The US military is one of the world’s largest and most well-funded militaries.

It consists of 6 branches with around 2.4 million individuals, both on active duty and also in the reserves. With a diverse range of personnel and roles, the salaries of each rank can vary significantly.

In this article, we will provide an overview of the salaries of each rank in the United States military, from an entry-level cadet to an O-4 army major, as of 2021.

Enlisted Personnel

Enlisted personnel make up most of the military and are the backbone of the force.

No matter the branch or rank, most military personnel receive allowances for supplies such as food and other groceries they might need.

The following is a breakdown of the salaries for enlisted personnel in the United States military:

• E-1 (Private): The starting pay for an E-1 is $1,785 per month.

Privates in the Marines and Army, Airman Basics in the Air Force and Space Force, and Seaman Recruits in the Navy and Coast Guard are the lowest ranks an enlisted service member can be; an E-1 (enlisted-1)

But even with less than four months of active duty under their belts, E-1 service members receive $1,650 monthly.

• E-2 (Private Second Class): The starting pay for an E-2 is $2,000 per month.

An E-2 is the next tier in military ranking.

This rank goes to private first class in the Marines, seaman apprentice in the Navy and Coast guard, an airman in the Air Force and Space Force, and a private second class in the Army.

Their monthly allowance shoots up to $2,000.70 per month for an annual salary of $24,008.40.

• E-3 (Private First Class): The starting pay for an E-3 is $2,103 per month.

When a service member makes it to the rank of E-3, their salary is based on how many years they have been enlisted.

The ranking of E-3 includes Marine lance corporals, Army privates first class, Air Force and Space Force airmen first class, and Navy and Coast Guard seamen.

These servicemen and women with less than two years of experience will make $2,103.90 per month, while those with at least three years under their belts will earn $2,371.80 monthly.

• E-4 (Specialist/Corporal): The starting pay for an E-4 is $2,330 per month.

E-4 servicemen and women hold the rankings of Army specialists and corporals, Navy and Coast Guard petty officers third class, Marine corporals, and Air Force and Space Force senior airmen.

With at least six years of experience, this rank will make around $2,829/month, a solid $500 more than those of equal rank but less than two years in service.

• E-5 (Sergeant): The starting pay for an E-5 is $2,698 per month.

Those servicemen and women who reached E-5 status had a long journey, climbing their way up the ranks from an E-1. But it’s well worth it.

From petty officers, second class in the Navy and Coast Guard to sergeants in the Army and Marines and staff sergeants in the Air Force and Space Force, service members who reach an E-5 pay grade have spent at least 12 years in service.

This gives them a chance to make up to $43,282.80 per year.

• E-6 (Staff Sergeant): The starting pay for an E-6 is $2,981 per month.

Petty officers first class in the Navy and Coast Guard, technical sergeants in the Air Force and Space Force, and staff sergeants in the Army and Marines have the privilege of an E-6 rank in the military.

This means they’ve served for at least 18 years and receive a monthly salary of between $2,774.40 and $4,297.20 for an annual salary of around $51,566.40.

• E-7 (Sergeant First Class): The starting pay for an E-7 is $3,257 per month.

The pay gap between E-7 servicemen and women is quite something.

This ranking includes Marine gunnery sergeants, Navy and Coast Guard chief petty officers, Army sergeants first class, and Air Force and Space Force master sergeants.

If an E-7 has served less than two years, their annual salary is only $38,491.20.

At the same time, E-7 servicemen and women with at least 26 years of experience can earn an annual salary of $69,184.80.

• E-8 (Master Sergeant/First Sergeant): The starting pay for an E-8 is $4,480 per month.

Only service members with at least eight years of experience can hop into the E-8 pay scale.

This rank includes senior master sergeants in the Air Force and Space Force, first sergeants in the Army, master sergeants in the Army and Marines, and senior chief petty officers in the Navy and Coast Guard.

These servicemen and women can earn between $55,375.20 and $78,976.80 per year.

• E-9 (Sergeant Major/Command Sergeant Major): The starting pay for an E-9 is $5,473 per month.

When servicemembers hit the rank of an E-9, their monthly paycheck goes up substantially.

Navy and Coast Guard master chief petty officers, Army sergeant majors, Air Force and Space Force chief master sergeants, and Marine master gunnery sergeants, sergeant majors earn between $5,637 and $8,752.50 per month.

E-9s with at least 38 years of experience can earn a six-figure salary, earning around $105,030 annually.

Warrant Officers

Warrant Officers are technical experts and are often responsible for managing and training enlisted personnel.

The following is a breakdown of the salaries for warrant officers in the United States military based on 2021 data:

• W-1 (Warrant Officer 1): The starting pay for a W-1 is $3,213 per month.

W-1s or warrant officer 1s have their ranks approved by Congress and are experts in a specific skill.

While technically have a higher ranking than enlisted military members, they don’t necessarily have as much experience, lowering their monthly income.

Besides the Air Force and Space Force, all branches have warrant office 1s, paying the rank between $3,309.30 – $5,718.60 per month.

• W-2 (Chief Warrant Officer 2): The starting pay for a W-2 is $4,787 per month.

The next tier is a Chief Warrant Officer, a W-2, a rank only available in the Army, Navy, Coast Guard, and the Marines.

Servicemen and women will have varying pay grades depending on how many years served in these branches.

Those who have served less than two years will receive an annual salary of $45,244.80.

At the same time, W-2s who have served for at least 24 years can make up to $75,517.20 per year.

• W-3 (Chief Warrant Officer 3): The starting pay for a W-3 is $5,950 per month.

A serviceman or woman who has worked their way up the W-3 ladder has immense skills and brings invaluable expertise and resources to their team.

A W-3 Chief Warrant Officer is found in several branches of the United States military, including the Army, Marines, Coast Guard, and Navy.

W-3 officers can expect to make at least $51,134.40 per year or, with at least 26 years under their belt, $89,694 annually.

• W-4 (Chief Warrant Officer 4): The starting pay for a W-4 is $6,981 per month.

While people in the Army, Marines, and Navy go up to a W-5 pay grade, those in the Coast Guard become Chief Warrant Officer 4 or a W-4.

And these servicemen and women are paid a nice chunk of change for their time.

In 2021, W-4s with less than two years of experience make $55,990.80 yearly, while those with at least 30 years of experience make $104,292 annually.

• W-5 (Chief Warrant Officer 5): The starting pay for a W-5 is $8,126 per month.

The rank of W-5 is given to those in the Army, Marines, and Navy, and it is the highest pay grade they’ll be able to receive.

Even though chief warrant officers are capped out, they are very well compensated for their service.

Servicemen and women with at least 20 years of experience earn $99,554.40 per year, while those with at least 38 years of experience will earn $130,276.80 per year.

Commissioned Officers

Commissioned officers are military leaders and are responsible for planning and executing missions.

The following is a breakdown of the salaries for commissioned officers in the United States military.

• O-1 (Second Lieutenant): The starting pay for an O-1 is $4,267 per month.

Even though Officer 1s (O-1) outrank W-5s, they’re paid significantly less.

This is because O-1s are typically very young without the experience of a W-5, having most likely graduated from one of the academies of an ROTC program.

O-1 second lieutenants and ensigns are still paid a nice sum, though. They earn anywhere between $40,629.60 and $51,127.20 per year.

• O-2 (First Lieutenant): The starting pay for an O-2 is $3,787 per month.

A first lieutenant in the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force and lieutenant junior grade in the Navy and Coast Guard are all under the ranking of an O-2.

And, like other military rankings, an O-2s’s pay depends on their experience.

Those with less than two years of experience earn $46,814.40 per year, while those with at least six years earn $64,782 yearly.

• O-3 (Captain): The starting pay for an O-3 is $4,734 per month.

The next tier is an O-3, a rank of captain in the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force, and a rank of lieutenant in the Coast Guard and Navy.

Achieving this rank without experience is possible, but the pay is a bit lower.

Those with no experience can expect to earn around $54,176.40 per year, while those O-3s with at least 14 years of experience can earn up to $88,142.40 per year.

• O-4 (Major): The starting pay for an O-4 is $6,275 per month.

Next on the tier are O-4s, a major in the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force, and a lieutenant commander in the Coast guard and Navy.

While rare, some people quickly advance to an O-4 rank without experience.

These servicemen and women can expect to make around $61,621.20 per year.

Those with at least 18 years of experience are pushing past six figures, earning $102,884.40 annually.

• O-5 (Lieutenant Colonel): The starting pay for an O-5 is $7,791 per month.

O-5s are the next in line of commissioned officers.

This tier is reserved for the ranking of lieutenant colonels in the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force, while they’re called Coast Guard and Navy commanders.

No matter their title, O-5s are paid a generous sum depending on their experience.

Those with little to no experience can expect to make $71,416.80 per year, while those with at least 22 years under their belt can make $121,334.40.

• O-6 (Colonel): The starting pay for an O-6 is $9,024 per month.

The tier of O-6 includes colonels in the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force, and captains in the Coast Guard and Navy.

Getting to this level is no easy feat, and those who do are well compensated for their service.

The base pay for an O-6 is $85,669.20 per year, while those with 30 years of service can make up to $151,660.80.

• O-7 (Brigadier General): The starting pay for an O-7 is $11,596 per month.

O-7 is an elite ranking that not many people see.

It includes a brigadier general of the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force, and a rear admiral lower half in the Coast Guard and Navy.

Even the servicemen and women with the least experience can expect to make a six-figure salary, with the base pay starting at $112,971.60 per year.

Those with at least 30 years of experience make $168,789.60 per year!

• O-8 (Major General): The starting pay for an O-8 is $15,546 per month.

Due to the number of responsibilities on the shoulders of O-8s, they’ve earned enormous salaries.

This tier includes the ranking of major generals of the Army, Marines, Air Force, and Space Force, and rear admirals of the Coast Guard and Navy.

While the base pay for this tier starts at $135,954 per year, it can be as much as $195,998.40 for those with at least 34 years of experience.