Pay grades
E-6: staff sergeant, petty officer first class, technical sergeant
The squad leader grade in the Army. The six titles, their insignia and the 2026 basic pay at each step.
E-6: rank in each service, insignia and 2026 pay
Army, E-6 · Enlisted
Staff Sergeant (SSG)
Noncommissioned officer
| Marine Corps | Staff Sergeant (SSgt) |
| Navy | Petty Officer First Class (PO1) |
| Air Force | Technical Sergeant (TSgt) |
| Space Force | Technical Sergeant (TSgt) |
| Coast Guard | Petty Officer First Class (PO1) |
| 2026 basic pay, over 8 years | $4,612.80 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-6E-6 is the sixth enlisted pay grade, the last of the midlevel grades before the senior noncommissioned ranks. The Army and the Marine Corps call it staff sergeant (SSG and SSgt), the Navy and the Coast Guard petty officer first class (PO1), and the Air Force and the Space Force technical sergeant (TSgt). The Army describes its staff sergeant as the leader of a squad of eight to sixteen Soldiers who often has one or more sergeants under them. In 2026, E-6 basic pay starts at $3,401.10 a month and reaches $5,267.70 at over eighteen years of service. Petty officer first class is the last petty officer grade before chief. An E-6 with ten to twelve years of service drew $4,585.20 a month in 2025, according to the Congressional Research Service; the 2026 rate for that step is $4,759.50.
What is a promotion worth in basic pay?
E-6 to E-7, over 8 years
+$522.90 / mo
| E-6 | $4,612.80 |
| E-7 | $5,135.70 |
| Over a year | +$6,275 |
Same years of service in both grades, 2026 DFAS table.
Ranks and pay tables read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Squad leader
In the Army's description the staff sergeant "enforces standards" and develops Soldiers "in MOS skills and unit missions". The squad is two or three teams. Marine staff sergeants are at the same grade; Air Force technical sergeants hold the equivalent grade in a service that organizes work around specialties more than squads. The tool below gives the Army's sizes for each unit.
Who leads an Army unit, and how big is it?
Army squad
8 to 16 Soldiers
| Usually led by | a staff sergeant |
| Made of | 2 to 3 teams |
Figures given by the Army on army.mil.
The step to senior NCO
The move from E-6 to E-7 is where the naval services change the most: the petty officer first class becomes a chief petty officer, a different status with its own uniform. In basic pay terms, the jump at twelve years of service is $548.40 a month in 2026. The tool below computes it for any length of service.
What is a promotion worth in basic pay?
E-6 to E-7, over 12 years
+$548.40 / mo
| E-6 | $5,043.30 |
| E-7 | $5,591.70 |
| Over a year | +$6,581 |
Same years of service in both grades, 2026 DFAS table.
E-6 in the six services
| Service | Rank | Abbreviation | Insignia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | Staff Sergeant | SSG | |
| Marine Corps | Staff Sergeant | SSgt |  |
| Navy | Petty Officer First Class | PO1 |  |
| Air Force | Technical Sergeant | TSgt |  |
| Space Force | Technical Sergeant | TSgt |  |
| Coast Guard | Petty Officer First Class | PO1 |  |
E-6 basic pay in 2026, by years of service
| Years of service | Monthly basic pay | Over 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or less | $3,401.10 | $40,813 |
| Over 2 | $3,743.10 | $44,917 |
| Over 3 | $3,908.10 | $46,897 |
| Over 4 | $4,068.90 | $48,827 |
| Over 6 | $4,235.70 | $50,828 |
| Over 8 | $4,612.80 | $55,354 |
| Over 10 | $4,759.50 | $57,114 |
| Over 12 | $5,043.30 | $60,520 |
| Over 14 | $5,130.30 | $61,564 |
| Over 16 | $5,193.60 | $62,323 |
| Over 18 | $5,267.70 | $63,212 |