StarFleet Ranks and Payscale
byRichard Spake
STARFLEET RANKS:
Starfleet ranks are divided into the following Categories, Enlisted Ranks (Ratings, Petty Officers, and Chief Petty Officers), Limited Duty Officers (Cadets, Midshipmen, Warrant Officers), and Commissioned Officers (Junior Officers, Senior Officers and Flag Officers).
ENLISTED PERSONNEL: In Starfleet, the ranks held by enlisted personnel are divided into three categories; Ratings, Petty Officers (Non-Commissioned Officers), and Chief Petty Officers (Senior Non-Commissioned Officers). Some ofifcers and commissioners actually consider the category of Limited Duty Officers (Warrant Officers) as senior enlisted personnel.
RATINGS: Junior enlisted personnel are refered to as ratings, and they do the majority of the minor ‘grunt work’ that comes up during standard operations on starships, starbases and starfleet operated facilities planetside (routine maintence, cleaning, taking readings, facility prepreation, ect.).
Crewman Recruit: The enlisted rank of Crewman Recruit are held by enlisted personnel during their indoctrination during the first year of their basic training.
Crewman Apprentice: The enlisted rank of Crewman Recruit is held by enlisted personnel after their graduation form the first year of their basic training, and during the year they are attending their acellerated speicalization training. Once they graduate form thier speiciality school they will be promoted either to the rank of Crewman or Able Crewman depending on the level of specialization they have recieved.
Crewman: Considered the first actaul enlisted rank since it is the rank held by most enlisted personnel when they are finally are sent to their first assignments out in the fleet.
Able Crewman: Personnel who hold rank of Able Crewman have shown competence in their chosen field of expertise requiring only minimal supervison during their duties.
Leading Crewman: Personnel holding the rank of Leading Crewman have shown not only their competence in their chosen feild of speicalizations, but have shown some ability as team leaders and are undergoing grooming for promotion to the rank of Petty Officer.
PETTY OFFICERS: Crewman who showed excellent leadership capabilities are promoted to the rank of Petty Officer. While called an officer, they are non-commissioned officers, and are junior to ensigns. A Petty officers typically commands a group of enlisted personnel, often independent of direct supervision by junior officers.
Petty Officer Third Class (PO3):
Petty Officer Second Class (PO2):
Petty Officer First Class (PO1):
CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS: Petty Officers who have repeatedly shown consistant and excellent leadership capabilities are promoted to the rank of Chief Petty Officer. Chief Petty Officers are senior non-commissioned officers, and are junior to ensigns. A Chief Petty officers typically commands a group of enlisted personnel, often independent of direct supervision by junior officers.
Chief Petty Officer (CPO):
Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO):
Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO):
Command Master Chief Petty Officer (CMCPO): The rank of Command Master Chief Petty Officer is considered by many to be more of an Administrative Rank that is held on larger starships and starbases that have large compliments of enlisterd personnel assigned. The rank also inculdes the administrative rank of Command Master Chief Petty Officer of Starfleet (CMCPO-SF), who advises Starfleet Command on matters relating to Enlisted Personnel.
LIMITED DUTY OFFICERS: Petty Officers and Chief Petty Officers who showed excellent leadership capabilities are promoted to the rank of Warrant Officer. While called an officer, they are non-commissioned officers, and are junior to ensigns. Warrant officer typically commands a group of Petty Officers, often independent of direct supervision by junior officers.
WARRANT OFFICERS: Warrant Officers are Limited Duty Officers who have proven their expertise in their choosen feild of specialization and graduated form the Warrant Officer Training Programe offered by Starfleet’s Officer Cadiate School. On smaller vessels limited duty officers can be assigned to fill Division Officer billets, as well as filling Department head billets if so warrented by the recurements set forth by the ship’s commanding officer.
Warrant Officer, Junior Grade (WO, jg): The rank of Warrant Officer, Junior Grade is held by the new Warrant Officer after their graduation form the Warrant Officer Training Programe (a programe that is offered by Starfleet’s Officer Canidate School that has become quite popular in the last few years). This is considered by most personnel in Starfleet as a provisional rank that is usually held for the first six to twelve months while the new warrant officer ‘settles in’ to their new duties and responsibilities.
Warrant Officer (WO):
Chief Warrant Officer (CWO):
Senior Chief Warrant Officer (SCWO): Senior Chief Warrant Officers are the highest ranking limited duty officers in Starfleet, and are considered the undisputed masters in their feilds of expertise. Senior Chief Warrant Officers can be made Divisional Heads in their specilialities (Example: A Senior Chief Warrant Officer whose speciality is Stellar Cartography can be made the Stellar Cartography Officer on small Starships of the Defiant-class, Oberth-class, or Nova-class).
CADETS and MIDSHIPMEN: Cadets are neither officers nor enlisted personnel, therefore they are included under commissioned officers, even though they have not yet received their commissions. As students of Starfleet Academy they might be on a ship for a training cruise. Once their training is completed, they will go out to the fleet commissioned as Ensigns or Lieutenant, Junior Grades (if graduated with high honours). The good ones gets assigned to ships, others to bases, and others to yet other areas.Naval cadets are sometimes known as Midshipmen from the bygone sailing ship navies of Terran history. However, the term has since been used by Starfleet to refer to senior cadets who have been sent out on their cadet cruise.
Cadet, Fourth Class (C-4): Frist year cadets are mostly refered to as Plebes by both academy instructors and senior cadets. The first year at the Academy is a probation period where the plebe can be dismissed for nearly any infraction so deemed nessary by the Commandat of Starfleet Academy.
Cadet, Third Class (C-3): Second year cadets are also refered to as the Sophmore Class and have earned some minor privileges that inculde weekend furlows given for excellent grades or other such rewards of academic excellence.
Cadet, Second Class (C-2): Third year cadets are known as the Junior Class, and have earned evenmore privilages than those seen by the Sophmore class. They have Weekend Furlowes and are allowed to wear civilian attire during these furlowes. Their only requirement is that they return to the dorms by curfew as set by their instructors.
Cadet, First Class (C-1): Fourth Year Cadets are refered to as the Senior Class, and are granted multiple priviliages that inculde no longer being required to be limited by a curfew, and being allowed to attend extra-circular Academy functions (sporting events and the like) in civilian attire.
Midshipman (Mdshmn.): The rank of Midshipman is possessed by recent graduates of Starfleet Acadmey during their Cadet Cruise.
Ensign, Junior Grade (Ens,jg.): Unoffical rank that is also called Acting Ensign, that is breveted on Midshipmen and Cadets who have impressed upon a starships commanding officer with their abilties, skills, and overall command potential.
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS:
JUNIOR OFFICERS:
Ensign (Ens.): Most Ensigns are officers on their first cruises. Because an officer is an officer, ensigns are sometimes assigned to command small units or to perform certain tasks that cannot be delegated to petty officers. They can hold bridge duty, but only the most senior do so during primary (day) shift.
Lieutenant, Junior Grade (Lt,jg.): The rank of Lieutenant, Junior Grade are junior lieutenants, who are usually on their second or third cruise. They might be in charge of a very small ship under very special situations. Otherwise they are the ones who get their hands dirty in ship’s departments. They also could be deputy department heads of minor shipboard departments.
Lieutenant (Lt.): The rank of Lieutenant shows that a junior officer posses the most skill and seniority over other junior officers. They are also the deputy department heads on cruiser or larger vessels, and department heads on smaller starships.
Lieutenants may be in charge of a very small ship, like a freighter, in special situations (during the Dominion War several Lieutenants where given command of Defiant-class Gunboats).
SENIOR OFFICERS:
Lieutenant Commander (Lt.Cmdr.): An officer with rank of Lieutenant Commander in some cases can be found as the Commanding Officer of a destroyer or a police corvette, or as the Executive Officer of a ship with a Commander sitting in the Commanding Officers Billet. A Lieutenant Commander may have been given the post of executive officer on a major ship (heavy cruiser or above) and will be promoted to full commander when it is proven that they can handle the job.
On most major starships, officers holding the rank of Lt. Commander are usually found serving as the starship’s primary department heads. The most senior department head onboard is probably also the ship’s second officer, third in chain of command after Captain and the Frist Officer. Although this is not always the case since Starfleet allows a great deal of latitude to it’s Commanding Officers to chose their own Second Officer.
The rank held by the commanding officers of the new Defiant-class Gunboats has been found to be the rank of Lt.Commander, since it has allowed Starfleet to place young up coming officers who have proven themselves capable leaders with the nessary command experence to see how well they will do with larger and more capable starships.
Commander (Cmdr.): Some smaller starships are commanded by Commanders and they are known as brevet captains while onboard their command. Since cruises on small ships are used to train the commanders for promotion, it is quite possible for a recently promoted captain to command a small starship as well. Recently, Starfleet Command has attempted to regulate that the Chief Medical Officer of major starships usually hold the rank of full commander since the CMO has the important duty of releiveing the ships Commanding Officer of Command.
Captian (Capt.): The rank of Captian is one of the most confusing ranks in Starfleet since it is also the title of a shipboard position. Usually a person holding rank of Captain also is the captain of a starship. Captains command Captiol sized Starships. Many Starfleet Officers holding the rank of Captian have also been assigned as the senior Starfleet attaché to many important Federation Ambassadors and their delgations.
Line Captian (LCapt.): While technically an administrative rank, Line Captian’s are considered breveted limited duty flag officers who have shown the ability, but do not posses the seniority to command large groups of starships. Line Captian’s are normally placed in command of a line of six starships, or as the commanding officer of the flagship of a Flag Officer.
Fleet Captian (FCapt.): While technically an administrative rank, Fleet Captian’s are considered breveted limtied duty flag officers who have shown the abiltiy to command large groups of starships. Fleet Captian’s are normally placed in command of a battlegroup, or as the commanding officer of the flagship being used by a Flag Officer to show their status in the overall chain of command of what ever fleet they are attached to. A Fleet Captain is the senior captain of a fleet under command of a Rear Admiral. The Rear Admiral will usually delegate the authority to the Fleet Captain, who will actually run the fleet.
FLAG OFFICERS:
Commodore (Comdr.): The rank of Commodore is considered the lowest of Starlfeet’s Flag Officer ranks. Flag Officers holding the rank of Commodore command major starbases and Starfleet facilitites that require a high-profile officer in charge to insure proper functions. Strangely enough many Commodores still retain command of their own Starships and continue to operate as a Starship commander with only extra duties attached to their normal routine (such as sitting on conduct review pannels, Courts Marital hearings, and the like).
Rear-Admiral (RAdm.): The rank of Rear-Admiral Rear Admirals are usually commanders of an operational fleet of approximately half a dozen starships. Rear-Admirals perform tasks of the admiralty that involves more of a local nature. Thus they are usually limited to a more specific astrographical location, such as a sector where they have invested time and created a staff composed of speicalists who can assist in adviseing them on current events of their region. Rear-Admirals have also often the commanders of the starbase central to their command area.
Vice-Admiral (VAdm.): The rank of Vice-Admiral. Vice admirals are often involved in a variety of roles, diplomatic, scientific, traditional planning, and organizational tasks. On many occassions many Vice-Admrials have found themselves carring out diplomatic duties that have involved Diplomatic liaison and/or negotiations with new member planets. When commanding ships, vice admirals command special task groups (under the major fleets) of a dozen ships or more.
Admrial (Adm.): Flag Officers holding the rank of Admiral are often involved in a variety of roles, diplomatic, scientific, traditional planning, and organizational tasks. Their diplomatic duties have involved acting as a Diplomatic liaison and and assisting in the negotiations with new member planets. When commanding ships, Admirals command special task groups (the Numbered Fleets) of two dozen ships or more.
Fleet Admiral (FAdm.): Fleet Admirals make the strategic decisions for Starfleet. Fleet Admirals are either placed in direct command of Starfleet’s numbered fleets, or given administrative duties commanding one of the diffrent Branches of Starfleet. These senior Fleet Admirals have been given the important duties of an administrative position as Branch Admirals and placed in command a major the major departments of Starfleet (logistics, personnel, etc.).
Commanding Admiral of Starfleet (Cmd-Adm-SF): There is only one Commanding Admiral of Starfleet who is responsible to the Federation Council in all matters that deal with Starfleet Operations. Commanding Admiral is also known as the Commander in Chief of Starfleet and is considered the highest-ranking Starfleet personnel and their word is second only to the President of the Federation and the Federation Council. Thus the rank of Commanding Admrial of Starfleet is the highest ranking memeber of Starfleet at any given time. The Commanding Admrial of Starfleet usually spends their time acting as an advisor to the Federation Council and President on new planetary admissions to the UFP, military operations, exploration, and policing matters. In other words the Commanding Admiral of Starfleet advises the UFP Government on all of the matters of Starfleet.
DUTY SHIFTS: .
This is the standard 8.5 hour work shifts used on most Starfleet Vessels.
0600-1430: The Morning Shift.
1400-2230: The Night Shift, aka Day Check.
2200-0630: The Graveyard shift, aka Night Check.
WATCHES:
Enlisted personnel are also required to stand standard four hour watches that are on a rotating schedual. The assignment of these watches are suppose to be rotated amoung qualified personnel. These watch stations are for areas, duties, activites that must be manned at all times (Armoury Watch, Bridge Watch, ect).
0000-0400: Mid-Watch
0400-0800: Morning Watch
0800-1200: Mid-Day Watch
1200-1600: Noon Watch
1600-2000: Afternoon Watch
2000-0000: Night Watch
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Starfleet Personnel are paid on the First and Fifteenth of each month.
STARFLEET PAYGRADES:
ENLISTED PERSONNEL:
RATINGS:
833cr. E-1 Crewman Recruit (CMR):
900cr. E-2 Crewman Apprentice (CMA):
1010cr. E-3 Crewman (CM):
1049cr. E-4 Able Crewman (ACM):
1107cr. E-5 Leading Crewman (LCM):
PETTY OFFICERS:
1113cr. E-6 Petty Officer Third Class (PO3):
1194cr. E-7 Petty Officer Second Class (PO2):
1360cr. E-8 Petty Officer First Class (PO1):
CHIEF PETTY OFFICERS:
1483cr. E-9 Chief Petty Officer (CPO):
1707cr. E-10 Senior Chief Petty Officer (SCPO):
1955cr. E-11 Master Chief Petty Officer (MCPO):
2265cr. E-12 Command Master Chief Petty Officer (CMCPO):
2701cr. E-13 Command Master Chief Petty Officer of Starfleet (CMCPO-SF):
LIMITED DUTY OFFICERS:
WARRANT OFFICERS:
1848cr. W-1 Warrant Officer, Junior Grade (WO, jg):
2110cr. W-2 Warrant Officer (WO):
2322cr. W-3 Chief Warrant Officer (CWO):
3963cr W-4 Senior Chief Warrant Officer (SCWO):
CADETS and MIDSHIPMEN:
850cr. C-1 Cadet, Fourth Class:
900cr. C-2 Cadet, Third Class:
950cr. C-3 Cadet, Second Class:
1010cr. C-4 Cadet, First Class:
1280cr. C-5 Midshipman (Mdshmn.):
1510cr. C-6 Ensign, Junior Grade (Ens,jg.):
COMMISSIONED OFFICERS:
JUNIOR OFFICERS:
1725cr. O-1 Ensign (Ens.):
1987cr. O-2 Lieutenant, Junior Grade (Lt,jg.):
2279cr. O-3 Lieutenant (Lt.):
SENIOR OFFICERS:
2452cr. O-4 Lieutenant Commander (Lt.Cmdr.):
2910cr. O-5 Commander (Cmdr.):
3638cr. O-6 Captian (Capt.):
3997cr. O-6a Line Captian (LCapt.):
4259cr. O-6b Fleet Captian (FCapt.):
FLAG OFFICERS:
4909cr. O-7 Commodore (Comdr.):
5908cr O-8 Rear-Admiral (RAdm.):
6522cr. O-9 Vice-Admiral (VAdm.):
7360cr. O-10 Admrial (Adm.):
8660cr. O-11 Fleet Admiral (FAdm.):
11900cr. O-12 Commanding Admiral of Starfleet (Cmd-Adm-SF):
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Minimal Ranks per Starship Commands:
Min. Rank Ship Class/Type
Captian (Capt.) Explorer (Galaxy-class)
Captian (Capt.) Crusier (Akira-class)
Commander (Cmdr.) Frigate (Steamrunner-class)
Lt.Commander (Lt.Cmdr.) Destroyer (Norway-class)
Lieutenant (Lt.) Gunboat (Defiant-class)
Lieutenant, Junior Grade (Lt,jg.) Runabout/Courier (Danube-class)