Enlisted Navy rates are a little different from the ranks of the other U.S. military branches.
The other branches organize service members according to ranks, while the Navy organizes its force according to rates, although it also follows the same E-1 to E-9 pay-grade structure as the other services.
Enlisted Navy rates include the categories of apprentices (E-1 to E-3), petty officers (E-4 to E-6), and chief petty officers (E-7 to E-9). Apprenticeships are entry-level positions, including seaman recruit, seaman apprentice and seaman, often referred to as non-rated personnel.
Petty officer ranks are intermediate ranks specializing in specific job roles. Chief petty officers represent senior enlisted leaders, embodying extensive experience and expertise in their fields. They serve as mentors, supervisors and technical authorities within their units.
The rate of enlisted sailors can be determined by their rating badge, which is a combination of a rate badge of stripes or chevrons. Occupational specialty is represented by the symbol just above the stripes or chevrons on the left sleeve of most uniforms.
Related: If you’re interested in joining the military, contact a recruiter today.
Enlisted Navy rates are broken down into three levels: apprenticeships (E-1 through E-3), petty officers (E-4 through E-6) and chief petty officers (E-7 through E-9).
Enlisted Navy Rates: Apprentices (E-1 through E-3)
The enlisted pay grades E-1 through E-3 in the Navy are commonly referred to as apprenticeships. Each apprenticeship is designated to indicate eligibility for entry into various ratings. General apprenticeship designators include:
-
Airman: Aviation Ratings
- E-2: Airman Apprentice (AA)
- E-3: Airman (AN)
-
Fireman: Naval Engineering Ratings
- E-2: Fireman Apprentice (FA)
- E-3: Fireman (FN)
-
Seaman: Deck and Administrative Ratings
- E-2: Seaman Apprentice (SA)
- E-3: Seaman (SN)
-
Dentalman: Dental Ratings
- E-2:- Dentalman Apprentice (DA)
- E-3: Dentalman (DN)
-
Hospitalman: Health Care Ratings
- E-2: Hospitalman Apprentice (HA)
- E-3: Hospitalman (HN)
Navy apprenticeships are your first steps in becoming an integral part of the Navy. As an apprentice, your job will be to apply the skills and knowledge you learned in basic training, begin training for your future career in the Navy, and continue developing your followership skills. You will be expected to follow all orders and tasking given by your superiors.
Seaman Recruit (E-1)
Seaman recruit (SR) is the lowest enlisted rank in the Navy, just below seaman apprentice. Two separate pay grades exist within this rank: one for those with service of less than four months, with a higher pay scale for those in service for more than four months, even if they have not yet advanced to seaman apprentice. Navy seaman recruits do not bear any uniform rank insignia.
Moving up in rate: The Navy will automatically advance you to E-2 when you have completed six months of time in service (TIS), assuming you stay out of trouble and your performance remains satisfactory.
Seaman Apprentice (E-2)
The title for an E-2 in the Navy depends on the community to which the sailor belongs.
- Those in the general deck and administrative community are seamen apprentices. They wear white stripes on navy blue uniforms (see image below), and navy blue (black) stripes on white uniforms.
- Hospital corpsmen are hospitalman apprentices. They are the only rate in this community. They wear white stripes on navy blue uniforms and navy blue stripes on white uniforms.
- Those in the engineering and hull community are called fireman apprentices and wear red stripes on both navy blue and white uniforms.
- Those in the aviation community are called airman apprentices and wear green stripes on both navy blue and white uniforms.
- Seabees are called constructionman apprentices and wear light blue stripes on both navy blue and white uniforms.
Apprenticeships are the first steps in becoming an integral part of the Navy. An apprentice’s job is to apply the skills and knowledge learned in basic training, begin training a your future career in the Navy, and continue developing followership skills. You will be expected to follow all orders and tasks given by your superiors.
Moving up in rate: The Navy will automatically advance you to E-2 when you have completed six months’ time in service (TIS), assuming you stay out of trouble and your performance remains satisfactory.
Seaman (E-3)
As with apprentice seamen (E-2), the title for an E-3 in the Navy depends on the subset of the Navy to which the sailor, seaman, submariner, aviator, hospitalman, nurse, etc., has been assigned. Likewise, the color of his/her group rate mark also depends on the section of the Navy.
The duties performed by seamen include ship maintenance; equipment maintenance, repair and storage for underway operations; lookout and helmsmen duties; serving as a member of damage control, emergency and security alert teams; participating in naval ceremonies; and working with qualified personnel to gain job training and experience.
Moving up in rate: Like advancement to E-2, advancement to E-3 is virtually automatic. However, some units may require you to complete certain professional qualifications or apprenticeship exams before being declared eligible. In addition to your commanding officer’s approval, you must have 12 months’ time in service (TIS) and nine months’ time in rate (TIR).
Enlisted Navy Rates: Petty Officers (E-4 through E-6)
Promotions to the rates of petty officer third class (E-4) through chief petty officer (E-7) are based on a limited number of vacancies and are competitive. As a petty officer, you will be responsible for and to your subordinates. This means that you will be responsible for your subordinates’:
- Well-being
- Work performance
- Professional development
- Morale
- Education and training
- Maintaining standards of behavior
Petty Officer Third Class (E-4)
Promotion to petty officer third class (PO3) is not simply a raise in pay. It is a shift in roles, from one who has been led to one who must lead. It is an assumption of higher responsibility, authority and accountability. When you become a petty officer in the Navy, the expectations of your performance will be higher than you’ve experienced before.
Moving up in rate: Unlike advancement to E-2 and E-3, advancement to petty officer is based on your basic eligibility requirements and a Navy-wide competition. Your basic eligibility for advancement to PO3 is based on the following factors, as well as your performance in the competition:
- CO’s recommendation
- Two years of time in service (TIS)
- Six months of time in rate (TIR)
- Completion of your rating-particular qualifications and nonresident courses
Petty Officer Second Class (E-5)
Promotion to petty officer second class (PO2) is not simply a raise in pay. It means increased expectations of technical expertise and leadership abilities. As a petty officer second class, your level of authority will not change, but you will be expected to manage more resources and larger work groups or watch sections.
Moving up in rate: Advancement to petty officer is based on your basic eligibility requirements and a Navy-wide competition.
Your basic eligibility for advancement to PO2 is based on the following:
- CO’s recommendation
- Three years of time in service (TIS)
- 12 months of time in rate (TIR)
- Completion of your rating-particular qualifications and nonresident courses
Petty Officer First Class (E-6)
Petty officer first class (PO1) is commonly referred to as the point where the “rubber meets the road.” It marks a transition from junior to senior petty officer. Your promotion to first class also means increased expectations of your technical expertise and leadership abilities, and a time for you to prepare for the next big step in your career, chief petty officer. As a petty officer first class, you may be expected to step up and take charge, to manage a much larger number of resources, including expensive technical equipment, repair shop personnel and large duty sections.
Moving up the ranks: Your basic eligibility for advancement to PO1 is based in part on the following requirements and a Navy-wide competition:
- CO’s recommendation
- Seven years’ time in service (TIS)
- 36 months’ time in rate (TIR)
- Completion of your rating-particular qualifications and nonresident courses
Enlisted Navy Rates: Chief Petty Officers (E-7 through E-9)
The following excerpt from the Navy Chief Petty Officer’s Creed captures what it means to advance to chief petty officer (CPO) in the U.S. Navy.
“In the United States Navy — and only in the United States Navy — the rank of E7 carries with it unique responsibilities and privileges you are now bound to observe and expected to fulfill. Your entire way of life is now changed. More will be expected of you; more will be demanded of you. Not because you are an E7 but because you are now a Chief Petty Officer. You have not merely been promoted one pay grade, you have joined an exclusive fellowship and, as in all fellowships, you have a special responsibility to your comrades, even as they have a special responsibility to you. This is why we in the United States Navy may maintain with pride our feelings of accomplishment once we have attained the position of Chief Petty Officer.”
Chief Petty Officer (E-7)
The master chief of the Navy (MCPON) states that chief petty officers are responsible for, have the authority to accomplish and are held accountable for leading sailors and applying their skills to tasks that enable mission accomplishment for the U.S. Navy; developing enlisted and junior officer sailors; communicating the core values, standards and information of [the] Navy that empower sailors to be successful in all they attempt; and supporting with loyalty the endeavors of the chain of command they serve and their fellow chief petty officers with whom they serve.
Moving up in rate: The chief petty officer advancement process is based on three factors: your basic eligibility requirements, your Navy-wide Final Multiple Score (FMS), and the Chief Petty Officer Promotions Board.
Your basic eligibility for advancement to CPO is based in part on the following:
- CO’s recommendation
- 11 years’ time in service (TIS)
- 36 months’ time in rate (TIR)
- Completion of your rating-particular qualifications and nonresident courses
Once you have met the basic eligibility requirements for advancement, you will be eligible to participate in a Navy-wide advancement competition.
Senior Chief Petty Officer (E-8)
Senior chief petty officers (SCPO) are the senior technical supervisors within a rating or an occupational field. SCPOs have the primary responsibility for supervising and training enlisted personnel oriented to system and subsystem maintenance, repair and operation rather than individual unit work. Based on wide-ranging experience and specialized training, SCPOs provide the command with a higher level of technical and managerial expertise than is expected at the chief petty officer level.
Moving up in rate: The senior chief advancement process is based on the basic eligibility requirements and the Senior Chief Petty Officer Selection Board. Basic eligibility for advancement to SCPO is based in part on the following:
- CO’s recommendation
- 16 years’ time in service (TIS)
- 36 months’ time in rate (TIR)
If you have met the basic eligibility requirements and are recommended, you will be sent to the Senior Chief Petty Officer Selection Board. The board is charged with considering all eligible candidates for advancement to SCPO. The board makes its determination based on the following factors:
- Professional performance at sea
- Education
- Evaluations
- Physical standards
Master Chief Petty Officer (E-9)
Master chief petty officers are the senior enlisted petty officers in the Navy. As such, MCPOs are vested with special command trust and confidence, extending to administrative and managerial functions involving enlisted personnel. Based upon experience, proven performance and technical knowledge necessary for advancement to the grade, an MCPO will hold a senior enlisted position within a command and help to form and execute policy within an occupational field or across the full Navy spectrum. Those selected to hold the position of command master chief will serve as the senior enlisted adviser in setting command policies about the morale, use and training of all enlisted personnel. As such, the MCPO will have direct access to the commanding officer. Additionally, as the command master chief, the MCPO will be responsible for carrying out established command policy in specific areas as directed by the commanding officer and the executive officer. As the command master chief, the MCPO will take precedence over all enlisted members within the command.
Moving up in rate: The master chief advancement process is based on the basic eligibility requirements and the Master Chief Petty Officer Selection Board. Basic eligibility for advancement to MCPO is based on:
- CO’s recommendation
- 19 years’ time in service (TIS)
- 36 months’ time in rate (TIR)
If you have met the basic eligibility requirements and are recommended, you will be sent to the Master Chief Petty Officer Selection Board. The board is charged with considering all eligible candidates for advancement to MCPO.
Interested in Joining the Military?
We can put you in touch with recruiters from the different military branches. Learn about the benefits of serving your country, paying for school, military career paths, and more: sign up now and hear from a recruiter near you.
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy
The master chief petty officer of the Navy (MCPON) is the most senior enlisted member of the U.S. Navy, equivalent to the sergeant major of the Army, chief master sergeant of the Air Force, sergeant major of the Marine Corps, master chief petty officer of the Coast Guard, chief master sergeant of the Space Force and senior enlisted adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He is appointed by the chief of naval operations to serve as a spokesperson to address the issues of enlisted personnel to the highest positions in the Navy. As such, the MCPON is the senior enlisted adviser to the chief of naval operations as well as the chief of naval personnel. The duties of this position vary depending on the CNO.
Want to Know More About the Navy?
Be sure to get the latest news about the Navy as well as critical info about how to join the Navy and all the benefits of service. Become a Military.com member for free and receive customized updates delivered straight to your inbox.
Interested in Joining the Military?
We can put you in touch with recruiters from the different military branches. Learn about the benefits of serving your country, paying for school, military career paths, and more: sign up now and hear from a recruiter near you
Read the full article here