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Army Specialist

E-4 Enlisted Soldier, U.S. Army
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Corporal

Army Ranks » Specialist RankSPC PaySPC Rank HistoryPromotion Information

Rank badge of a Specialist E-4 Specialist - U.S. Army Ranks

Army Specialist
Army E-4 Specialist Army Military Ranks
Class Enlisted Soldier
Abbr. SPC
Title Specialist (last name)
Paygrade E-4 (DoD Paygrade)
OR-4 (NATO Code)
Basic Pay $2,393/mo

Specialist is a junior enlisted rank in the United States Army, equivalent in salary to a Corporal. Specialists have basic management duties and may command soldiers of lower rank, although most leadership duties at this pay grade are the responsibility of Corporals.

Specialist is the most common rank advancement available to a Private First Class, and becomes available after two years of service and upon completion of a leadership and officer candidate training course. Recruits who enlist in the Army with a four-year Bachelor's Degree, or desired civilian skills and experiences, may be entitled to enter the Army as a Specialist.

Specialist is the 4th rank in the United States Army , ranking above Private First Class and directly below Corporal. A specialist is an Enlisted Soldier at DoD paygrade E-4, with a starting monthly pay of $2,393.

How do you become a Specialist?

A Specialist is most often promoted from Private First Class (PFC), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience. Click here to learn more about promotion to Specialist.

What is the proper way to address a Specialist?

The correct way to address a Specialist named Mr. Jones is "Specialist Jones", or written as SPC Jones. In formal situations, a Specialist should always be addressed by their full rank.

How much does a Specialist earn?

Basic pay for an entry-level Specialist with 2 or less years of experience is $2,393.40 per month.

A Specialist receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Specialist's final compensation package.

In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Army Specialist may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including housing allowance, personal money allowance, and more.

For full details on the Army's Specialist compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Army Specialist Pay Chart. A full table of the Army's current paygrades are available at the Army Pay Chart.

Military Occupational Specialties for Army's E-4 Specialist

Optical Laboratory Specialist

  • Active/Reserve:Both
  • Officer/Enlisted:Enlisted
  • Restrictions:None
Bradley Fighting Vehicle System Maintainer

  • Active/Reserve:Both
  • Officer/Enlisted:Enlisted
  • Restrictions:None
Nodal Network Systems Operator-Maintainer

  • Active/Reserve:Both
  • Officer/Enlisted:Enlisted
  • Restrictions:None
Air Defense Battle Management System Operator

  • Active/Reserve:Active Duty
  • Officer/Enlisted:Enlisted
  • Restrictions:None
Avenger Crewmember

  • Active/Reserve:Army Reserve
  • Officer/Enlisted:Enlisted
  • Restrictions:None

To learn more about Military Occupational Specialties, see our complete list of MOS job titles.

Patch of a Specialist Equivalent Ranks to the Army's E-4 Specialist

To learn more about the Army's rank structure, see our complete list of Army ranks.

The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Specialist is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Army rank to GS grade conversion table .

To see a list of military medals and decorations that can be earned by servicemembers in the Army and other branches of the military, see our list of military decorations and medals.