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Coast Guard Master Chief Petty OfficerE-9 Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Coast Guard |
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Coast Guard Ranks » Master Chief Petty Officer Rank • MCPO Pay • MCPO Rank History
E-9 Master Chief Petty Officer -
Chief Petty Officer -
U.S. Coast Guard Ranks
Master Chief Petty Officer Coast Guard Military Ranks
| Class | Chief Petty Officer |
| Abbr. | MCPO |
| Title | Chief Petty Officer (last name) |
| Paygrade |
E-9 (DoD Paygrade) OR-9 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $6,371/mo |
Master Chief Petty Officer is one of the highest ranks available to enlisted members of the United States Coast Guard, and is rated at the maximum enlisted DoD paygrade of E-9. Less then 1% of the Coast Guard's personnel make it to the rank of Master Chief, and those who do are considered to be among the best and the brightest in their respective specialties.
Like the other Coast Guard ranks, all MCPOs have a rating, or job specialty, which is included in their full title. A Master Chief Petty Officer who specializes as a Gunner's Mate, for example, would have a full title of Master Chief Gunner's Mate. Most MCPOs, however, are simply referred to as Master Chief by their subordinates.
Many Master Chief Petty Officers participate in the Command Master Chief Petty Officer Program, which provides advanced leadership and skills training for MCPOs eligible for advancement to senior leadership positions as Command Master Chief Petty Officers.
Promotion to Master Chief Petty Officer is similar to the promotion process for the other Chief Petty Officer ranks, and includes review by a sitting board of Master Chiefs in addition to a stringent series of evaluations and service time requirements.
Master Chief Petty Officer is the 9th rank in the United States Coast Guard , ranking above Senior Chief Petty Officer and directly below Command Master Chief Petty Officer. A master chief petty officer is a Chief Petty Officer at DoD paygrade E-9, with a starting monthly pay of $6,371.
How do you become a Master Chief Petty Officer?
A Master Chief Petty Officer is most often promoted from Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience.
Advancement to "Master Chief" requires a combination of Time in Service (TIS), Time in Grade (TIG), award points, superior performance evaluation scores and examination scores, exceptional technical knowledge and a proven track record in leadership. The eligible candidate is placed on an advancement list, from which candidates are selected when the few posts available, known as "billets", open up. Placement on the list is done by a selection board, which includes peer review by a sitting board of Master Chiefs. As positions open up, candidates at the top of this list are selected.
What is the proper way to address a Master Chief Petty Officer?
The correct way to address a Master Chief Petty Officer named Mr. Jones is "Chief Petty Officer Jones", or written as MCPO Jones. In formal situations, a Master Chief Petty Officer should always be addressed by their full rank.
How much does a Master Chief Petty Officer earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Master Chief Petty Officer with Over 10 years of experience is $6,370.50 per month.
A Master Chief Petty Officer receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Master Chief Petty Officer's final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Coast Guard Master Chief Petty Officer may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including retirement benefits, hostile fire pay, and more.
For full details on the Coast Guard's Master Chief Petty Officer compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Coast Guard Master Chief Petty Officer Pay Chart. A full table of the Coast Guard's current paygrades are available at the Coast Guard Pay Chart.
Equivalent Ranks to the Coast Guard's E-9 Master Chief Petty Officer
To learn more about the Coast Guard's rank structure, see our complete list of Coast Guard ranks.
The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Master Chief Petty Officer is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Coast Guard rank to GS grade conversion table 
.
To see a list of military medals and decorations that can be earned by servicemembers in the Coast Guard and other branches of the military, see our list of military decorations and medals.