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Army Staff SergeantE-6 Noncommissioned Officer, U.S. Army |
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Army Ranks » Staff Sergeant Rank • SSG Pay • SSG Rank History • Promotion Information
E-6 Staff Sergeant -
Noncommissioned Officer -
U.S. Army Ranks
Staff Sergeant Army Military Ranks
| Class | Noncommissioned Officer |
| Abbr. | SSG |
| Title | Sergeant (last name) |
| Paygrade |
E-6 (DoD Paygrade) OR-6 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $3,136/mo |
A Staff Sergeant is a non-commissioned officer (NCO) in the United States Army usually placed in command of a squad of 9-10 soldiers. In rare situations, a Staff Sergeant may be placed in command of a larger unit such as a platoon comprising of two to four squads containing anywhere from 16 to 50 soldiers.
In a leadership position, Staff Sergeants will regularly have one or more Sergeants serving under them.
Alongside field NCOs, soldiers may also be promoted to Staff Sergeant in order to serve in headquarters support positions - these positions are generally referred to as "Staff NCOs".
Staff Sergeant is the 7th rank in the United States Army , ranking above Sergeant and directly below Sergeant First Class. A staff sergeant is a Noncommissioned Officer at DoD paygrade E-6, with a starting monthly pay of $3,136.
How do you become a Staff Sergeant?
A Staff Sergeant is most often promoted from Sergeant (SGT), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience. Click here to learn more about promotion to Staff Sergeant.
What is the proper way to address a Staff Sergeant?
The correct way to address a Staff Sergeant named Mr. Garelick is "Sergeant Garelick", or written as SSG Garelick. In formal situations, a Staff Sergeant should always be addressed by their full rank.
How much does a Staff Sergeant earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Staff Sergeant with 2 or less years of experience is $3,135.60 per month.
A Staff Sergeant receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Staff Sergeant's final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Army Staff Sergeant may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including retirement benefits, education allowance, food allowance, hazard pay, and more.
For full details on the Army's Staff Sergeant compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Army Staff 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-6 Staff Sergeant
 | Interpreter/Translator
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 | Medical Laboratory Specialist
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 | Special Forces Communications Sergeant
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 | Patient Administration Specialist
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 | Construction 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-6 Staff Sergeant
To learn more about the Army's rank structure, see our complete list of Army ranks.
The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Staff Sergeant 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.