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Coast Guard Petty Officer Third ClassE-4 Petty Officer, U.S. Coast Guard |
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Coast Guard Ranks » Petty Officer Third Class Rank • PO3 Pay • PO3 Rank History
E-4 Petty Officer Third Class -
Petty Officer -
U.S. Coast Guard Ranks
Petty Officer Third Class Coast Guard Military Ranks
| Class | Petty Officer |
| Abbr. | PO3 |
| Title | Petty Officer (last name) |
| Paygrade |
E-4 (DoD Paygrade) OR-4 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $2,634/mo |
Petty Officer Third Class is the first of the Coast Guard's Petty Officer grades, the Coast Guard's variation of non-commissioned officers. It is above Seaman and below Petty Officer Second Class. A Petty Officer Third 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 Third Class serving as a Machinist's Mate, for example, would have the full title of Machinist's Mate Third Class.
To receive a promotion from Seaman to Petty Officer Third 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 Third Class billets are available to be filled every year, and competition for promotion is extremely fierce among qualified seamen.
Petty Officer Third Class is the 4th rank in the United States Coast Guard , ranking above Seaman and directly below Petty Officer Second Class. A petty officer third class is a Petty Officer at DoD paygrade E-4, with a starting monthly pay of $2,634.
How do you become a Petty Officer Third Class?
A Petty Officer Third Class is most often promoted from Seaman (SN), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience.
Advancement to E-4 Petty Officer Third Class is not automatic, as is generally the case for the lower enlisted pay grades E-1 to E-3. Some sought-after technical ratings can advance after passing Class "A" School training or completing six months' Time in Grade (TIG) on a "striker" program, with the recommendation of the commanding officer. Most E-3s, however, will need to compete for the limited number of jobs ("billets") that open up every six months in order to advance to E-4.
What is the proper way to address a Petty Officer Third Class?
The correct way to address a Petty Officer Third Class named Mr. Garelick is "Petty Officer Garelick", or written as PO3 Garelick. In formal situations, a Petty Officer Third Class should always be addressed by their full rank.
How much does a Petty Officer Third Class earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Petty Officer Third Class with 2 or less years of experience is $2,633.70 per month.
A Petty Officer Third 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 Third Class' final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Coast Guard Petty Officer Third Class may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including clothing allowance, education allowance, retirement benefits, food allowance, and more.
For full details on the Coast Guard's Petty Officer Third Class compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Coast Guard Petty Officer Third 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-4 Petty Officer Third 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 Third Class 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.