At the E-8 level, the Army, Marines, and Air Force have two positions at the same pay grade. Whether one is, for example, a senior master sergeant or a first sergeant in the Air Force depends on the person's job. The same is true for the positions at the E-9 level. Marine Corps master gunnery sergeants and sergeants major receive the same pay but have different responsibilities. All told, E-8s and E-9s have 15 to 30 years on the job, and are commanders' senior advisers for enlisted matters.
A third E-9 element is the senior enlisted person of each service. The sergeant major of the Army, the sergeant major of the Marine Corps, the master chief petty officer of the Navy, and the chief master sergeant of the Air Force are the spokespersons of the enlisted force at the highest levels of their services.
| Army | Navy Coast Guard | Marines | Air Force | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E9 | Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) |
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) and Coast Guard (MCPOCG) |
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SgtMajMC) |
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force (CMSAF) | |||||
| E9 | Sergeant Major (SGM) |
Command Sergeant Major (CSM) |
Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO) |
Fleet/Command Master Chief Petty Officer | Sergeant Major (SgtMaj) |
Master Gunnery Sergeant (MGySgt) |
Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt) |
First Sergeant | Command Chief Master Sergeant (CCM) |
| E8 | Master Sergeant (MSG) |
First Sergeant (1SG) |
Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO) |
Master Sergeant (MSgt) |
First Sergeant | Senior Master Sergeant (SMSgt) |
First Sergeant | ||
| E7 | Sergeant First Class (SFC) |
Chief Petty Officer (CPO) |
Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt) |
Master Sergeant (MSgt) |
First Sergeant | ||||
| E6 | Staff Sergeant (SSG) |
Petty Officer First Class (PO1) |
Staff Sergeant (SSgt) |
Technical Sergeant (TSgt) | |||||
| E5 | Sergeant (SGT) |
Petty Officer Second Class (PO2) |
Sergeant (Sgt) |
Staff Sergeant (SSgt) | |||||
| E4 | Corporal (CPL) |
Specialist (SPC) |
Petty Officer Third Class (PO3) |
Corporal (Cpl) |
Senior Airman (SrA) | ||||
