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United States Army - E-9 Sergeant Major of the Army

E-9 Sergeant Major of the Army

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 of the Army - Rank Details


Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA)

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

The Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) is the highest ranking enlisted solider in the entire United States Army, held by one enlisted soldier at a time.

It is the most prestigious and honorable of all enlisted ranks, titles, and positions.

The SMA serves at the right hand of the Chief of Staff of the Army (CSA), the highest ranking and senior most general officer in the Army. He serves as both as an advisor to the CSA as well as the final authority on standards and discipline for all soldiers in the Army, enlisted and officer.

Additionally, he serves to address at the highest level any and all issues for the members of the Army's enlisted.

The exact duties and responsibilities of the SMA are the purview of the CSA, but these aforementioned ones have become standard for all SMA's. Beyond these, they execute orders and tasks assigned them by their respective CSA's.

Finally, they serve to try and keep the senior officers in the Army, specifically the CSA, aware of how policies and actions at the Army level affect soldiers down at the active unit level.

What is a Sergeant Major of the Army's Paygrade?

A Sergeant Major of the Army is considered a Noncommissioned Officer (Special), 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 of the Army's payscale, the process of becoming a Sergeant Major of the Army, and the history of the rank in the United States Army.

Seal of the Army Army Sergeant Major of the Army Pay Calculator

Starting pay for a Sergeant Major of the Army 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 of the Army, or visit our Army pay calculator for a more detailed salary estimate.


Basic Pay:

Drill Pay:

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For an E-9 Sergeant Major of the Army with
years of experience.

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

Over 10 years

Over 40 years


Equivalent Ranks to an Army Sergeant Major of the Army

A Sergeant Major of the Army is a Noncommissioned Officer (Special), 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 of the Army, 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-of-the-army