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Coast Guard Petty Officer Second ClassE-5 Petty Officer, U.S. Coast Guard |
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Coast Guard Ranks » Petty Officer Second Class Rank • PO2 Pay • PO2 Rank History
E-5 Petty Officer Second Class -
Petty Officer -
U.S. Coast Guard Ranks
Petty Officer Second Class Coast Guard Military Ranks
| Class | Petty Officer |
| Abbr. | PO2 |
| Title | Petty Officer (last name) |
| Paygrade |
E-5 (DoD Paygrade) OR-5 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $2,872/mo |
Petty Officer Second Class is the second of the Coast Guard's Petty Officer grades, and serve as the equivalent of a junior non-commissioned officer. A Petty Officer Second Class serves both as a leader and as a technical expert, and all Petty Officers have a specified rating, or job. The exact title with which a petty officer is addressed depends on their specialty; a Petty Officer Second Class serving as a Gunner's Mate, for example, would have the full title of Gunner's Mate Second Class.
Like advancement from Seaman to Petty Officer Third Class, to receive a promotion from Petty Officer Third Class to Petty Officer Second Class, sailors must complete a specialty test for their particular rating and apply for advancement every six months. Only a certain number of Petty Officer Second Class billets are available to be filled every year, and competition for promotion is extremely fierce among qualified applicants.
Petty Officer Second Class is the 5th rank in the United States Coast Guard , ranking above Petty Officer Third Class and directly below Petty Officer First Class. A petty officer second class is a Petty Officer at DoD paygrade E-5, with a starting monthly pay of $2,872.
How do you become a Petty Officer Second Class?
A Petty Officer Second Class is most often promoted from Petty Officer Third Class (PO3), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience.
Advancement from E-4 to E-5 in the US Coast Guard is not automatic and requires a minimum of six months' Time in Grade (TIG) and passing the Service-Wide Exam (SWE) that all ratings are required to take. Total Time in Service (TIS) also counts towards points needed for advancement. Candidates are required to complete rate examinations in their chosen technical specialty and compete for limited posts ("billets"). Those who score the highest points are chosen to fill the posts.
What is the proper way to address a Petty Officer Second Class?
The correct way to address a Petty Officer Second Class named Mr. Smith is "Petty Officer Smith", or written as PO2 Smith. In formal situations, a Petty Officer Second Class should always be addressed by their full rank.
How much does a Petty Officer Second Class earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Petty Officer Second Class with 2 or less years of experience is $2,872.20 per month.
A Petty Officer Second Class receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Petty Officer Second Class' final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including food allowance, personal money allowance, housing allowance, hazard pay, and more.
For full details on the Coast Guard's Petty Officer Second Class compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Coast Guard Petty Officer Second Class 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-5 Petty Officer Second Class
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 Petty Officer Second Class is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Coast Guard 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 Coast Guard and other branches of the military, see our list of military decorations and medals.