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United States Army - E-5 Sergeant

Yearly Base Pay

$34,466 - $48,917

Monthly Base Pay

$2,872.20 - $4,076.40

Hourly Base Pay *

$17.95 - $25.48

Army Sergeant - Rank Details


Sergeant (SGT)

Classification Noncommissioned Officer
Abbreviation SGT
NATO Code OR-5
Service United States Army
Address Sergeant (last name)
What are a Sergeant's Responsibilities?

A Sergeant is a soldier in the United States Army. Soldiers holding the rank of Sergeant serve as squad leaders, groups of eight to fourteen soldiers.

Occasionally, Sergeants are given command of teams, one unit size smaller than squads, when there exists an excess of non-commissioned officers (NCO's) in rank of Sergeant or above.

That said, according the US Army's Modification Table of Organization and Equipment (MTO&E), Sergeants are supposed to serve as team leaders, while the next highest rank, that of Staff Sergeant, is supposed to serve as squad leaders.

However, given the number of sergeants serving the in the Army and the rate at which promotion works, it has become accepted practice for a Sergeant to serve as a squad leader more often than a team leader.

Sergeants are responsible for the daily caretaking, training, equipping, physical appearance and fitness, and well-being of the soldiers assigned under them. They also stand responsible for the personal lives of their soldiers and charged with making sure they are in order or helping them to become so when problems are identified.

What is a Sergeant's Paygrade?

A Sergeant is considered a Noncommissioned Officer, with a paygrade of E-5. The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly GS-5 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

On this page you can learn more about a Sergeant's payscale, the process of becoming a Sergeant, and the history of the rank in the United States Army.

Seal of the Army Army Sergeant Pay Calculator

Starting pay for a Sergeant is $2,872.20 per month, with raises for experience resulting in a maximum base pay of $4,076.40 per month. You can use the simple calculator below to see basic and drill pay for a Sergeant, or visit our Army pay calculator for a more detailed salary estimate.


Basic Pay:

Drill Pay:

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For an E-5 Sergeant with
years of experience.

Use the slider below to calculate the basic pay and drill pay for an E-5 Sergeant at varying years in his or her military career.

2 or less years

Over 40 years


Equivalent Ranks to an Army Sergeant

A Sergeant is a Noncommissioned Officer, with a military paygrade of E-5. The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly GS-5 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

The table below lists the equivalent ranks of an Army Sergeant, and their insignia, in the other four branches of the United States' Armed Services.


** This Document Provided By www.FederalPay.org - The Civil Employee's Resource **
Source: www.federalpay.org/military/army/sergeant