Pay grades
E-7: the first senior NCO grade
Sergeant first class, gunnery sergeant, chief petty officer, master sergeant: the six titles of E-7, their insignia and the 2026 pay row.
E-7: rank in each service, insignia and 2026 pay
Army, E-7 · Enlisted
Sergeant First Class (SFC)
Senior noncommissioned officer
| Marine Corps | Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt) |
| Navy | Chief Petty Officer (CPO) |
| Air Force | Master Sergeant (MSgt) |
| Space Force | Master Sergeant (MSgt) |
| Coast Guard | Chief Petty Officer (CPO) |
| 2026 basic pay, over 12 years | $5,591.70 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-7E-7 is the seventh enlisted pay grade and the first of the senior noncommissioned grades. The Army calls it sergeant first class (SFC), the Marine Corps gunnery sergeant (GySgt), the Navy and the Coast Guard chief petty officer (CPO), and the Air Force and the Space Force master sergeant (MSgt). The Air Force also has first sergeants at E-7, a position shown with its own insignia on the Department of War chart. The Army describes the sergeant first class as the "key assistant and advisor to the platoon leader", generally with ten to fifteen years of service. In 2026 the E-7 row runs from $3,932.10 a month to $7,067.40 at over 26 years. In the Air Force, a first sergeant at E-7 is a job, not a separate pay grade. Searches for "E-7 rank" usually mean one of these six titles, which the services treat as equal.
What is a promotion worth in basic pay?
E-7 to E-8, over 12 years
+$470.10 / mo
| E-7 | $5,591.70 |
| E-8 | $6,061.80 |
| Over a year | +$5,641 |
Same years of service in both grades, 2026 DFAS table.
Ranks and pay tables read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Platoon sergeant, gunny, chief
The three main titles carry different traditions. In the Army, the sergeant first class is normally the platoon sergeant, the senior enlisted Soldier beside a lieutenant; army.mil puts the platoon at 16 to 44 Soldiers. The Marine gunnery sergeant, often called gunny, holds the equivalent grade. The Navy and Coast Guard chief petty officer leads the petty officers below, and the Air Force and Space Force master sergeant is the first of their three senior NCO grades, with senior master sergeant and chief master sergeant above.
When does basic pay rise in this grade?
E-7: rate changes in the 2026 table
15 steps
| 2 or less | $3,932.10 |
| Over 2 | $4,291.50 |
| Over 3 | $4,456.20 |
| Over 4 | $4,673.10 |
| Over 26 | $7,067.40 |
10 more steps in between; the full row is in the table on this page.
Pay over a long career
E-7 is the first grade whose rate keeps rising past twenty years: over 22 years it is $6,475.20, and the top, $7,067.40, comes at over 26. The 2026 pay chart has every cell, and the E-8 page shows what the next promotion adds.
E-7 in the six services
| Service | Rank | Abbreviation | Insignia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | Sergeant First Class | SFC | |
| Marine Corps | Gunnery Sergeant | GySgt |  |
| Navy | Chief Petty Officer | CPO |  |
| Air Force | Master Sergeant First Sergeant (position) | MSgt |   |
| Space Force | Master Sergeant | MSgt |  |
| Coast Guard | Chief Petty Officer | CPO |  |
E-7 basic pay in 2026, by years of service
| Years of service | Monthly basic pay | Over 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or less | $3,932.10 | $47,185 |
| Over 2 | $4,291.50 | $51,498 |
| Over 3 | $4,456.20 | $53,474 |
| Over 4 | $4,673.10 | $56,077 |
| Over 6 | $4,843.80 | $58,126 |
| Over 8 | $5,135.70 | $61,628 |
| Over 10 | $5,300.40 | $63,605 |
| Over 12 | $5,591.70 | $67,100 |
| Over 14 | $5,835.00 | $70,020 |
| Over 16 | $6,000.90 | $72,011 |
| Over 18 | $6,177.30 | $74,128 |
| Over 20 | $6,245.70 | $74,948 |
| Over 22 | $6,475.20 | $77,702 |
| Over 24 | $6,598.20 | $79,178 |
| Over 26 | $7,067.40 | $84,809 |