All five branches, side by side.
Pay is set by grade and years of service — it is identical in every branch. What actually differs is the mission, the job catalog, the training pipeline, how you get commissioned and what daily life looks like. Compare honestly before you talk to any recruiter.
Side by side
SCROLL SIDEWAYS| BRANCH | Army | Navy | Air Force | Marines | Coast Guard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MISSION | The largest branch and the widest job catalog. Land operations, aviation, logistics, medical, cyber and intelligence — with active, Reserve and National Guard options that let you stay local or go full time. | Sea, air and undersea power. The Navy runs the most advanced nuclear and electronics training pipelines in the military, alongside medical, aviation, construction and cyber ratings. | The most technical training pipeline per enlistee, plus quality-of-life and education benefits that make it the most competitive enlisted accession in most years. | The expeditionary force in readiness. The hardest entry standard and the strongest identity — every Marine is a rifleman first, then a specialist. | Maritime law enforcement, search and rescue, and port security — mostly stateside, under the Department of Homeland Security. The smallest branch and one of the hardest to enlist into. |
| JOB TERM | MOS | Rating | AFSC | MOS | Rating |
| BASIC TRAINING | 10 weeks Basic Combat Training, then Advanced Individual Training for your MOS · Fort Jackson, Fort Benning (Moore), Fort Sill or Fort Leonard Wood | Roughly 10 weeks of Recruit Training, then 'A' School for your rating · Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Illinois | 7.5 weeks of Basic Military Training, then technical school for your AFSC · Joint Base San Antonio–Lackland, Texas | 13 weeks of Recruit Training, then Marine Combat Training or the School of Infantry, then MOS school · Parris Island, South Carolina or San Diego, California | 8 weeks of Recruit Training; many recruits enter undesignated and strike for a rating · Training Center Cape May, New Jersey |
| E-1 | Private | Seaman Recruit | Airman Basic | Private | Seaman Recruit |
| E-5 | Sergeant | Petty Officer Second Class | Staff Sergeant | Sergeant | Petty Officer Second Class |
| E-9 | Sergeant Major or Command Sergeant Major | Master Chief Petty Officer | Chief Master Sergeant | Master Gunnery Sergeant or Sergeant Major | Master Chief Petty Officer |
| O-1 | Second Lieutenant | Ensign | Second Lieutenant | Second Lieutenant | Ensign |
| O-6 | Colonel | Captain | Colonel | Colonel | Captain |
| WARRANT OFFICERS | Yes — 5 grades | Yes — 4 grades | Yes — 5 grades | Yes — 5 grades | Yes — 4 grades |
| HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM | Army JROTC | Navy JROTC | Air Force JROTC | Marine Corps JROTC (under NJROTC) | Coast Guard JROTC (under NJROTC) |
| COMMISSIONING | Army ROTC · West Point · Officer Candidate School · Green to Gold | Navy ROTC · U.S. Naval Academy · Officer Candidate School · Limited Duty Officer / Chief Warrant Officer | Air Force ROTC · U.S. Air Force Academy · Officer Training School | NROTC Marine Option · Platoon Leaders Class · Officer Candidates School · U.S. Naval Academy | College Student Pre-Commissioning Initiative (CSPI) · U.S. Coast Guard Academy · Officer Candidate School |
| FIRST PROMOTION | About 6 months of service | About 6 months of service | About 6 months of service | About 6 months of service | About 6 months of service |
| CAREER JOURNEY | Entry → First term → Mid-career → Senior leader → Veteran transition | Entry → First term → Mid-career → Senior leader → Veteran transition | Entry → First term → Mid-career → Senior leader → Veteran transition | Entry → First term → Mid-career → Senior leader → Veteran transition | Entry → First term → Mid-career → Senior leader → Veteran transition |
| VETERAN TRANSITION | Army specialties map cleanly onto logistics, healthcare, aviation maintenance, law enforcement, IT and cybersecurity. Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL) shows which certifications your MOS already covers. | Nuclear, electronics, IT, medical and Seabee ratings translate directly into power generation, network and systems administration, healthcare and the building trades. | Air Force training maps unusually well to civilian licensure: air traffic control, aircraft maintenance, cybersecurity, electrical work and medical technician roles. CCAF credits shorten a civilian degree. | Marine records read as leadership under pressure. Pair that with the technical side of your MOS — logistics, aviation ordnance, cyber, intelligence or engineering — so hiring teams see both. | Coast Guard service is federal law enforcement, maritime operations and emergency response experience — strong for port authorities, federal agencies, marine engineering, EMS and firefighting. |
| JOBS LISTED HERE | 10 jobs | 9 jobs | 9 jobs | 8 jobs | 7 jobs |
Enlisting vs commissioning
TWO DOORSHigh school diploma or GED, ASVAB score, medical and background screening. You start at E-1 to E-3, get paid to learn a trade, and can be serving within months. Tuition Assistance and the GI Bill can pay for the degree later.
Requires a bachelor's degree, earned through ROTC, a service academy, or finished before Officer Candidate/Training School. You start at O-1, lead from day one, and are accountable for people and planning rather than hands-on technical work.
Pay is the same everywhere
BY GRADE, NOT BRANCH2025 DoD/DFAS military basic pay tables + VA education benefit rates. Basic pay only — housing (BAH) and food (BAS) allowances are tax-free and paid on top.
And the sixth service
SPACE FORCEThe Space Force is the newest and smallest service. It has no JROTC or ROTC of its own — Guardians commission through the Air Force Academy, AFROTC or Officer Training School.
SPACE FORCE GUIDE →Still deciding?
FREEYour free Career Readiness Report scores you against jobs in every branch, and the job search shows what each one turns into in civilian work.