Pay grades

W-5: chief warrant officer 5

The top warrant grade, held by master-level experts. Which services have it, and the 2026 pay row that starts at twenty years.

W-5: rank in each service, insignia and 2026 pay

Used for the 2026 basic pay only.

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Army, W-5 · Warrant officer

Chief Warrant Officer 5 (CW5)

Chief warrant officer, commissioned

Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 insignia
Chief Warrant Officer 5
Marine CorpsChief Warrant Officer 5 (CWO5)
NavyChief Warrant Officer 5 (CWO5)
Air Forcewarrant officer
Space Forceno rank at this grade
Coast Guardno rank at this grade
2026 basic pay, over 24 years$11,070.30 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 W-5

W-5 is the highest warrant officer pay grade, chief warrant officer 5: CW5 in the Army and CWO5 in the Marine Corps and the Navy. The Coast Guard and the Space Force have no W-5, according to the Department of War chart. The Army describes its CW5s as "master-level technical and tactical experts" supporting brigade, division, corps and major command operations, who provide leader development and counsel to warrant officers and branch officers alike. The DFAS table has no W-5 rate before over twenty years of service: in 2026 the grade starts at $10,169.70 a month and reaches $13,308.30 over 38 years, the highest warrant figure in the table. Title 37 of the US Code lists the grade as "Chief Warrant Officer, W-5". It is the last step before the five warrant grades end.

What is a promotion worth in basic pay?

W-5 to O-1, over 24 years

-$5,847.90 / mo

W-5$11,070.30
O-1$5,222.40
Over a year-$70,175

Same years of service in both grades, 2026 DFAS table.

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Ranks and pay tables read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources

Master level

A CW5 has normally served two decades or more. In the Army's description, CW5s give "leader development, mentorship, advice, and counsel to warrant officers and branch officers". The table's first W-5 column, "over 20", reflects that: no one reaches the grade early enough to need a lower rate.

Quick check: 2026 basic pay

W-5, over 26 years

$11,495.10 / mo

Over a year$137,941
Lowest rate of the grade$10,169.70
Highest rate of the grade$13,308.30

DFAS table effective January 1, 2026; basic pay only.

Open the full pay calculator →

W-5 against general officers

Over 30 years, a CW5 earns $12,070.80 a month in 2026, under the cap that limits O-6 and below to $15,408.30. The top W-5 cell, $13,308.30, is below that figure. The pay chart shows every warrant cell.

W-5 in the six services

Department of War rank chart, read on November 1, 2026.
ServiceRankAbbreviationInsignia
ArmyChief Warrant Officer 5CW5Army Chief Warrant Officer 5
Marine CorpsChief Warrant Officer 5CWO5Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 5
NavyChief Warrant Officer 5CWO5Navy Chief Warrant Officer 5
Air Forcewarrant officer (titles not on the chart)
Space Forceno rank at this grade
Coast Guardno rank at this grade

W-5 basic pay in 2026, by years of service

DFAS basic pay table effective January 1, 2026: W-5 rates, shown where they change.
Years of serviceMonthly basic payOver 12 months
Over 20$10,169.70$122,036
Over 22$10,685.70$128,228
Over 24$11,070.30$132,844
Over 26$11,495.10$137,941
Over 30$12,070.80$144,850
Over 34$12,673.50$152,082
Over 38$13,308.30$159,700

Questions people ask

What is W-5 called in each branch?

Army: Chief Warrant Officer 5; Marine Corps: Chief Warrant Officer 5; Navy: Chief Warrant Officer 5; Air Force: warrant officer. The Space Force and the Coast Guard have no one at W-5. The title changes with the service; the pay grade, and so the basic pay, does not. Between services, the Department of War chart notes, rank and precedence are determined by pay grade, so a W-5 of one service ranks with a W-5 of any other.

What is the annual basic pay of W-5 in 2026?

Twelve months at the first rate of the W-5 row make $122,036, and twelve months at the top of the row $159,700. At over 24 years of service, a common point for the grade, the year comes to $132,844. These are amounts before tax, without allowances, special pays or bonuses.

How much is W-5 basic pay in 2026?

From $10,169.70 a month at over 20 years of service to $13,308.30 at the top of the row, under the DFAS table effective January 1, 2026. That is basic pay alone: the housing and food allowances, which most members also receive, are paid on top and depend on location and family.

Look up next

W-4

Chief Warrant Officer 4: senior-level experts, top warrant grade of the Coast Guard.

O-1

Second Lieutenant (2LT, 2ndLt, 2d Lt) and Ensign (ENS): the gold bar and the 2026 pay row.

Warrant officer ranks

W-1 to W-5: who has warrant officers, appointed or commissioned, insignia and the 2026 warrant pay table.

2026 pay chart

Every 2026 basic pay rate, E-1 to O-10, by years of service, with the calculator and the DFAS notes.

Pay grades explained

E, W and O: what a pay grade is, how it differs from a rank, and why it sets pay in every service.

Official pages behind this page

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Independent publisher of a rank, insignia and basic pay reference for the six US armed forces, built on the Department of War rank chart and the DFAS pay tables

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Military ranks and basic pay 2026, read on the Department of War chart and the DFAS tables, last checked on