Navy Sea Pay Chart
Navy sea pay is officially called Career Sea Pay (CSP). It is a monthly special pay set by pay grade and cumulative years of sea duty. The chart runs from $50 a month for an E-1 with 1 year or less up to the $750 statutory cap.
To look up your monthly rate, find your current military pay grade on the left side of the chart on this page and follow that row across to the column representing your total cumulative years of sea duty. The table headers range from one year or less up to over 20 years. For example, the chart shows $350 for an E-4 with over 3 years of sea duty.
The monthly figures in the chart reflect Table 18-3 in the Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation (DoD FMR), Volume 7A, Chapter 18, which is labelled effective May 1, 2014, in the May 2024 edition. You should confirm current rates with your command's personnel office.
| Pay grade | 1 or less | Over 1 | Over 2 | Over 3 | Over 4 | Over 5 | Over 6 | Over 7 | Over 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-6 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $394 | $400 | $400 | $419 | $450 | $463 |
| O-5 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $394 | $394 | $394 | $394 | $400 | $431 |
| O-4 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $325 | $331 | $350 | $356 | $375 | $388 |
| O-3 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $263 | $281 | $325 | $331 | $344 | $356 |
| O-2 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $263 | $281 | $325 | $331 | $344 | $356 |
| O-1 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $263 | $281 | $325 | $331 | $344 | $356 |
| W-5 | $210 | $210 | $210 | $263 | $300 | $506 | $544 | $544 | $544 |
| W-4 | $210 | $210 | $210 | $263 | $300 | $506 | $544 | $544 | $544 |
| W-3 | $210 | $210 | $210 | $263 | $300 | $475 | $494 | $500 | $506 |
| W-2 | $210 | $210 | $210 | $263 | $300 | $456 | $463 | $463 | $475 |
| W-1 | $180 | $190 | $195 | $263 | $300 | $306 | $350 | $438 | $475 |
| E-9 | $135 | $135 | $160 | $381 | $400 | $438 | $438 | $469 | $688 |
| E-8 | $135 | $135 | $160 | $381 | $400 | $438 | $438 | $469 | $688 |
| E-7 | $135 | $135 | $160 | $381 | $400 | $438 | $438 | $469 | $688 |
| E-6 | $135 | $135 | $160 | $350 | $375 | $394 | $406 | $438 | $638 |
| E-5 | $70 | $80 | $160 | $350 | $375 | $394 | $406 | $438 | $638 |
| E-4 | $70 | $80 | $160 | $350 | $363 | $363 | $363 | $363 | $488 |
| E-3 | $50 | $60 | $100 | $125 | $125 | $125 | $125 | $125 | $125 |
| E-2 | $50 | $60 | $75 | $94 | $94 | $94 | $94 | $94 | $94 |
| E-1 | $50 | $50 | $50 | $63 | $63 | $63 | $63 | $63 | $63 |
| Pay grade | Over 9 | Over 10 | Over 11 | Over 12 | Over 13 | Over 14 | Over 16 | Over 18 | Over 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-6 | $494 | $506 | $525 | $544 | $544 | $569 | $594 | $625 | $669 |
| O-5 | $438 | $456 | $463 | $463 | $463 | $500 | $525 | $550 | $594 |
| O-4 | $388 | $394 | $394 | $419 | $419 | $475 | $494 | $506 | $525 |
| O-3 | $375 | $394 | $394 | $419 | $419 | $456 | $475 | $494 | $506 |
| O-2 | $375 | $394 | $394 | $419 | $419 | $438 | $456 | $475 | $494 |
| O-1 | $375 | $394 | $394 | $419 | $419 | $438 | $456 | $475 | $494 |
| W-5 | $544 | $613 | $656 | $700 | $700 | $750 | $750 | $750 | $750 |
| W-4 | $544 | $613 | $656 | $700 | $700 | $750 | $750 | $750 | $750 |
| W-3 | $544 | $613 | $656 | $700 | $700 | $744 | $744 | $750 | $750 |
| W-2 | $544 | $594 | $594 | $656 | $656 | $700 | $700 | $700 | $700 |
| W-1 | $525 | $569 | $569 | $594 | $594 | $631 | $656 | $656 | $656 |
| E-9 | $700 | $700 | $713 | $725 | $750 | $750 | $750 | $750 | $750 |
| E-8 | $700 | $700 | $713 | $725 | $750 | $750 | $750 | $750 | $750 |
| E-7 | $700 | $700 | $713 | $725 | $750 | $750 | $750 | $750 | $750 |
| E-6 | $656 | $656 | $656 | $675 | $694 | $713 | $731 | $750 | $750 |
| E-5 | $638 | $638 | $638 | $638 | $638 | $638 | $638 | $638 | $638 |
| E-4 | $488 | $488 | $488 | $488 | $488 | $488 | $488 | $488 | $488 |
| E-3 | $125 | $125 | $125 | $125 | $125 | $125 | $125 | $125 | $125 |
| E-2 | $94 | $94 | $94 | $94 | $94 | $94 | $94 | $94 | $94 |
| E-1 | $63 | $63 | $63 | $63 | $63 | $63 | $63 | $63 | $63 |
Source: DoD 7000.14-R, Volume 7A, Chapter 18, Table 18-3 (Navy and Marine Corps), effective May 1, 2014.
Qualifying Sea Duty and Career Sea Pay Definitions
Career Sea Pay is a special pay authorized under federal law for recognition of the greater than normal rigors of assignment to sea duty.
At Rank and Pay, we see one misreading often: "years of sea duty" in the chart means cumulative qualifying sea duty, not years in the Navy. Cumulative Sea Duty (CSD) represents the total time you have been assigned to qualifying sea duty during your entire service career, regardless of your pay grade or total time in uniform. A Sailor with ten years of service who has three and a half years of cumulative sea duty reads the "Over 3" column, not the "Over 10" column.
Qualifying sea duty requires assignment under orders while permanently assigned to a ship, a ship-based staff, or a ship-based aviation unit serving on a ship whose primary mission is accomplished underway. Underway mission vessels include destroyers and submarine tenders. The FMR defines a ship as a self-propelled vessel in an active status, in commission, or in-service. Temporary absences such as temporary duty (TDY), leave, or hospitalization under orders continue to count toward qualifying sea duty for up to the first 30 consecutive days of each occurrence.
Certain other assignments also qualify as sea duty under Department of Defense regulations. Temporary assignment to an underway-mission ship counts as qualifying sea time. Duty on a ship whose primary mission is accomplished in port also counts, but only while the ship is away from its homeport at sea or in another port located more than 50 miles away. Serving as a member of the off-crew of a two-crewed vessel also qualifies for sea duty credit.
Entitlement Start Dates and Excluded Personnel
Entitlement to Career Sea Pay begins on your official reporting date when you report for permanent sea duty to a ship whose primary mission is accomplished underway.
For personnel reporting to a vessel whose primary mission is accomplished in port, sea pay accrues from the date the ship departs its homeport if you are aboard, or from your reporting date if you join the ship while it is already away from homeport. Entitlement terminates on the detachment date.
Several categories of personnel do not qualify for sea pay and cannot accrue cumulative sea duty credit. Department of Defense regulations exclude midshipmen, aviation cadets, and service academy cadets from receiving Career Sea Pay. Service members traveling as passengers onboard a ship strictly for transportation do not earn sea pay. Personnel en route to or from ships located outside the continental United States do not earn sea pay or credit sea time during transit.
Career Sea Pay Premium Rules and Eligibility
Career Sea Pay Premium (CSP-P) is an additional monthly special pay provided to service members who serve unusually long periods of continuous sea duty.
A service member entitled to Career Sea Pay who completes 36 consecutive months of sea duty becomes entitled to Career Sea Pay Premium starting on the 37th consecutive month. The premium accrues from the first day after the 36th consecutive month of sea duty, and it is prorated if the entitlement begins in the middle of a calendar month. For example, under Department of Defense Financial Management Regulation guidance, sea duty beginning on January 15, 2011, begins accruing Career Sea Pay Premium on January 15, 2014.
The Career Sea Pay Premium rate for Navy and Marine Corps personnel is $200 per month. The FMR states that monthly CSP-P may not exceed $350. Members who may become entitled to CSP-P as a separate item are all officers O-1 through O-6, all warrant officers, enlisted E-1 through E-4, and enlisted E-5 through E-9 with not over 8 years of cumulative sea duty.
Enlisted members in pay grades E-5 through E-9 with over eight years of cumulative sea duty do not receive the $200 Career Sea Pay Premium as a separate line item. The Department of Defense already incorporates this premium into the base Career Sea Pay rates for those pay grades. The table rate for an E-5 with over 8 years of cumulative sea duty ($638) already includes CSP-P.
The $750 Cap and Marine Corps Rates
The FMR states that monthly Career Sea Pay may not exceed $750.
Several senior pay grades reach the $750 maximum as cumulative sea duty grows. In the chart, E-7 through E-9 are at $750 from over 13 years, W-5 from over 14 years, and E-6 from over 18 years. Other cells are lower: $125 for an E-3 with over 3 years, $100 for an O-3 with 1 year or less, and $669 for an O-6 with over 20 years.
The Department of Defense uses the identical Table 18-3 rate schedule for both Navy and Marine Corps personnel. Coast Guard members have their own page on this site: see the Coast Guard sea pay guide.
Career Sea Pay authority has an end date. Unless Congress authorizes it, no CSP or CSP-P is paid after the termination date in the Duration of Authority table on DFAS.mil. The FMR added that paragraph after Public Law 118-31, section 613.
How to Verify Your Navy Sea Pay Rates
Your command's personnel office can tell you what sea duty your records show.
The rates and rules on this page come from the DoD Financial Management Regulation Volume 7A, Chapter 18, which cites Title 37, United States Code, section 352. Tax considerations, combat zone tax exclusions, and interactions with Basic Allowance for Housing or Basic Allowance for Subsistence fall outside the scope of this page. Rank and Pay is not the Navy or DFAS. This page is general information and does not decide anyone's entitlement. Ask your command's personnel office about your own pay.
For basic pay, see our Navy basic pay chart or estimate monthly pay with our Navy pay calculator. Related pages: military special pays, Navy enlistment bonuses, and Navy enlisted rates.