There is no greater pride than serving in the armed forces. Here, we’ll have a look at the ranks and pay scale of, arguably, the best army in the world.
The defense budget of the United States is more than that of Russia, China, India, UK, Australia, France, Germany, South Korea, and Japan, put together.
US Army ranks are divided into Enlisted Officers, Warrant officers, and Commissioned Officers. The pay scale all across the army is divided into grades. The purpose of these pay grades is to standardize and administer the compensation across the army. It is a kind of formula that us used for standardization. For example, if you take the grade ‘E1″, the ‘E’ stands for ‘enlisted’, and the number ‘1’ is the relative pay grade for that position.
Military ranks and pay scales should not to be mixed up. Take for example a corporal and a specialist. They both have the same pay scale or grade (E4). But then, in terms of responsibility and leadership, a corporal is of a higher rank than a specialist.
(Salaries are monthly and true at the time of writing the article. NA = Not Applicable.)
Command Break-up
| SERGEANT | |
| Rank | SGT |
| Commands | Squad |
| Comprises | 8 – 10 soldiers |
| Salary Range | $2,181 – $3,094 |
| LIEUTENANT | |
| Rank | 1LT |
| Commands | Platoon |
| Comprises | 2 – 4 squads |
| Salary Range | $3,347 – $5,364 |
| CAPTAIN | |
| Rank | CPT |
| Commands | Company |
| Comprises | 3 – 5 platoons |
| Salary Range | $3,873 – $6,726 |
| LIEUTENANT COLONEL | |
| Rank | LTC |
| Commands | Battalion |
| Comprises | 4 – 5 companies |
| Salary Range | $5,106 – $8,675 |
| COLONEL | |
| Rank | COL |
| Commands | Brigade |
| Comprises | 2 – 5 battalions |
| Salary Range | $6,125 – $10,844 |
| MAJOR GENERAL | |
| Rank | MG |
| Commands | Division |
| Comprises | 3 brigades |
| Salary Range | $9,946 – $14,338 |
| LIEUTENANT GENERAL | |
| Rank | LTG |
| Commands | Corps |
| Comprises | 2(+) divisions |
| Salary Range | $14,259 – $17,436 |
Enlisted Officers
Enlisted officers are the major chunk of the armed forces, and are mostly made up of the technical staff and combat force.
| Grade | Rank | Code | 0-2 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | 30 Years | 40 Years |
| E1 | Private | PVT | 1,531.50 | 1,531.50 | 1,531.50 | 1,531.50 | 1,531.50 |
| E2 | Private 2 | PV2 | 1,716.90 | 1,716.90 | 1,716.90 | 1,716.90 | 1,716.90 |
| E3 | Private First Class | PFC | 1,805.40 | 2,034.90 | 2,034.90 | 2,034.90 | 2,034.90 |
| E4 | Specialist | SPC | 1,999.50 | 2,427.30 | 2,427.30 | 2,427.30 | 2,427.30 |
| E4 | Corporal | SPC | 1,999.50 | 2,427.30 | 2,427.30 | 2,427.30 | 2,427.30 |
| E5 | Sergeant | SGT | 2,181.00 | 3,094.80 | 3,094.80 | 3,094.80 | 3,094.80 |
| E6 | Staff Sergeant | SSG | 2,380.80 | 3,530.40 | 3,687.30 | 3,687.30 | 3,687.30 |
| E7 | Sergeant First Class | SFC | 2,752.50 | 3,914.40 | 4,532.40 | 4,946.70 | 4,946.70 |
| E8 | Master Sergeant | MSG | NA | 4242.90 | 5,115.30 | 5,647.20 | 5,647.20 |
| E8 | First Sergeant | 1SG | NA | 4242.90 | 5,115.30 | 5,647.20 | 5,647.20 |
| E9 | Sergeant Major | SGM | NA | 4,946.40 | 5,895.60 | 6,810.90 | 7,509.60 |
| E9 | Command Sergeant Major | CSM | NA | 4,946.40 | 5,895.60 | 6,810.90 | 7,509.60 |
| E9 | Sergeant Major of the Army | SMA | NA | 4,946.40 | 5,895.60 | 6,810.90 | 7,509.60 |
Warrant Officers
Warrant officers are specialists in certain strategies, and they hold warrant from their service secretary.
| Grade | Rank | Code | 0 – 2 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | 30 Years | 40 Years |
| W1 | Warrant Officer | WO1 | 2,839.80 | 4,247.70 | 4,906.80 | 4,906.80 | 4,906.80 |
| W2 | Chief Warrant Officer 2 | CW2 | 3,234.90 | 4,556.40 | 5,313.60 | 5,399.70 | 5,399.70 |
| W3 | Chief Warrant Officer 3 | CW3 | 3,655.80 | 4,995.00 | 6,069.90 | 6,413.10 | 6,413.10 |
| W4 | Chief Warrant Officer 4 | CW4 | 4,003.50 | 5,493.90 | 6,768.00 | 7,457.10 | 7,457.10 |
| W5 | Chief Warrant Officer 5 | CW5 | NA | NA | 7,479.60 | 8,448.90 | 9,315.00 |
Commissioned Officers
Commissioned officers are of the highest order in the army. They are appointed by the Senate and also hold presidential commissions.
| Grade | Rank | Code | 0 – 2 Years | 10 Years | 20 Years | 30 Years | 40 Years |
| O1 | Second Lieutenant | 2LT | 2,905.20 | 4,340.10 | 4,538.70 | 4,538.70 | 4,538.70 |
| O2 | First Lieutenant | 1LT | 3,347.10 | 5,220.90 | 5,364.30 | 5,364.30 | 5,364.30 |
| O3 | Captain | CPT | 3,873.90 | 6,151.50 | 6,726.00 | 6,726.00 | 6,726.00 |
| O4 | Major | MAJ | 4,405.80 | 6,921.30 | 7,356.60 | 7,356.60 | 7,356.60 |
| O5 | Lieutenant Colonel | LTC | 5,106.60 | 7,189.50 | 8,675.70 | 8,675.70 | 8,675.70 |
| O6 | Colonel | COL | 6,125.40 | 7,547.70 | 9,878.40 | 10,844.10 | 10,844.10 |
| O7 | Brigadier General | BG | 8,264.40 | 10,059.00 | 12,043.80 | 12,347.70 | 12,347.70 |
| O8 | Major General | MG | 9,946.20 | 11,802.00 | 13,647.30 | 13,989.00 | 14,338.50 |
| O9 | Lieutenant General | LTG | NA | NA | 14,259.90 | 15,816.00 | 17,436.90 |
| O10 | General | GEN | NA | NA | 16,150.50 | 17,925.30 | 19,762.50 |
| SPECIAL | General of the Army | GA | NA | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Though money is something which cannot be ignored, what lies beneath is the respect and pride for one’s country, and the pledge which each and every soldier takes for the security of the country and its people.