The rank of specialist (E-4) is the typical rank to which privates first class are promoted after two years of service, although PFCs may be waived into the rank of specialist after 18 months' time in service and 6 months' time in grade. It is granted far more often than corporal (also E-4).

Specialist is the 4th rank in the United States Army, ranking above Private First Class and directly below Corporal. A specialist is an Enlisted Soldier at DoD paygrade E-4, with a starting monthly pay of $2,634 .

The title of Specialist Four officially become the rank of simply "Specialist," which still holds today. It shares the grade of E-4 with the rank of Corporal, a non-commissioned officer, but Specialists remain soldiers, not NCO's.

Jan 2, 2018 · Short History of the Specialist Rank By CSM (Ret.) Dan Elder. When Washington assumed the role as Commander in Chief of the fledgling Continental Army in 1775, it had adopted the British model of organization. There were basically four enlisted grades, sergeants, corporal, musicians and privates.

Jan 3, 2022 · But the Army has its very own conundrum with the E-4 ranks. Years ago, the hierarchy of ranks looked a little different: it went private first class, then corporal, then sergeant. Today, both specialist (the highest junior enlisted rank) and corporal (the lowest NCO rank) share the same pay grade.

What is a Specialist's Paygrade? A Specialist is considered an Enlisted Soldier, with a paygrade of E-4. The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly GS-4 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

Jan 1, 2022 · Today’s current rank structure only includes one specialist rank, that at E-4. The Specialist is in the normal career progression for enlisted soldiers in between the career path of going from an apprentice enlisted soldier, to the journeymen role associated with noncommissioned officers.

Specialist (abbreviated "SPC") is one of the four junior enlisted ranks in the U.S. Army. It is just above Private First Class and equivalent in pay grade to Corporal . Unlike Corporals, Specialists are not considered junior non-commissioned officers (NCOs).

Jan 28, 2025 · An army specialist is a junior enlisted rank in the U.S. Army and is equivalent in pay to a corporal. The rank of specialist is an E-4 position that typically involves basic management duties as well as commanding lower-ranked soldiers.

Today, the rank of specialist is the typical rank to which Privates First Class are promoted. It is granted far more often than corporal (E-4), which is now reserved as a fast-track rank for personnel who have either passed the leadership development course or have been assigned low-level supervisory or clerical duties.