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separate salary level. As we discussed earlier, these
levels are known as paygrades and are commonly
referred to as rates.
Rates identify personnel by
paygrades E- 1 through E-9.
In the Navy’s paygrade structure, enlisted rates are
divided into three groups: (1) general rates, (2) petty
officers, and (3) chief petty officers. As described
earlier, general rates represent the apprenticeships and
include personnel in paygrades E- 1 through E-3; petty
officers include enlisted personnel in paygrades E-4
through E-6, and chief petty officers include senior
enlisted personnel in paygrades E-7 through E-9.
RATINGS AND OCCUPATIONAL AREAS
Ratings are defined as broad enlisted career fields.
They identify occupational specialties that encompass
related aptitudes, training, experience, knowledge, and
skills for the purpose of career development and
advancement.
A particular Navy rating refers to a
specific occupational area.
As a PN, you must be able to identify Navy ratings
in terms of their occupational fields so you can
understand the various duties and responsibilities of the
enlisted personnel working in these ratings. Your
knowledge of the occupational fields will help you to
develop a better understanding of the different ratings
and to become a better PN. Sometime in your career,
for example, you will likely counsel someone who is
interested in striking for a particular rating, and you
must be able to provide the right kind of information.
As you progress in your career, you will be assigned
to various duty stations where you will meet personnel
who work in many Navy ratings, and you will need to
know what they do.
Remember, personnel
requirements depend on the mission of your command,
and you will not encounter personnel in all Navy ratings
at every command to which you are assigned. For
example, you will not see air traffic controllers (ACs)
serving aboard guided missile destroyers (DDGs).
Why? Because the special skills of the ACs are not
required aboard DDGs. These skills, however, are
required aboard aircraft carriers (CVs). Logically, you
will see ACs serving aboard aircraft carriers where their
special skills are needed.
The jobs Navy personnel perform are just as diverse
as civilian occupations. The Navy is an accumulated
group of people who work together in many fields to
accomplish the overall mission. While some ratings are
Table 2-3.—Occupational Fields and Associated Ratings
2-6
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