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Navy Chief Warrant Officer 4W-4 Warrant Officer, U.S. Navy |
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Navy Ranks » Chief Warrant Officer 4 Rank • CW4 Pay • CW4 Rank History
W-4 Chief Warrant Officer 4 -
Warrant Officer -
U.S. Navy Ranks
Chief Warrant Officer 4 Navy Military Ranks
| Class | Warrant Officer |
| Abbr. | CW4 |
| Title | Naval Officers: Mr./Ms. Officer (last name) All Others: Warrant Officer (last name) NEVER Chief |
| Paygrade |
W-4 (DoD Paygrade) WO-4 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $5,273/mo |
Chief Warrant Officer 4 is the U.S. Navy's fourth and highest billeted warrant officer rank. Warrant officers serve as technical specialists with command authority within their field of expertise, and hold a variety of positions essential to the smooth operations of the Navy.
Navy Warrant Officers usually belong to one of 30 specialties including boatswain, master mate, surgeon, chaplain, and carpenter, which are specialized and skilled positions that often require specialists with command authority and leadership skills. The Navy has also launched a preliminary program, the Flying Chief Warrant Officer Program, which trains enlisted sailors with an associate's degree and a rank between E-5 and E-7 as Navy pilots and flight officers. Graduates of the program receive a billet as a Chief Warrant Officer 2 and attend flight school for pilot training.
Sailors are generally promoted to Chief Warrant Officer 4 from Chief Warrant Officer 3; they are chosen for promotion after showing exceptional service and and experience.
Chief Warrant Officer 4 is the 14th rank in the United States Navy , ranking above Chief Warrant Officer 3 and directly below Chief Warrant Officer 5. A chief warrant officer 4 is a Warrant Officer at DoD paygrade W-4, with a starting monthly pay of $5,273.
How do you become a Chief Warrant Officer 4?
A Chief Warrant Officer 4 is most often promoted from Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience.
CWO-2s are all but guaranteed to promote to full CWO-3 roughly three years after their warranting date. Exceptions include warrants who have received Non-Judicial Punishment for a serious offense such as a DUI.
Additionally, Master Chiefs who are accepted for CWO programs immediately promote to CWO-3 upon warranting.
What is the proper way to address a Chief Warrant Officer 4?
The correct way to address a Chief Warrant Officer 4 named Mr. Johnson is "Naval Officers: Mr./Ms. Officer Johnson All Others: Warrant Officer Johnson NEVER Chief", or written as CW4 Johnson. In addition to their rank, all Navy warrant officers have a rating (job) such as Mechanic's Mate. This job is included in their full rank title. In formal situations, a Chief Warrant Officer 4 should always be addressed by their full rank.
How much does a Chief Warrant Officer 4 earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Chief Warrant Officer 4 with 2 or less years of experience is $5,273.10 per month.
A Chief Warrant Officer 4 receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Chief Warrant Officer 4's final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Navy Chief Warrant Officer 4 may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including housing allowance, hostile fire pay, food allowance, and more.
For full details on the Navy's Chief Warrant Officer 4 compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Navy Chief Warrant Officer 4 Pay Chart. A full table of the Navy's current paygrades are available at the Navy Pay Chart.
Equivalent Ranks to the Navy's W-4 Chief Warrant Officer 4
To learn more about the Navy's rank structure, see our complete list of Navy ranks.
The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Chief Warrant Officer 4 is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Navy rank to GS grade conversion table 
.
To see a list of military medals and decorations that can be earned by servicemembers in the Navy and other branches of the military, see our list of military decorations and medals.