How long does it take to make e 6 in the Navy

E-6 Noncommissioned Officer, U.S. Navy

(Next) E-7 CPO
Chief Petty Officer

Navy Ranks » Petty Officer First Class Rank • PO1 Pay • PO1 Rank History • Promotion Information

A Petty Officer First Class is a Noncommissioned Officer in the United States Navy at DoD paygrade E-6. This page describes how the Navy determines who is eligible for the promotion list to Petty Officer First Class.

All promotions past E-3 require approval from a board. To promote to E-6, a sailor must take another rating exam and must meet the minimum schooling and qualification requirements for his or her rate. At this stage, awards and Collateral Duties are more likely to make the difference in their promotions. The sailor must have been an E-5 for a minimum of 36 months, and must have completed additional leadership indoctrination courses.

The percentage of those who will promote to the next rank varies wildly by rating -- some have a 100% promotion rate each year, while others have close to 0%. Highly technical rates are more likely to promote than non-technical rates. "Passed but Not Advanced" (PNA) points are awarded to sailors each year who meet all the requirements for promotion but are not selected. PNA points stack up each year the sailor applies for the same promotion, so sailors with more time in rate have a higher chance of promoting than those with equal merit but less time in.

If the sailor repeatedly fails to promote, they will hit "high year tenure" and are presented with the options of separation or switching rates. High year tenure for 1st Class Petty Officers is 20 years, or normal retirement time-in-service.

Truly exceptional sailors have an opportunity "CAPped" (Command Advanced Promotion) by their Commanding Officer. COs are limited to two CAPs per year.

Want to learn more? Read about the Navy's Petty Officer First Class rank on Military-Ranks.org.

Your Navy

By Mark D. Faram

May 29, 2016

150916-N-IX020-092 HAMPTON, Va. (Sept. 16, 2015) Chief Engineman Stephen Payton, assigned to Pre-commissioning Unit Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), receives his cover during a pinning ceremony held at the Hampton Roads Convention Center. Forty-five Gerald R. Ford Sailors were frocked to chief petty officer during the ceremony. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Ryan Litzenberger/Released)

A lot of old salts say the Navy is minting chiefs too young these days. The data says otherwise.

Navy-wide averages

Mark D. Faram is a former reporter for Navy Times. He was a senior writer covering personnel, cultural and historical issues. A nine-year active duty Navy veteran, Faram served from 1978 to 1987 as a Navy Diver and photographer.

Instead of ranks, the U.S. Navy has "rates," which are a combination of job rating and pay grade. Only the Army, Air Force, and Marines have ranks to denote personnel in various pay grades. For example, Senior Airmen in the Air Force have the rank of Senior Airman and are in the pay grade of E-4. They are addressed as Senior Airman regardless of what their job actually is.

In the Navy, a rate of E-6 depends on the person's job. A person with the rating of Sonar Technician (SG) in the Navy, in the pay grade of E-6, would be a Sonar Technician First Class Petty Officer, or SG1. An E-5 with the rating of Mess Specialist (MS) would have the rate of Mess Specialist Second Class Petty Officer, or MS2.

Enlisted personnel in the Navy must meet specific requirements to reach higher pay grades. New recruits can enlist at pay grades from E-1 to E-3, depending on their educational background. New recruits enlisting at E-2 or E-3 will be paid at that grade immediately, but they still will wear the E-1 rating until completing basic training. The highest pay grade for enlisted members is E-9. All promotions require the recommendation from a commanding officer based on a performance evaluation. Other considerations include:

E-1 to E-2: Complete boot camp. Some local testing may be required. As of January 2019, E-1 pay starts $1,554 per month, and E-2 pay is $1,882 per month.
E-2 to E-3: Serve nine months as E-2 and pass required Naval Education and Training Professional Development Center (NETPDC) exams. Nonresident Career Course and Rate Training Manual (RTM) required. E-3 pay ranges from $1,981.20 to $2,233.50 per month.
E-3 to E-4: Serve six months as E-3. Complete technical training through class A school. Complete Personnel Advancement Requirements (PARS) and receive Bureau of Naval Personnel (BUPERS) approval. Navy-Wide Advancement Exams are required for all Petty Officer pay grades. If not already done, Nonresident Career Course and Rate Training Manual (RTM) required. E-4 pay ranges from $2,194.50 to $2,664 per month.
E-4 to E-5: Serve one year as E-4. Naval Justice School required for rating Legalman Second Class (LN2). Complete PARS. Complete Petty Officer Second Class (PO2) training course. E-5 pay ranges from $2,393.40 to $3,396.60 per month.

E-5 to E-6: Serve three years as E-5. Complete PARS. Complete PO1 training course. E-6 pay ranges from $2,612.70 to $4,046.70 per month.
E-6 to E-7: Serve three years as E-6. Complete appropriate technical training through class A school for ratings Aerographer's Mate (AGC), Chief Musician (MUC), and Religious Program Specialist (RPC). Complete Chief Petty Officer (CPO) Indoctrination Course. Pass Navy-Wide Advancement Exam and be approved by the Navy-Wide CPO Selection Board. E-7 pay ranges from $3,020.70 to $5.429.10 per month.
E-7 to E-8: Serve three years as E-7. Complete CPO Leadership Training Course. Be approved by the Navy-Wide CPO Selection Board. E-8 pay ranges from $4,345.50 to $6,197.70 per month.
E-8 to E-9: Serve three years as E-9. Be approved by the Navy-Wide CPO Selection Board. E-9 pay ranges from $5,308.20 to $8,241.90 per month.