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United States Coast Guard - W-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3

Yearly Base Pay

$57,787 - $101,365

Monthly Base Pay

$4,815.60 - $8,447.10

Hourly Base Pay *

$30.10 - $52.79

Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 - Rank Details


Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CWO-3)

Classification Chief Warrant Officer
Abbreviation CWO-3
NATO Code WO-3
Service United States Coast Guard
Address Mr. (last name) or Chief (last name)
What are a Chief Warrant Officer 3's Responsibilities?

The Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CWO-3) is the mid-level warrant officer rank in the US Coast Guard. In the US armed forces, unlike other nations' military organization, warrant officers are not considered the most senior other ranks (as opposed to commissioned officers), but rather occupy a class of their own. This warrant officer class (W) finds itself above the most senior enlisted rank (ending with pay grade E-9), but subordinate to the commissioned officer ranks (beginning with pay grade O-1).

The Chief Warrant Officer is best described as a leading technical expert who is highly-skilled in his or her specialty. Like other officers, the Chief Warrant Officer is commissioned by the President of the United States and takes the same oath as the commissioned ranks. He or she is appointed to a placement (or "billet") in a warrant specialty.

Within the first year of his or her appointment, the Chief Warrant Officer is expected to attend the two-week Chief Warrant Officer Professional Development Course to bridge the gap between the enlisted and warrant classes and help build leadership competencies.

The Chief Warrant Officer serves mainly as a technical expert, providing valuable insight and advice to commissioned officers, but he or she may be appointed to command a small vessel, unit or station within the Coast Guard. The Chief Warrant Officer is also usually involved in training and counselling roles.

What is a Chief Warrant Officer 3's Paygrade?

A Chief Warrant Officer 3 is considered a Chief Warrant Officer, with a paygrade of W-3. The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly GS-8 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

On this page you can learn more about a Chief Warrant Officer 3's payscale, the process of becoming a Chief Warrant Officer 3, and the history of the rank in the United States Coast Guard.

Seal of the Coast Guard Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3 Pay Calculator

Starting pay for a Chief Warrant Officer 3 is $4,815.60 per month, with raises for experience resulting in a maximum base pay of $8,447.10 per month. You can use the simple calculator below to see basic and drill pay for a Chief Warrant Officer 3, or visit our Coast Guard pay calculator for a more detailed salary estimate.


Basic Pay:

Drill Pay:

n/a Learn more
For a W-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3 with
years of experience.

Use the slider below to calculate the basic pay and drill pay for a W-3 Chief Warrant Officer 3 at varying years in his or her military career.

2 or less years

Over 40 years


Equivalent Ranks to a Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3

A Chief Warrant Officer 3 is a Chief Warrant Officer, with a military paygrade of W-3. The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly GS-8 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

The table below lists the equivalent ranks of a Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer 3, 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/coast-guard/chief-warrant-officer-3