Navy Chief Petty Officer - Military Ranks (2024)

Navy Ranks »Chief Petty Officer Rank •CPO Pay •CPO Rank History•Promotion Information

E-7 Chief Petty Officer -Senior Noncommissioned Officer - U.S. Navy Ranks

Chief Petty Officer is the first of the Navy's Chief Petty Officer ranks, and the first rank with the Chief Petty Officer's enhanced duties and benefits. Like Petty Officers all Chief Petty Officers have a rating, or job, and their full operational title is determined by their rating; a Chief Petty Officer specializing as a Gunner's Mate, for example, is known by the full title of Chief Gunner's Mate.

Chief Petty Officer is the first Navy rank that comes with vastly expanded powers and responsibilities over those of that below it. In addition to their rating's duties, a Chief Petty Officer is responsible for training junior officers and leading his division of sailors and petty officers.

In addition to enhanced responsibilities, Chief Petty Officers enjoy a wide variety of on-duty benefits far above anything received by Petty Officers or enlisted sailors. As well as a shipboard uniform similar to that of a commissioned officer, Chief Petty Officers enjoy private living quarters and access to the Chief's Mess, known in informal Navy slang as the "goat locker", which is in reference to ship's livestock that used to be kept in the Chief's quarters for safekeeping. The Chief's quarters are exclusive and off-limits to all sailors, including officers, unless given specific invitation.

Promotion to Chief Petty Officer is an even more rigorous process then advancement to any of the Petty Officer ranks. In addition to specialty testing and commander recommendation, candidates must successfully pass a review by their peers, the senior petty officers with which they have served. After a highly competetive selection process, successful candidates are inducted into the Chief's community by their new peers and commanding officers.

Chief Petty Officer is the 7th rank in the United States Navy, ranking above Petty Officer First Class and directly below Senior Chief Petty Officer.A chief petty officer is a Senior Noncommissioned Officer at DoD paygrade E-7, with a starting monthly pay of $3,625.

How do you become a Chief Petty Officer?

A Chief Petty Officer is most often promoted from Petty Officer First Class (PO1), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience. Click here to learn more about promotion to Chief Petty Officer.

What is the proper way to address a Chief Petty Officer?

The correct way to address a Chief Petty Officer named Mr. Rodriguez is"Chief Rodriguez", or written as CPO Rodriguez.In addition to their rank, all Navy senior noncommissioned officers have a rating (job) such as Gunner's Mate. This job is included in their full rank title. In formal situations, a Chief Petty Officer should always be addressed by their full rank.

How much does a Chief Petty Officer earn?

For full details on the Navy's Chief Petty Officer compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Navy Chief Petty Officer Pay Chart. A full table of the Navy's current paygrades are available at the Navy Pay Chart.

Equivalent Ranks to the Navy's E-7 Chief Petty Officer

To learn more about the Navy's rank structure, see our complete list of Navy ranks.

The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Chief Petty Officer is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Navy rank to GS grade conversion table .

To see a list of military medals and decorations that can be earned by servicemembers in the Navy and other branches of the military, see our list of military decorations and medals.