Army Chief Warrant Officer 2W-2 CW2 (Previous)
Chief Warrant Officer 2

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3

W-3 Warrant Officer, U.S. Army
(Next) W-4 CW4Army Chief Warrant Officer 4
Chief Warrant Officer 4

Army Ranks » Chief Warrant Officer 3 RankCW3 PayCW3 Rank HistoryPromotion Information

Rank badge of a Chief Warrant Officer 3 W-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3 - U.S. Army Ranks

Army Chief Warrant Officer 3
Army W-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3 Army Military Ranks
Class Warrant Officer
Abbr. CW3
Title Mr. (last name) or Chief (last name)
Paygrade W-3 (DoD Paygrade)
WO-3 (NATO Code)
Basic Pay $4,816/mo

Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3) is the third Warrant Officer rank in the Unites States Army. They are officially appointed by the the Secretary of the Army. They are advanced level experts of both the technical and tactical aspects of leading in their field. Responsibilities of a Chief Warrant Officer 2 are ones that would typically call for the authority of a commissioned officer but require also the intricate technical abilities and experience a commissioned officer would not have has the opportunity to achieve. They provide the guidance, assistance and supervision their subordinates need to perform their duties. They typically support operations from team to brigade levels.

The rank insignia of a Chief Warrant Officer 3 is the same as a Chief Warrant Officer 2's, but it's a vertical silver bar with three black stripes within it, instead of two.

Chief Warrant Officer 3 is the 16th rank in the United States Army , ranking above Chief Warrant Officer 2 and directly below Chief Warrant Officer 4. A chief warrant officer 3 is a Warrant Officer at DoD paygrade W-3, with a starting monthly pay of $4,816.

How do you become a Chief Warrant Officer 3?

A Chief Warrant Officer 3 is most often promoted from Chief Warrant Officer 2 (CW2), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience. Click here to learn more about promotion to Chief Warrant Officer 3.

What is the proper way to address a Chief Warrant Officer 3?

The correct way to address a Chief Warrant Officer 3 named Mr. Smith is "Mr. Smith or Chief Smith", or written as CW3 Smith. In formal situations, a Chief Warrant Officer 3 should always be addressed by their full rank.

How much does a Chief Warrant Officer 3 earn?

Basic pay for an entry-level Chief Warrant Officer 3 with 2 or less years of experience is $4,815.60 per month.

A Chief Warrant Officer 3 receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Chief Warrant Officer 3's final compensation package.

In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including hostile fire pay, hazard pay, education allowance, and more.

For full details on the Army's Chief Warrant Officer 3 compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Army Chief Warrant Officer 3 Pay Chart. A full table of the Army's current paygrades are available at the Army Pay Chart.

Military Occupational Specialties for Army's W-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3

Warrent Officer is a highly specialized expert and trainer in his or her occupational specialty. Below are some of the enlisted specialties that could be occupied by a Warrent Officer.

Internment/Resettlement Specialist

  • Active/Reserve:Both
  • Officer/Enlisted:Enlisted
  • Restrictions:None
PATRIOT System Repairer

  • Active/Reserve:Active Duty
  • Officer/Enlisted:Enlisted
  • Restrictions:None
Air and Missile Defense (AMD) Crewmember

  • Active/Reserve:Active Duty
  • Officer/Enlisted:Enlisted
  • Restrictions:None
Cavalry Scout

  • Active/Reserve:Active Duty
  • Officer/Enlisted:Enlisted
  • Restrictions:None
Petroleum Laboratory Specialist

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

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

Patch of a Chief Warrant Officer 3 Equivalent Ranks to the Army's W-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3

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

The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Chief Warrant Officer 3 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.