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Coast Guard Seaman E-3 Seaman, U.S. Coast Guard

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Coast Guard Ranks » Seaman Rank • SN Pay • SN Rank History

E-3 Seaman - Seaman - U.S. Coast Guard Ranks

Seaman, previously known as Seaman First Class, is the third rank in the United States Coast Gaurd, above Seaman Apprentice and below Petty Officer Third Class. Several title and rank variations exist for sailors working in different specialties, though all share the same pay and rank grade.

• Seaman is the title assigned to general-duty deck and administrative sailors, who wear a triple white striped insignia.
• Fireman is the title assigned to sailors working in the engineering and hull departments, who wear a triple red striped insignia.
• Hospitalman, or Hospital Corpsman, is the title assigned to sailors specializing in the medical and hospital departments. This is the only rank available to hospital corpsmen, who wear triple white striped insignia.
• Constructionman is the title assigned to sailors specializing in the naval construction battalion, or Seabees. They wear triple blue-striped insignia.
• Airman is the title assigned to sailors specializing in aviation, who wear triple green striped insignia.

Sailors at this grade do not wear their stripe insignia on their working uniforms, although they are permitted to wear a silver collar device signifying their rank.

Sailors who wish to advance to rank E-3, Petty Officer Third Class, must submit a promotion request every six months - however, competition for advancement is very large, and only the most able seamen will receive promotions.

Seaman is the 3rd rank in the United States Coast Guard , ranking above Seaman Apprentice and directly below Petty Officer Third Class. A seaman is a Seaman at DoD paygrade E-3, with a starting monthly pay of $2,378.

How do you become a Seaman?

A Seaman is most often promoted from Seaman Apprentice (SA), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience.

Advancement from E-2 to E-3 takes place after the successful completion of specialist training through a Class “A” School, or after six months’ TIG (Time in Grade), on the recommendation of the Commanding Officer and the completion of performance-related tasks and exams.

What is the proper way to address a Seaman?

The correct way to address a Seaman named Mr. Jones is "Seaman Jones", or written as SN Jones. In formal situations, a Seaman should always be addressed by their full rank.

How much does a Seaman earn?

For full details on the Coast Guard's Seaman compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Coast Guard Seaman 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-3 Seaman

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 Seaman 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.

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