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United States Marine Corps - 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

Marine Corps Sergeant - Rank Details


Sergeant (Sgt)

Classification Noncommissioned Officer
Abbreviation Sgt
NATO Code OR-5
Service United States Marine Corps
Address Sergeant (last name) NEVER Sarge
What are a Sergeant's Responsibilities?

Sergeant is the fifth among Enlisted ranks in the USMC. It is the second Non-Commissioned Officer rank, with ever-higher expectations of leading and setting expectations for junior Enlisted Marines.

Sergeants are sometimes Squad Leaders in charge of 8 Marines, and in some cases Platoon Sergeants in charge of 3-5 Squads. They usually lead unit-level training. Sergeants continue developing their own skills through schools, self-education, strict self-discipline, and mentorship from Staff NCOs. It is critical for Sergeants to master their MOS as well as their interpersonal and leadership skills if they wish to become Staff Non-Commissioned Officers. Only the most elite are chosen to become Drill Instructors, enduring hell in order to earn their dreaded "green belts".

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 Marine Corps.

Seal of the Marine Corps Marine Corps 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 Marine Corps pay calculator for a more detailed salary estimate.


Basic Pay:

Drill Pay:

n/a Learn more
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 a Marine Corps 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 a Marine Corps 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/marine-corps/sergeant