Master chief petty officer (E-9)
Master chief petty officer is the ninth and highest enlisted rank in the US Navy, pay grade E-9. On khakis the insignia is the gold fouled anchor with USN and two silver stars above it.
Easily confused with
- Senior chief petty officer (E-8)Senior chief petty officer is the eighth enlisted rank in the US Navy, pay grade E-8. On khakis the insignia is the chief’s gold fouled anchor with USN and one silver star above it.
- Master chief petty officer of the Navy (E-9)The chief's anchor with two stars, and with three for the MCPON.
How to read it
The two silver stars sit above the anchor’s stock; a senior chief has one and the master chief petty officer of the Navy three. Federal pay law sets at least 10 years of enlisted service before a sailor can be placed in pay grade E-9. Navy.com calls master chiefs the highest level of enlisted leadership and says they are senior advisers to commanding officers.
Also searched as: E-9 navy, master chief, MCPO.
Ranks and insignia as the US Navy’s own uniform regulations and pages set them out. Pay grades are the Department of Defense’s.
Silver or gold stars
The rating badge on dress uniforms shows the job a master chief holds. The Department of Defense’s chart notes that master chief petty officers wear silver stars and silver specialty marks. The uniform regulations give a command master chief silver stars above the eagle and a silver star in place of the specialty mark, and fleet and force master chiefs, like the master chief petty officer of the Navy, wear gold stars.
More navy ranks
Browse symbols drawn with curves and waves, letters and numbers or stars.
Sources
- Navy Uniform Regulations, articles 4211–4214: CPO rate insignia, United States Navy Uniform Regulations (NAVPERS 15665J), arts. 4211–4214, Navy Personnel Command (MyNavy HR), art. 4212.2; art. 4211.2e; art. 4211.2 figures
- U.S. Military Rank Insignia, Resources: U.S. Military Rank Insignia (enlisted and officer insignia by paygrade), U.S. Department of Defense (defense.gov), Enlisted insignia, E-9; Navy notes
- U.S. Navy Ranks & Insignia, U.S. Navy Ranks & Insignia (navy.com), U.S. Navy Recruiting Command (navy.com), Senior Enlisted Leaders: E-7 to E-9; Senior Enlisted Leaders
- 37 U.S.C. § 201: Pay grades, 37 U.S. Code § 201, Pay grades: assignment to; general rules, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, § 201(e)
Last reviewed September 29, 2026 by Rory Hansen. How we research