Rate Insignia of Enlisted Personnel

1943-1965

The rank, or pay grade, of an enlisted sailor was known as a rate.

The rating badge — a combination of rate (pay grade) and rating (job specialty) — was worn on the upper sleeve of all uniforms for grades E-4 and above.

Until April 1949, ratings were designated left- and right-sleeve ratings and the eagle faced the opposite direction accordingly. After April 1949, all rating badges were worn on the left sleeve with the eagle (known as a crow to salty sailors) facing to the right.

At about the same time, rate and rating abbreviations were simplified. For example, a quartermaster third class was abbreviated as QM3c during World War II and simply QM3 during the Cold War era. Examples are given below.

In a few cases, special titles were used by certain ratings. The best-known example was the rating of coxswain, used in lieu of boatswain’s mate third class until 1948.

Sailors in pay grade E-1, usually recruits, did not wear a rate mark. Pay grades E-2 and E-3 had color-coded group rate marks that were worn on dress uniforms only. The color of the mark was based upon their chosen occupational field.

Chief Petty Officers (E-7 through E-9) wore collar devices on their white and khaki uniforms, and rate badges on their gray and service dress blues. In written records during World War II, chiefs often annotated their rate with (AA) for acting appointment or (PA) for permanent appointment; for example, CQM (AA).

Examples shown below are for a quartermaster, who had the abbreviation QM, and Boatswain’s Mate, or BM.

Enlisted rates
Pay Grade Rate 1965
Abbreviation 		Upper Sleeve World War II
example 		Cold War
example
The pay grades of E-8 and E-9 were created on June 1, 1958.
E-1 Apprentice Seaman (World War II)
Seaman Recruit 		SR none S3c SR
E-2 Seaman 2nd Class (World War II)
Seaman Apprentice 		SA SA S2c SA
E-3 Seaman 1st Class (World War II)
Seaman 		SN SN S1c SN
E-4 Petty Officer
Third Class 		PO3 PO3 COX
(Coxswain
in lieu of BM3c) 		BM3
E-5 Petty Officer
Second Class 		PO2 PO2 BM2c BM2
E-6 Petty Officer
First Class 		PO1 PO1 BM1c BM1
E-7 Chief Petty Officer CPO CPO CQM QMC
E-8 Senior Chief
Petty Officer 		SCPO SCPO   QMSC
E-9 Master Chief
Petty Officer 		MCPO MCPO   QMMC
E-9 Master Chief
Petty Officer
of the Navy 		MCPON MCPON   MCPON

Source:
U.S. Navy Office of Information
U.S. Navy Historical Information Center