Navy Master Chief Petty OfficerE-9 MCPO (Previous)
Master Chief Petty Officer

Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer

E-9 Senior Enlisted Advisor, U.S. Navy
(Next) E-9 MCPONNavy Master Chief Petty Officer Of The Navy
Master Chief Petty Officer Of The Navy

Navy Ranks » Command Master Chief Petty Officer RankCMDCM PayCMDCM Rank History

Rank badge of a Command Master Chief Petty Officer E-9 Command Master Chief Petty Officer - U.S. Navy Ranks

Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer
Navy E-9 Command Master Chief Petty Officer Navy Military Ranks
Class Senior Enlisted Advisor
Abbr. CMDCM
Title CMC (last name) or COB (last name) NEVER Master Chief or Chief
Paygrade E-9 (DoD Paygrade)
OR-9 (NATO Code)
Basic Pay $5,789/mo

Master Chief Petty Officer is one of the highest ranks available to enlisted members of the United States Navy, and is rated at the maximum enlisted DoD paygrade of E-9. Less then 1% of the Navy's personnel make it to the rank of Master Chief, and those who do are considered to be among the best and the brightest in their respective specialties.

Like the other Navy ranks, all MCPOs have a rating, or job specialty, which is included in their full title. A Master Chief Petty Officer who specializes as a Gunner's Mate, for example, would have a full title of Master Chief Gunner's Mate. Most MCPOs, however, are simply referred to as Master Chief by their subordinates.

Many Master Chief Petty Officers participate in the Command Master Chief Petty Officer Program, which provides advanced leadership and skills training for MCPOs eligible for advancement to senior leadership positions as Command Master Chief Petty Officers.

Promotion to Master Chief Petty Officer is similar to the promotion process for the other Chief Petty Officer ranks, and includes review by a sitting board of Master Chiefs in addition to a stringent series of evaluations and service time requirements.

Command Master Chief Petty Officer is the 10th rank in the United States Navy , ranking above Master Chief Petty Officer and directly below Master Chief Petty Officer Of The Navy. A command master chief petty officer is a Senior Enlisted Advisor at DoD paygrade E-9, with a starting monthly pay of $5,789.

How do you become a Command Master Chief Petty Officer?

A Command Master Chief Petty Officer is most often promoted from Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience.

Selection for CMC and COB is made by a special selection board consisting of former Commanding Officers and currently-serving FLTCMs, FORCMs, and the MCPON. Candidates must have an endorsement from their Commanding Officer and have completed an additional set of qualifications prior to applying.

FLTCMs and FORCMs are hand-selected by the Commanding Officers of those Commands.

What is the proper way to address a Command Master Chief Petty Officer?

The correct way to address a Command Master Chief Petty Officer named Mr. Garelick is "CMC Garelick or COB Garelick NEVER Master Chief or Chief", or written as CMDCM Garelick. In addition to their rank, all Navy senior enlisted advisors have a rating (job) such as Electronics Technician. This job is included in their full rank title. In formal situations, a Command Master Chief Petty Officer should always be addressed by their full rank.

How much does a Command Master Chief Petty Officer earn?

Basic pay for an entry-level Command Master Chief Petty Officer with Over 10 years of experience is $5,789.10 per month.

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

In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including housing allowance, personal money allowance, clothing allowance, and more.

For full details on the Navy's Command Master Chief Petty Officer compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Navy Command Master Chief Petty Officer Pay Chart. A full table of the Navy's current paygrades are available at the Navy Pay Chart.

Patch of a Command Master Chief Petty Officer Equivalent Ranks to the Navy's E-9 Command Master Chief Petty Officer

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

The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Command Master Chief Petty Officer is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Navy rank to GS grade conversion table .

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