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Marine Corps Staff SergeantE-6 Staff Noncommissioned Officer, U.S. Marine Corps |
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Marine Corps Ranks » Staff Sergeant Rank • SSgt Pay • SSgt Rank History • Promotion Information
E-6 Staff Sergeant -
Staff Noncommissioned Officer -
U.S. Marine Corps Ranks
Staff Sergeant Marine Corps Military Ranks
| Class | Staff Noncommissioned Officer |
| Abbr. | SSgt |
| Title | Staff Sergeant (last name),
NEVER Sarge or Sergeant |
| Paygrade |
E-6 (DoD Paygrade) OR-6 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $3,136/mo |
Staff Sergeant is the first of the staff non-commissioned officer ranks in the United States Marine Corps. Generally experienced Marines with 10 to 13 years of service, Staff Sergeants most often serve as a platoon sergeant for a platoon consisting of 30 or more Marines.
As a platoon sergeant, Staff Sergeants may act as the top tactical advisor to their platoon commander during combat and support operations. In day-to-day deployment and training, a staff sergeant will also assist with training and administrative operation of his platoon.
The rank of Staff Sergeant, like several other modern Marine Corps ranks, was introduced by the USMC in 1923 in order to match the rank structure used by the U.S. Army.
Staff Sergeant is the 6th rank in the United States Marine Corps , ranking above Sergeant and directly below Gunnery Sergeant. A staff sergeant is a Staff Noncommissioned Officer at DoD paygrade E-6, with a starting monthly pay of $3,136.
How do you become a Staff Sergeant?
A Staff Sergeant is most often promoted from Sergeant (Sgt), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience. Click here to learn more about promotion to Staff Sergeant.
What is the proper way to address a Staff Sergeant?
The correct way to address a Staff Sergeant named Mr. Smith is "Staff Sergeant Smith,
NEVER Sarge or Sergeant
", or written as SSgt Smith. In formal situations, a Staff Sergeant should always be addressed by their full rank.How much does a Staff Sergeant earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Staff Sergeant with 2 or less years of experience is $3,135.60 per month.
A Staff Sergeant receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Staff Sergeant's final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Marine Corps Staff Sergeant may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including hostile fire pay, housing allowance, and more.
For full details on the Marine Corps' Staff Sergeant compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Marine Corps Staff 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-6 Staff 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 Staff 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.