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Navy Senior Chief Petty OfficerE-8 Senior Noncommissioned Officer, U.S. Navy |
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Navy Ranks » Senior Chief Petty Officer Rank • SCPO Pay • SCPO Rank History
E-8 Senior Chief Petty Officer -
Senior Noncommissioned Officer -
U.S. Navy Ranks
Senior Chief Petty Officer Navy Military Ranks
| Class | Senior Noncommissioned Officer |
| Abbr. | SCPO |
| Title | Senior Chief (last name) Informal: Senior NEVER Chief |
| Paygrade |
E-8 (DoD Paygrade) OR-8 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $5,215/mo |
Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO) is the second of the United States Navy's Chief Petty Officer ranks. Like Chief Petty Officers, a Senior Chief Petty Officer is responsible for a variety of administrative and leadership responsibilities in his specialized area, also known as his rating.
Similar to other Navy sailors, the full rank for a Senior Chief Petty Officer includes his rating; a SCPO specializing as a Quartermaster, for example, would be referred to by his full title of Senior Chief Quartermaster.
Like other Chief Petty Officers, Senior Chief Petty Officers have access to the Chief's Mess and private living quarters and wear a khaki uniform similar to that of a commissioned officer.
Promotion to Senior Chief Petty Officer, however, is different from advancement in the lower ranks. While experience, commanding officer reviews and peer reviews play a large part, advancement to SCPO does not include a scored test.
Instead of a scored test, the leadership skills and performance of the SCPO candidates are evaluated by a board of current Master Chief Petty Officers. Those candidates who meet the stringent requirements for advancement are promoted after approval by the board in March of every year.
Senior Chief Petty Officer is the 8th rank in the United States Navy , ranking above Chief Petty Officer and directly below Master Chief Petty Officer. A senior chief petty officer is a Senior Noncommissioned Officer at DoD paygrade E-8, with a starting monthly pay of $5,215.
How do you become a Senior Chief Petty Officer?
A Senior Chief Petty Officer is most often promoted from Chief Petty Officer (CPO), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience.
Promotion to Senior Chief Petty Officer requires 36 months as an E-7 plus exceptional performance evaluations, peer recommendations, further leadership indoctrination, and an exam common to all rates. Their promotion is approved by a special advancement board.
What is the proper way to address a Senior Chief Petty Officer?
The correct way to address a Senior Chief Petty Officer named Mr. Gutierrez is "Senior Chief Gutierrez Informal: Senior NEVER Chief", or written as SCPO Gutierrez. In addition to their rank, all Navy senior noncommissioned officers have a rating (job) such as Boatswain's Mate. This job is included in their full rank title. In formal situations, a Senior Chief Petty Officer should always be addressed by their full rank.
How much does a Senior Chief Petty Officer earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Senior Chief Petty Officer with Over 8 years of experience is $5,214.90 per month.
A Senior Chief Petty Officer receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Senior Chief Petty Officer's final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including hostile fire pay, housing allowance, hazard pay, and more.
For full details on the Navy's Senior Chief Petty Officer compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Pay Chart. A full table of the Navy's current paygrades are available at the Navy Pay Chart.
Equivalent Ranks to the Navy's E-8 Senior Chief Petty Officer
To learn more about the Navy's rank structure, see our complete list of Navy ranks.
The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Senior Chief Petty Officer 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.