal and Professional Development. Modern PSs benefit from the Sailor 2025 personnel-system reforms, the Ready Relevant Learning (RRL) training continuum, and credentialing through the Navy COOL program — turning rating qualifications into industry-recognized certifications and licenses.
The rating's structure, training pipeline, and operational employment continue to evolve alongside the Navy's transition to Distributed Maritime Operations (DMO), Project Overmatch, and the Force Design 2045 fleet architecture, ensuring PSs remain central to the warfighting mission.
TRAINING PIPELINE
- 1. Recruit Training (Boot Camp)~10 weeksNaval Station Great Lakes, ILInitial entry training for all U.S. Navy enlisted Sailors at the Navy's only boot camp.
- 2. Personnel Specialist A-School~9 weeksNaval Technical Training Center, Meridian MSInitial admin rating training for accessions
- 3. Fleet / Operational TourFirst sea or operational tourPersonnel Support Detachments (PSDs)On-the-job training and qualifications in the PS rating with a fleet unit.
TYPICAL CAREER PATH
- E-1/E-3Apprentice PSA-school in the admin pipeline; first tour with a fleet unit.
- E-4/E-6Petty Officer PSLead a Personnel Specialist work-center, qualify in core watchstations and platform-specific tasks.
- E-7+Chief Personnel SpecialistSenior enlisted leader of the rating in the command; instructor, detailer, or department leading chief assignments.
TYPICAL PLATFORMS & UNITS
- Personnel Support Detachments (PSDs)
- Every fleet, shore, and overseas command
EXAMPLE NECs
- PS-2641 Personnel Support Detachment Specialist
- U.S. citizenship and minimum ASVAB VE+MK+CS=151
- High school diploma or equivalent
- Pass the Navy physical and medical screening
- Personnel Support Detachments (PSDs)
- Every fleet, shore, and overseas command
RELATED RATINGS
RELATED BASES
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
SOURCES
- Navy Personnel Specialist (navy.com)
- My Navy HR — Enlisted Community Management
- Navy COOL — Rating Detail