Coast Guard Ranks in Order: Enlisted, Warrant Officer, and Officer Insignia Chart

Coast Guard enlisted ranks run from Seaman Recruit at E-1 to Master Chief Petty Officer at E-9 and use the same titles as the Navy. Members become petty officers at E-4, and Chief Petty Officers from E-7 up serve as the senior enlisted leaders of their units.

Coast Guard Enlisted Ranks in Order (E-1 to E-9)

Grade	Insignia	Rank	What This Rank Does	How to Address
Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-3)
E-1		Seaman Recruit SR	New member in recruit training.	Address as: Seaman
E-2		Seaman Apprentice SA	Junior member learning shipboard and unit duties.	Address as: Seaman
E-3		Seaman SN	Junior member who performs tasks and trains toward a rating.	Address as: Seaman
Petty Officers (E-4 to E-6)
E-4		Petty Officer Third Class PO3	First petty officer grade; skilled member who leads junior members.	Address as: Petty Officer
E-5		Petty Officer Second Class PO2	Experienced petty officer who supervises and trains members in a rating.	Address as: Petty Officer
E-6		Petty Officer First Class PO1	Senior petty officer who leads a work center, crew, or team.	Address as: Petty Officer
Chief Petty Officers (E-7 to E-9)
E-7		Chief Petty Officer CPO	Senior enlisted leader and technical expert in a unit.	Address as: Chief
E-8		Senior Chief Petty Officer SCPO	Senior enlisted leader who manages larger groups and programs.	Address as: Senior Chief
E-9		Master Chief Petty Officer MCPO	Highest enlisted grade; senior enlisted leader at unit or command level.	Address as: Master Chief
E-9		Fleet/Command Master Chief Petty Officer	Senior enlisted advisor to a commanding officer or senior commander.	Address as: Master Chief
E-9		Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard MCPOCG	The Coast Guard's most senior enlisted member and advisor to the Commandant.	Address as: Master Chief

The Coast Guard has chief warrant officers at three grades: Chief Warrant Officer 2, 3, and 4. They are technical specialists selected from the enlisted ranks, and the Coast Guard does not use the W-1 or W-5 grades.

Coast Guard Warrant Officer Ranks (W-2 to W-4)

Grade	Insignia	Rank	What This Rank Does	How to Address
W-2		Chief Warrant Officer 2 CWO2	Technical specialist commissioned from the enlisted ranks.
W-3		Chief Warrant Officer 3 CWO3	Experienced technical specialist and leader in a specialty field.
W-4		Chief Warrant Officer 4 CWO4	Senior technical specialist and advisor to commanders.

Coast Guard officer ranks run from Ensign at O-1 to Admiral at O-10 and use the same titles as the Navy. The Commandant of the Coast Guard is a four-star Admiral.

Coast Guard Officer Ranks in Order (O-1 to O-10)

Grade	Insignia	Rank	What This Rank Does	How to Address
Junior Officers (O-1 to O-3)
O-1		Ensign ENS	Entry-level officer serving as a division officer or deck watch officer.	Address as: Ensign
O-2		Lieutenant Junior Grade LTJG	Junior officer with growing duties afloat, ashore, or in aviation.	Address as: Lieutenant
O-3		Lieutenant LT	Experienced officer who may command a small cutter or serve as an aviator.	Address as: Lieutenant
Mid-Grade Officers (O-4 to O-6)
O-4		Lieutenant Commander LCDR	Department head, executive officer, or commanding officer of a smaller unit.	Address as: Commander
O-5		Commander CDR	Commands a larger cutter or an air station, or serves as a sector deputy commander.	Address as: Commander
O-6		Captain CAPT	Commands a sector, a large cutter, or a major staff element.	Address as: Captain
Flag Officers (O-7 to O-10)
O-7		Rear Admiral Lower Half RDML	One-star flag officer leading a district or major headquarters directorate.	Address as: Admiral
O-8		Rear Admiral Upper Half RADM	Two-star flag officer commanding a district or major organization.	Address as: Admiral
O-9		Vice Admiral VADM	Commands a Coast Guard area or serves as a top headquarters leader.	Address as: Admiral
O-10		Admiral ADM	Leads the Coast Guard as Commandant or serves as Vice Commandant.	Address as: Admiral

A five-star Fleet Admiral grade is listed for the Coast Guard in wartime, but no Coast Guard officer has ever held five-star rank.

Use the full rank and last name in writing and formal settings. In conversation, Coast Guard ranks are often shortened as shown below, and officers can also be addressed as sir or ma'am.

See military ranks in order for every branch side by side, or open the full rank chart for another branch below. Navy ranks use the same titles as the Coast Guard.