Military Ranks: Everything You Need to Know

Understanding military ranks can be tricky, especially when it comes to knowing the military ranks in order.

Some of the military services -- the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps -- have their own enlisted military rank structures; the Coast Guard and Navy generally mirror each other; and the Space Force relies on the Air Force rank system with the exception of specialists, who replaced airmen.

A service member's military rank doesn't just determine their level of responsibility, but also their pay. That's why each service's ranks are tied to paygrades in an "enlisted," "warrant officer" and "officer" number system, written as the letters "E," "W," "O" and a number.

For example, the lowest military enlisted rank is "E-1," while the highest military officer rank in use is "O-10." While each service may call them something different, they all can be boiled down to "E" and "O." The only rank names and abbreviations that are exactly the same across all services who use them are those for warrant officers.

Related: Calculate your military pay

These military ranks are displayed on service member uniforms through a series of symbols, such as chevrons, stripes, stars and bars.

What Are the Military Ranks?

To learn the military ranks, you need to know what each service specifically calls the E and O levels, their abbreviations and how they look in the symbols, also known as insignias. For officers, Air Force, Army and Marine Corps symbols are largely the same, while the Navy and Coast Guard generally mirror each other.

The rank symbols can vary broadly for enlisted troops, with the Marine Corps and Army having many commonalities, and the Coast Guard and Navy again mirroring each other.

Additionally, while all the military services stick to the same paygrade structure, the Navy and Coast Guard organize their enlisted ranks in a "rate" system. Learn more about Navy enlisted rates and Coast Guard enlisted rates.

What Is the Highest Military Rank?

Generally, the highest U.S. military rank is O-10, or a four-star general. A five-star rank, created during World War II, was meant to be reserved for wartime or exceptional circumstances. Only nine Americans ever have held this rank. The last living five-star general was Omar Bradley, who died in 1981.

Army Ranks

The best way to understand Army ranks in order is to see each pay grade paired with what the service calls the rank and the abbreviation used by the Army. You also can read more details for Army enlisted ranks and Army officer ranks.

Air Force Ranks

The best way to understand Air Force ranks in order is to see each paygrade paired with what the service calls the rank and the abbreviation used by the Air Force. Unlike the other services, the Air Force does not have warrant officers. You can also see more specifics for Air Force enlisted ranks and Air Force officer ranks.

Coast Guard and Navy Ranks

Both maritime services, the Navy and Coast Guard use a rank structure that mirrors each other. While the symbols for the ranks used on their uniforms are different shades of blue, if you learn to recognize the ranks for one, you'll know the ranks for the other. You also can see more specifics for Navy enlisted ranks, organized by rates; Navy officer ranks; Coast Guard enlisted ranks and rates; and Coast Guard officer ranks.

Marine Corps Ranks

The best way to understand Marine Corps ranks in order is to see each paygrade paired with what the service calls the rank and the abbreviation used by the Marine Corps. You can also read more details for Marine Corps enlisted ranks and Marine Corps officer ranks.

Space Force Ranks

The best way to understand Space Force ranks in order is to see each paygrade paired with what the service calls the rank and the abbreviation used by the Space Force. You also can read more details for Space Force enlisted ranks and Space Force officer ranks. 

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