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Army CorporalE-4 Noncommissioned Officer, U.S. Army |
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Army Ranks » Corporal Rank • CPL Pay • CPL Rank History • Promotion Information
E-4 Corporal -
Noncommissioned Officer -
U.S. Army Ranks
Corporal Army Military Ranks
| Class | Noncommissioned Officer |
| Abbr. | CPL |
| Title | Corporal (last name) |
| Paygrade |
E-4 (DoD Paygrade) OR-4 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $2,634/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.
Corporal is the 5th rank in the United States Army , ranking above Specialist and directly below Sergeant. A corporal is a Noncommissioned Officer at DoD paygrade E-4, with a starting monthly pay of $2,634.
How do you become a Corporal?
A Corporal is most often promoted from Specialist (SPC), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience. Click here to learn more about promotion to Corporal.
What is the proper way to address a Corporal?
The correct way to address a Corporal named Mr. Jones is "Corporal Jones", or written as CPL Jones. In formal situations, a Corporal should always be addressed by their full rank.
How much does a Corporal earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Corporal with 2 or less years of experience is $2,633.70 per month.
A Corporal receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Corporal's final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Army Corporal may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including clothing allowance, hostile fire pay, and more.
For full details on the Army's Corporal compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Army Corporal 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 Corporal
 | Multichannel Transmission Systems Operator-Maintainer
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 | Medical Laboratory Specialist
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 | Indirect Fire Infantryman
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 | Aircraft Electrician
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 | Short Range Air Defense System Repairer
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To learn more about Military Occupational Specialties, see our complete list of MOS job titles.
Equivalent Ranks to the Army's E-4 Corporal
To learn more about the Army's rank structure, see our complete list of Army ranks.
The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Corporal 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.