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Marine Corps Gunnery SergeantE-7 Staff Noncommissioned Officer, U.S. Marine Corps |
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Marine Corps Ranks » Gunnery Sergeant Rank • GySgt Pay • GySgt Rank History • Promotion Information
E-7 Gunnery Sergeant -
Staff Noncommissioned Officer -
U.S. Marine Corps Ranks
Gunnery Sergeant Marine Corps Military Ranks
| Class | Staff Noncommissioned Officer |
| Abbr. | GySgt |
| Title | Gunnery Sergeant (last name) Informal: Gunny |
| Paygrade |
E-7 (DoD Paygrade) OR-7 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $3,625/mo |
A Gunnery Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps is a specialized non-commissioned officer who manages firepower and logistics for a company-sized unit of Marines.
The rank of Gunnery Sergeant is unique to the Marine Corps, and was introduced in the 19th century. While serving aboard Navy vessels, Marine contingents were expected to help man the ship's weapons in gun crews of four to five marines. The leader of each gun crew was a specialized Marine who trained his gun crew in firing procedure, ammunition handling, and other essential skills. Recognizing the importance of this position, the rank of Gunnery sergeant was introduced and made permanent in 1899.
Today, Gunnery Sergeants in the Marine Corps infantry forces serve as fire and operations chief for a full company of 180+ marines. During company operations the company Gunnery sergeant coordinates weapons and indirect fire, manages firepower logistics, and works with the Company Commander on logistics and company operations strategy.
Promotion to Gunnery Sergeant requires a great deal of leadership skill and an excellent command of specialized knowledge of weapons systems and combat logistics. Junior Gunnery Sergeants may serve with smaller units of Marines then their more experienced peers, such as a weapons platoon of 30 Marines.
In many marine units, the Gunnery Sergeant is known informally by the nickname "Gunny" by his peers and superiors. Some Gunnery Sergeants may also welcome use of the nickname by their subordinates as well.
Gunnery Sergeant is the 7th rank in the United States Marine Corps , ranking above Staff Sergeant and directly below Master Sergeant. A gunnery sergeant is a Staff Noncommissioned Officer at DoD paygrade E-7, with a starting monthly pay of $3,625.
How do you become a Gunnery Sergeant?
A Gunnery Sergeant is most often promoted from Staff Sergeant (SSgt), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience. Click here to learn more about promotion to Gunnery Sergeant.
What is the proper way to address a Gunnery Sergeant?
The correct way to address a Gunnery Sergeant named Mr. Smith is "Gunnery Sergeant Smith Informal: Gunny", or written as GySgt Smith. In formal situations, a Gunnery Sergeant should always be addressed by their full rank.
How much does a Gunnery Sergeant earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Gunnery Sergeant with 2 or less years of experience is $3,624.90 per month.
A Gunnery Sergeant receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Gunnery Sergeant's final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including hazard pay, food allowance, and more.
For full details on the Marine Corps' Gunnery Sergeant compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant Pay Chart. A full table of the Marine Corps' current paygrades are available at the Marine Corps Pay Chart.
Equivalent Ranks to the Marine Corps' E-7 Gunnery Sergeant
To learn more about the Marine Corps' rank structure, see our complete list of Marine Corps ranks.
The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Gunnery Sergeant is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Marine Corps rank to GS grade conversion table 
.
To see a list of military medals and decorations that can be earned by servicemembers in the Marine Corps and other branches of the military, see our list of military decorations and medals.