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United States Army - E-9 Sergeant Major

Yearly Base Pay

$76,446 - $118,696

Monthly Base Pay

$6,370.50 - $9,891.30

Hourly Base Pay *

$39.82 - $61.82

Army Sergeant Major - Rank Details


Sergeant Major (SGM)

Classification Noncommissioned Officer
Abbreviation SGM
NATO Code OR-9
Service United States Army
Address Sergeant Major (last name)
What are a Sergeant Major's Responsibilities?

Sergeants Major are non-commissioned officers (NCO's) in the United States Army. They are the highest-ranking enlisted soldiers in the military.

Soldiers holding the rank of Sergeant Major serve at the battalion level or higher in staff positions, helping to plan, resource, and conduct unit missions as well as providing valuable insight and advice, based on careers' worth of experience and expertise, into how such operations could be better conducted in the future.

Sergeants Major have a minimum of eighteen years of experience in the Army and often much more than that upon receiving their rank. Their expertise and competence, both technically and tactically, is matched only by other Sergeants Major.

Although they do not directly hold leadership positions—such jobs are held by Command Sergeants Major, soldiers of the same rank but with different responsibilities—they still have charge of all those appointed underneath them in staff positions and those making leadership decisions still often turn them to for advice and help.

What is a Sergeant Major's Paygrade?

A Sergeant Major is considered a Noncommissioned Officer, with a paygrade of E-9. The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly GS-6 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

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

Seal of the Army Army Sergeant Major Pay Calculator

Starting pay for a Sergeant Major is $6,370.50 per month, with raises for experience resulting in a maximum base pay of $9,891.30 per month. You can use the simple calculator below to see basic and drill pay for a Sergeant Major, or visit our Army pay calculator for a more detailed salary estimate.


Basic Pay:

Drill Pay:

n/a Learn more
For an E-9 Sergeant Major with
years of experience.

Use the slider below to calculate the basic pay and drill pay for an E-9 Sergeant Major at varying years in his or her military career.

Over 10 years

Over 40 years


Equivalent Ranks to an Army Sergeant Major

A Sergeant Major is a Noncommissioned Officer, with a military paygrade of E-9. The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly GS-6 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

The table below lists the equivalent ranks of an Army Sergeant Major, 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-major