U.S. Army enlisted rank insignia

Pay grade	Sergeant Major (SGM) Command Sergeant Major (CSM) Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA)
E-9
E-8	Master Sergeant (MSG) First Sergeant (1SG)
E-7	Sergeant First Class (SFC)
E-6	Staff Sergeant (SSG)
E-5	Sergeant (SGT)
E-4	Specialist (SPC) Corporal (CPL)
E-3	Private First Class (PFC)
E-2	Private E-2 (PV2)
E-1	no insignia worn Private

This chart represents the U.S. Army enlisted rank insignia with seniority increasing left-to-right inside a given pay grade. All ranks of Corporal or Sergeant and higher are considered non-commissioned officers (NCOs).

The rank of Specialist is a soldier of paygrade E-4 who has not yet attained non-commissioned officer status. It is common that a soldier may never be a Corporal and will move directly from Specialist to Sergeant, attaining NCO status immediately.

In each command of company sized units and smaller, there is assigned a senior enlisted who is monitor and advocate of the Enlisted Personnel to the commanding officer. This position, usually Master Sergeant (E-8) or higher rank, carries the title of First Sergeant. In units larger than a company, a Command Sergeant Major serves this same function.