Reviewed by Jonathan Teplitsky · Updated June 2026
Coast Guard Rates: The Enlisted Job Specialties
Quick answer: A Coast Guard rate is your enlisted job specialty — not your rank. The Coast Guard has about two dozen active rates, each with a short abbreviation worn as a rating badge: common ones include MK (Machinery Technician), OS (Operations Specialist), IT (Information Systems Technician), BM (Boatswain's Mate), and GM (Gunner's Mate). Jump to the full list by community below.
A Coast Guard rate is an enlisted job specialty — the trade a member works in, such as Boatswain's Mate or Machinery Technician. The Coast Guard maintains about two dozen active rates across deck, engineering, aviation, and support communities.
Rate is not the same as rank. Your rate is your job; your rank is your pay grade. Combined, they form your full title, like Machinery Technician First Class (MK1). For pay grades, see the Coast Guard ranks guide.
Coast Guard Rates List by Community
The Coast Guard groups its enlisted ratings into broad communities. Each rate carries an official two- or three-letter abbreviation worn as a rating badge on the uniform.
Deck, Operations, and Weapons
- BM — Boatswain's Mate (deck operations, coxswain, navigation)
- ME — Maritime Enforcement Specialist (law enforcement, port security)
- GM — Gunner's Mate (weapons systems and ordnance)
- OS — Operations Specialist (command center, search and rescue coordination)
- IS — Intelligence Specialist
Engineering, Hull, and Cyber
- MK — Machinery Technician (engines, hydraulics, ship systems)
- DC — Damage Controlman (hull repair, firefighting, welding)
- EM — Electrician's Mate
- ET — Electronics Technician
- IT — Information Systems Technician
- DV — Diver
- CMS — Cyber Mission Specialist (newest rate, established 2023)
Aviation
- AMT — Aviation Maintenance Technician
- AST — Aviation Survival Technician (the rescue swimmers)
- AET — Avionics Electrical Technician
Administrative, Scientific, and Support
- YN — Yeoman (administration and personnel)
- SK — Storekeeper (supply and logistics)
- CS — Culinary Specialist
- HS — Health Services Technician
- MST — Marine Science Technician (environmental, port safety)
- PA — Public Affairs Specialist
- MU — Musician
- IV — Investigator (Reserve)
Rate vs Rank in the Coast Guard
New Coasties often confuse rate and rank. The difference is simple: rate is what you do, rank is your pay grade.
| Term | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Rate | Job specialty | Machinery Technician (MK) |
| Rank | Pay grade and authority | Petty Officer First Class (E-6) |
| Combined title | Rate + rank | Machinery Technician First Class (MK1) |
How You Earn a Coast Guard Rate
You earn a rate two ways. The first is an 'A' School: formal training in a specialty after boot camp. The second is 'striking': working in a field at your unit and qualifying on the job without a school seat. 'A' School gives you a fixed training schedule and a diploma before you report to your first unit; striking gets you to the fleet faster but depends on your command having open workload in that specialty and a qualified petty officer to sign off your requirements before you can test for advancement.
Most members earn a rate within their first few years, advancing from a non-rated Seaman, Fireman, or Airman to a rated petty officer. Your rate then shapes your assignments, advancement, and the rating badge you wear.
Rates and Your Pay
Your rate does not change your basic pay — pay grade does. But your rate decides whether you serve afloat and qualify for Career Sea Pay, and it decides which incentive pays stack on top of basic pay. No rate technically outpays another at the same pay grade, but in practice AST (rescue swimmer) and CMS (Cyber Mission Specialist) Coasties come out ahead. ASTs draw ongoing hazardous duty incentive pay and dive pay as a standing line on their Leave and Earnings Statement (LES). CMS Coasties can qualify for a Critical Skills Retention Bonus worth up to $120,000, the largest incentive bonus the Coast Guard pays. See the Coast Guard pay chart for basic pay by grade.
Most In-Demand Coast Guard Rates
Some rates are larger, more visible, or harder to enter than others. A handful are also formally designated critical rates, which carry the Coast Guard's largest signing and retention bonuses. See the Coast Guard bonus guide for the current critical-rate list, since it changes by fiscal year. A few of each type stand out for recruits choosing a path.
- Boatswain's Mate (BM): The largest rate and the backbone of deck and small-boat operations. Broadest path to command-level enlisted leadership.
- Maritime Enforcement Specialist (ME): The Coast Guard's dedicated law enforcement and security rate, stood up in 2010.
- Aviation Survival Technician (AST): The elite rescue swimmers. One of the most physically demanding and selective rates.
- Machinery Technician (MK): Keeps cutters and boats running; a large engineering rate with strong civilian crossover.
- Cyber Mission Specialist (CMS): The newest rate, created in 2023 to grow the service's cyber workforce — and the target of the largest Coast Guard bonuses.
Choosing a Coast Guard Rate
The best rate for you depends on where you want to serve and what skills you want to build. Use a few simple criteria to compare options.
| If you want… | Consider these rates |
|---|---|
| Sea duty and small-boat work | BM, MK, GM |
| Law enforcement and security | ME, IS |
| Aviation and rescue | AST, AMT, AET |
| Technical and cyber skills | ET, IT, CMS |
| Healthcare or support | HS, YN, SK, CS |
Rates that serve afloat open the door to Career Sea Pay, while shore-based rates trade sea pay for a steadier home life. Many members move between sea and shore tours across a career.