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Army Master SergeantE-8 Noncommissioned Officer, U.S. Army |
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Army Ranks » Master Sergeant Rank • MSG Pay • MSG Rank History • Promotion Information
E-8 Master Sergeant -
Noncommissioned Officer -
U.S. Army Ranks
Master Sergeant Army Military Ranks
| Class | Noncommissioned Officer |
| Abbr. | MSG |
| Title | Sergeant (last name) |
| Paygrade |
E-8 (DoD Paygrade) OR-8 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $5,215/mo |
A Master Sergeant is a senior non-commissioned officer (NCO) who serves as a brigade's NCO in Charge, equal in paygrade to a First Sergeant but with less leadership responsibilities than one. A Master Sergeant is often specialized in certain field or subject matter.
Master Sergeant is the 9th rank in the United States Army , ranking above Sergeant First Class and directly below First Sergeant. A master sergeant is a Noncommissioned Officer at DoD paygrade E-8, with a starting monthly pay of $5,215.
How do you become a Master Sergeant?
A Master Sergeant is most often promoted from Sergeant First Class (SFC), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience. Click here to learn more about promotion to Master Sergeant.
What is the proper way to address a Master Sergeant?
The correct way to address a Master Sergeant named Mr. Smith is "Sergeant Smith", or written as MSG Smith. In formal situations, a Master Sergeant should always be addressed by their full rank.
How much does a Master Sergeant earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Master Sergeant with Over 8 years of experience is $5,214.90 per month.
A Master Sergeant receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Master Sergeant's final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Army Master Sergeant may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including personal money allowance, food allowance, and more.
For full details on the Army's Master Sergeant compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Army Master Sergeant 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-8 Master Sergeant
 | M1 Armor Crewman
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 | Radio Operator-Maintainer
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 | Special Band Musician
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 | Cargo Specialist
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 | Air Traffic Control Equipment 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-8 Master Sergeant
To learn more about the Army's rank structure, see our complete list of Army ranks.
The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Master Sergeant is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Army rank to GS grade conversion table 
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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.