Pay grades
E-2: the first insignia
The grade where most recruits pin on their first rank. The six titles, the insignia, and the single 2026 pay rate.
E-2: rank in each service, insignia and 2026 pay
Army, E-2 · Enlisted
Private (PV2)
Junior enlisted, usually in training or on a first assignment
| Marine Corps | Private First Class (PFC) |
| Navy | Seaman Apprentice (SA) |
| Air Force | Airman (Amn) |
| Space Force | Specialist 2 (Spc2) |
| Coast Guard | Seaman Apprentice (SA) |
| 2026 basic pay, 2 or less years | $2,697.90 a month |
Same pay grade means the same basic pay in every service. Basic pay only: housing, food and special pays are not included.
Everything about E-2E-2 is the second enlisted pay grade and the first at which most service members wear an insignia. In the Army the rank is private, abbreviated PV2 to tell it apart from the E-1 private, and the Army notes it is "the first at which a Soldier wears rank insignia". The Marine Corps calls E-2 private first class, the Navy and Coast Guard seaman apprentice, the Air Force airman and the Space Force specialist 2. The 2026 basic pay table gives E-2 a single rate, $2,697.90 a month, at every length of service. An Army PV2 becomes eligible for private first class, E-3, after four months in grade and twelve months of service, under the rules the Army publishes on its ranks page. The Marine title is the one most often confused: a Marine PFC is an E-2, while an Army PFC is an E-3.
What is a promotion worth in basic pay?
E-2 to E-3, 2 or less years
+$138.90 / mo
| E-2 | $2,697.90 |
| E-3 | $2,836.80 |
| Over a year | +$1,667 |
Same years of service in both grades, 2026 DFAS table.
Ranks and pay tables read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
The PFC trap
"Private first class" names two different grades. In the Marine Corps it is E-2; in the Army it is E-3. A Marine PFC and an Army PFC wear the same words on paper but are paid at different rates, $2,697.90 against $2,836.80 a month in 2026. The services compare by pay grade, never by title, which is why this site files every rank under its grade. The equivalents table lines up all six services grade by grade.
What is this rank called in another service?
Marine Corps Private First Class (PFC) in the Army
Private
| Pay grade | E-2 |
| Group: Junior enlisted, usually in training or on a first assignment | |
| Abbreviation | PV2 |
Equivalence follows the pay grade, the rule the services use between them.
From E-2 to E-3
Most moves out of E-2 depend on time. The Army sets four months in grade and twelve months of service for PFC. The other services publish their own rules in their personnel regulations; this site does not summarize them because their official pages refuse automated reading and we could not check them line by line. The next rate, $2,836.80 at the start of E-3, is a raise of $138.90 a month.
E-2 in the six services
| Service | Rank | Abbreviation | Insignia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | Private | PV2 | |
| Marine Corps | Private First Class | PFC |  |
| Navy | Seaman Apprentice | SA |  |
| Air Force | Airman | Amn |  |
| Space Force | Specialist 2 | Spc2 |  |
| Coast Guard | Seaman Apprentice | SA |  |
E-2 basic pay in 2026, by years of service
| Years of service | Monthly basic pay | Over 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or less | $2,697.90 | $32,375 |