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United States Coast Guard - O-1 Ensign

Yearly Base Pay

$45,914 - $57,776

Monthly Base Pay

$3,826.20 - $4,814.70

Hourly Base Pay *

$23.91 - $30.09

Coast Guard Ensign - Rank Details


Ensign (ENS)

Classification Junior Officer
Abbreviation ENS
NATO Code OF-1
Service United States Coast Guard
Address Ensign (last name)
What are an Ensign's Responsibilities?

The Ensign is the most junior commissioned officer's rank in the US Coast Guard. It is equivalent to the Army rank of Second Lieutenant. After receiving his or her commission in the US Coast Guard, the Ensign commences his or her three-year initial active-duty obligation. The Ensign usually serves as a division officer on board a Coast Guard vessel or at a shore station. As such, the Ensign leads a group of petty officers and enlisted personnel, while receiving on-the-job training. Ensigns not assigned to a division on a ship or on shore, spend another year or two in training in their assigned specialty.

Although the final decision regarding deployment of an officer rests with the assignment officer, who determines where the need for leadership is the greatest, officers, just like enlisted personnel, are able to electronically submit their preference for specialties. Specialties available for officers include aviation, C4 (command, control, communication and computers), various engineering opportunities, financial management, human resource management, health services, legal services, marine safety, operations, and reserve program management.

What is an Ensign's Paygrade?

An Ensign is considered a Junior Officer, with a paygrade of O-1. The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly GS-7 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

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

Seal of the Coast Guard Coast Guard Ensign Pay Calculator

Starting pay for an Ensign is $3,826.20 per month, with raises for experience resulting in a maximum base pay of $4,814.70 per month. You can use the simple calculator below to see basic and drill pay for an Ensign, or visit our Coast Guard pay calculator for a more detailed salary estimate.


Basic Pay:

Drill Pay:

n/a Learn more
For an O-1 Ensign with
years of experience.

Use the slider below to calculate the basic pay and drill pay for an O-1 Ensign at varying years in his or her military career.

2 or less years

Over 40 years


Equivalent Ranks to a Coast Guard Ensign

An Ensign is a Junior Officer, with a military paygrade of O-1. The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly GS-7 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

The table below lists the equivalent ranks of a Coast Guard Ensign, 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/ensign