Comparable Grades (Cross-Service Rank Reference)

Start Here If You Are New to Pay Grades

You are a Sergeant. Your buddy in the Air Force is a Staff Sergeant. You both make the same basic pay. A Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class makes the same basic pay too. The titles look different. The pay is identical. That is because pay is driven by pay grade, not by service-specific rank title.

This page walks you through the cross-service pay grade reference from your seat as a General Marine. By the end you will know.

• The pay grade structure across all six U.S. military services
• Marine Corps rank titles by pay grade (O-1 to O-10, W-1 to W-5, E-1 to E-9)
• The cross-service equivalents that drive pay parity across services
• The narrow exceptions (Coast Guard W-5, senior enlisted top-of-service titles)
• Why the comparable grades reference matters in joint duty, cross-service awards, and foreign liaison work

Every fact on this page comes from DoD 7000.14-R Volume 7ADoD 7000.14-R Volume 7A "Comparable Grades" (April 2024 revision, certified as current).

What the Comparable Grades Reference Is

Per DoD 7000.14-R Volume 7ADoD 7000.14-R Volume 7A, the Comparable Grades chapter publishes the official cross-service rank/grade equivalency table. The chapter establishes pay grade as the controlling unit of measure for basic pay across all six services. Service-specific titles vary, but the underlying pay grade is the same.

The chapter applies to.

• The Army
• The Navy
• The Marine Corps
• The Coast Guard
• The Air Force
• The Space Force

Civilian DoD personnel are graded under the General Schedule (GS) and are outside the military pay grade system covered by this reference.

Why the Comparable Grades Reference Matters to You

A Marine at any pay grade interacts with cross-service personnel in three common contexts where pay grade (not rank title) is the right comparison.

• Basic pay tables. Per DoD 7000.14-R Volume 7ADoD 7000.14-R Volume 7A Chapter 1, basic pay is published by pay grade and years of service. A Sergeant (E-5) and an Airman in pay grade E-5 receive the same basic pay for the same years of service.
• Joint duty assignments. Joint billets list required pay grades, not service-specific ranks. A joint headquarters seeking an O-4 fills the billet with a Major (Marine Corps, Army, Air Force, Space Force), a Lieutenant Commander (Navy, Coast Guard), or any equivalent O-4.
• Cross-service awards and ceremony precedence. The Joint Service Awards page on this site references pay grade equivalencies for approval authorities and presenter rank rules. The presenter rank rule under SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 paragraph 1.2.d works on pay grade across services.

The reference also supports administrative work. Foreign military liaison work, multinational task force coordination, and shared-service training programs all use pay grade as the cross-service common denominator.

Officer Pay Grades (O-1 to O-10)

Per DoD 7000.14-R Volume 7ADoD 7000.14-R Volume 7A.

A few notes on common confusions.

• Navy "Captain" (O-6) is equivalent to a Marine Corps Colonel (O-6), not a Marine Corps Captain (O-3). The Navy and Coast Guard use the same officer-rank vocabulary.
• Navy "Lieutenant" (O-3) equals a Marine Corps Captain. A Navy Lieutenant Commander (O-4) equals a Marine Corps Major.
• Rear Admiral on the Navy side splits into upper half (O-8, equivalent to Major General) and lower half (O-7, equivalent to Brigadier General). The lower half is sometimes written "RDML" while the upper half is "RADM".

Warrant Officer Pay Grades (W-1 to W-5)

Per DoD 7000.14-R Volume 7ADoD 7000.14-R Volume 7A.

Note 1. Per Volume 7A, the W-5 grade is not used by the Coast Guard. Coast Guard warrant officers top out at W-4.

The Air Force and Space Force do not use the warrant officer grade structure. The Marine Corps, Army, and Navy do. The W-1 grade is unique to the Marine Corps and Army within the standard active-duty force, with the Navy entering at W-2.

The Marine Corps numbers its CWO grades (CWO-2, CWO-3, CWO-4, CWO-5) on titles where the Army uses a flat "Chief Warrant Officer" title across grades. Both pay grades produce identical basic pay.

Enlisted Pay Grades (E-1 to E-9)

Per DoD 7000.14-R Volume 7ADoD 7000.14-R Volume 7A.

A few notes on the senior enlisted structure.

• The top-of-service E-9 (Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Sergeant Major of the Army, MCPON, etc.) is one billet per service. Only one Marine holds the SgtMaj of the Marine Corps title at a time.
• The Marine Corps differentiates the E-9 grade into two paths. The Sergeant Major path is the command-billet leadership track. The Master Gunnery Sergeant path is the technical-MOS subject-matter expertise track. Both pay at E-9.
• The Marine Corps E-8 grade differentiates the same way. First Sergeant (command-billet leadership) versus Master Sergeant (technical-MOS expertise). Both pay at E-8.
• The Army E-9 grade has Command Sergeant Major (command-billet) and Sergeant Major (staff-billet) titles. Both pay at E-9.
• The Air Force "Staff Sergeant" is at E-5, while the Marine Corps "Staff Sergeant" is at E-6. This is one of the most common cross-service title confusions. Pay grade is the right reference, not the title.
• The Space Force uses "Specialist" (Specialist 1 through Specialist 4) for E-1 through E-4, replacing Airman titles. Specialist 4 (E-4) equals a Marine Corps Corporal, not a Marine Corps Specialist.

Common Cross-Service Confusions

The following pairs trip up Marines in joint or cross-service settings.

Navy "Captain" vs. Marine Corps "Captain"

Same word, two different pay grades.

• Navy Captain is O-6 (equivalent to Marine Corps Colonel).
• Marine Corps Captain is O-3 (equivalent to Navy Lieutenant).

A Marine Captain reporting to a Navy Captain is reporting to a billet three grades higher. The cross-service formality reflects the higher pay grade.

"Staff Sergeant" Across Services

• Marine Corps Staff Sergeant: E-6.
• Army Staff Sergeant: E-6.
• Air Force Staff Sergeant: E-5.

A Marine Staff Sergeant working with an Air Force Staff Sergeant is working with someone one pay grade lower. Pay grade is the right reference for protocol, awards approval, and joint duty equivalence.

"Sergeant" Across Services

• Marine Corps Sergeant: E-5.
• Army Sergeant: E-5.
• Space Force Sergeant: E-5.
• Air Force Senior Airman: E-4.

The "Sergeant" title is consistent at E-5 in three services and absent in the Air Force at that grade.

Naval Officers in Cross-Service Awards

When a Marine receives a NAM presented by a Navy officer, the presenter rank rule under SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 paragraph 1.2.d uses pay grade. A Navy Lieutenant Commander (O-4) presenting a NAM to a Marine Captain (O-3) is one pay grade senior, satisfying the rule. A Navy Lieutenant (O-3) presenting a NAM to a Marine Captain is the same pay grade and would not satisfy the rule.

Practical Applications

Basic Pay Tables

Per DoD 7000.14-R Volume 7ADoD 7000.14-R Volume 7A, basic pay tables are published by pay grade and years of service. A Marine Sergeant with 4 years of service receives the same basic pay as an Army Sergeant or Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class with 4 years of service. The Comparable Grades reference is the bridge between the title in your service and the row on the pay table.

Joint Duty Billets

Joint duty position descriptions are written in pay grade terms. A combatant command staff billet labeled "O-5" is open to a Marine Lieutenant Colonel, an Army Lieutenant Colonel, a Navy Commander, an Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, or a Space Force Lieutenant Colonel. The Joint Service Awards page on this site covers the joint billet eligibility framework.

Cross-Service Awards Approval

Per MARADMIN 077/25MARADMIN 077/25 paragraphs 3.a.1 through 3.a.6 and 4.d, Marine Corps awards approval authorities are defined by pay grade (O-5 commanders, O-6 commanders, O-7 commanders, O-9 commanders). When a Marine receives a joint or cross-service award, the equivalent pay grade in the issuing service governs the approval flow.

Foreign Liaison Protocol

Foreign military liaison officers attached to Marine Corps units are graded by their service's equivalent pay grade. A foreign O-4 liaison officer is treated with the same protocol as a Marine Major. The Foreign Awards page on this site covers the cross-service implications.

Common Questions Marines Ask

The Air Force has a Staff Sergeant at E-5 and the Marine Corps has a Staff Sergeant at E-6. Why the difference?

The Air Force enlisted grade structure historically emphasized different progression points than the Marine Corps. The titles do not align across services because each service developed its own NCO corps. The pay grade is the cross-service constant. Per DoD 7000.14-R Volume 7ADoD 7000.14-R Volume 7A, both Marines and Airmen at any specific pay grade receive the same basic pay.

I am a Sergeant (E-5) and a Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class is also E-5. Who outranks whom?

In the abstract, no one outranks the other within their own service. In a joint or shared duty environment, time-in-grade often serves as a tiebreaker among same-pay-grade members from different services. Specific protocols depend on the joint command's local convention.

If I am promoted to Sergeant Major (E-9), am I outranked by a Master Gunnery Sergeant?

No. Both Sergeant Major and Master Gunnery Sergeant are E-9 in the Marine Corps. They are different career paths within the same pay grade. A Sergeant Major occupies a command-billet leadership role. A Master Gunnery Sergeant occupies a technical-MOS subject-matter expertise role. Per DoD 7000.14-R Volume 7ADoD 7000.14-R Volume 7A, both pay at E-9 and are equivalents in the comparable grades structure.

Why does the Coast Guard not have a W-5 grade?

Per DoD 7000.14-R Volume 7ADoD 7000.14-R Volume 7A Note 1, the W-5 grade is not used by the Coast Guard. Coast Guard warrant officers top out at W-4. The exception is institutional. The Coast Guard's warrant officer corps is structured differently than the Marine Corps, Army, and Navy systems.

How do Space Force grades map to Marine Corps grades?

Per DoD 7000.14-R Volume 7ADoD 7000.14-R Volume 7A, Space Force pay grades match Marine Corps pay grades position by position. A Space Force Specialist 4 (E-4) equals a Marine Corps Corporal (E-4). A Space Force Major (O-4) equals a Marine Corps Major (O-4). The Space Force does not use the warrant officer grade structure.

Where do civilian DoD personnel fit in the comparable grades reference?

Civilian DoD personnel are outside the military pay grade system. They are graded under the General Schedule (GS) for most positions or under the Senior Executive Service (SES) for senior leadership. GS-11 and above are sometimes referenced as functional equivalents to specific officer grades for things like awards origination authority (per SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 paragraph 1.2.b.(1), a DoD civilian GS-11 or above in a supervisory position is allowed to originate award nominations). The Comparable Grades chapter does not establish a formal GS-to-military-grade equivalence.

Where to Go for Help

Routing by Issue

• Basic pay table questions tied to specific pay grade and years of service. Your S-1 references current basic pay tables published by DFAS.
• Joint duty billet pay grade requirements. The joint command's J-1 personnel office and the Marine Corps Joint Officer Handbook (covered in joint personnel guidance).
• Cross-service awards approval pay grade equivalence. SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 Chapter 1, MARADMIN 077/25MARADMIN 077/25 paragraphs 3.a.1 through 3.a.6, and the Joint Service Awards page on this site.
• Foreign liaison pay grade equivalence. SECNAV M-1650.1SECNAV M-1650.1 Chapter 7 and the Foreign Awards page on this site.
• DoD FMR Volume 7ADoD FMR Volume 7A questions. The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) at https://comptroller.defense.gov/.
• Marine Corps rank-specific questions. Manpower Marines website at https://www.manpower.marines.mil/.

Where to Go Next on This Site

• Awards Overview lays out the three categories of awards and where pay grade matters in approval authority.
• Joint Service Awards covers the cross-service awards approval flow built on pay grade equivalence.
• Foreign Awards covers cross-service and cross-nation pay grade interactions.

Related Roles

• Leaders mentor Marines on cross-service interactions and ensure protocol matches pay grade in joint or shared duty environments.
• Admin at S-1 references the comparable grades table when processing joint awards, foreign liaison documentation, and cross-service personnel actions.
• Commanders apply the comparable grades reference when adjudicating cross-service awards approvals, joint duty assignments, and foreign liaison protocol.

The comparable grades reference is the bridge between service-specific titles and the pay grades the entire DoD pay system runs on. When in doubt about cross-service interactions, work in pay grade, not in title.