List of United States Navy Ratings - Rating Structure

Rating Structure

The pay grades E-4 (Petty Officer Third Class) through E-9 (Master Chief Petty Officer) fall within the rating structure. It is further broken down into four types of ratings and classifications:

• General ratings, which consist of broad occupational fields such as Electronics Technician, Machinist's Mate, or Machinery Repairman.
• Service ratings, which are made up of sub categories of general ratings that require further specialized training and qualifications – Service ratings are established, changed, and removed depending on service requirements and changes in the way personnel are managed.
• Navy Enlisted Classifications (NEC), which are numerical codes attached to a specific rating and are frequently used to indicate specialized qualifications and Emergency ratings.
• Emergency ratings, which are specific ratings that can be established in time of war and are distinguished by a letter of the alphabet enclosed in a diamond.

The word "rate" is used in two ways within the structure. First, rate is a paygrade. Enlisted navy personnel do not have rank, only naval officers. Second, rate is an abbreviation that contains both the rating and the paygrade abbreviations. For example, a Boatswain's Mate has the rating abbreviation BM, and if the person is a Petty Officer Second Class which is a "2" abbreviation, then the person's rate would be BM2 (BM is the rating and the 2 is Petty Officer Second Class paygrade E5). The paygrade abbreviation is always added right after the rating abbreviation. The rates (Paygrades) are as follows:

• 3 – Petty Officer Third Class (paygrade E4)
• 2 – Petty Officer Second Class (paygrade E5)
• 1 – Petty Officer First Class (paygrade E6)
• C – Chief Petty Officer (paygrade E7)
• CS – Senior Chief Petty Officer (paygrade E8)
• CM – Master Chief Petty Officer (paygrade E9)

Paygrades E1 through E3 can also have a rating abbreviation preceding their paygrade symbol if they are graduates of Class "A" schools; have received the rating designation in a previous enlistment; are assigned to a billet in that specialty as a striker; have passed an advancement examination and not been selected for advancement for reasons of numeric limitations on advancements; or have been reduced in rate because of punishment. Examples: BMSR is a Boatswain's Mate Seaman Recruit (paygrade E1); MMFA is a Machinist's Mate Fireman Apprentice (paygrade E2); MRFN is a Machinery Repairman Fireman (paygrade E3).