| No Rank | Army PrivateE-1 Enlisted Soldier, U.S. Army |
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Army Ranks » Private Rank • PVT Pay • PVT Rank History
E-1 Private -
Enlisted Soldier -
U.S. Army Ranks
Private Army Military Ranks
| Class | Enlisted Soldier |
| Abbr. | PVT |
| Title | Private (last name) |
| Paygrade |
E-1 (DoD Paygrade) OR-1 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $2,017/mo |
Private (PVT) is the lowest enlisted rank in the United States Army hierarchy, and is the entry-level rank for trainees beginning Basic Combat Training (BCT). Entry-level Privates do not wear any rank insignia, and may be referred to as "recruits", "trainees", or informally as "fuzzies," which is referring to the blank black velcro patch on a PVT's uniform sleeve, that will later hold their rank insignia. The primary responsibility of a Private is to obey the orders of their superior officers to the best of their abilities. A PVT will be automatically promoted to pay grade PV2 after six monthes of service.
Private is the 1st rank in the United States Army . A private is an Enlisted Soldier at DoD paygrade E-1, with a starting monthly pay of $2,017.
How do you become a Private?
The rank of Private is attained by all those who enlist in the United States Army. Upon successful completion of Basic Training, this rank is attained until arrival at an active unit in the Army, whereupon all Privates proceed to the next rank. Oftentimes, when soldiers are demoted or found guilty of serious wrongdoing, they will hold this rank of private until they either proceed back through the ranks or are separated from the Army.
What is the proper way to address a Private?
The correct way to address a Private named Mr. Jones is "Private Jones", or written as PVT Jones. In formal situations, a Private should always be addressed by their full rank.
How much does a Private earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Private with 2 or less years of experience is $2,017.20 per month.
A Private receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Private's final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Army Private may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including housing allowance, hostile fire pay, education allowance, personal money allowance, and more.
For full details on the Army's Private compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Army Private 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-1 Private
 | Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic
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 | Mental Health Specialist
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 | Counterintelligence Agent
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 | Quartermaster and Chemical Equipment Repairer
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 | Air Defense Battle Management System Operator
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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-1 Private
To learn more about the Army's rank structure, see our complete list of Army ranks.
The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Private 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.