Senior chief petty officer

Senior chief petty officer (SCPO) is the eighth enlisted rank (with the pay grade E-8) in the United States Navy and Coast Guard, is above chief petty officer and below master chief petty officer.

Senior chief petty officer was created June 1, 1958 under the authorization of the Military Pay Act of 1958 for both the Navy and Coast Guard. Navy-wide examinations for chiefs were held on August 5, 1958, and promotions became effective November 16, 1958. A second group of chiefs from the February 1959 examinations were promoted to E-8 and E-9 effective on May 16, 1959.

Advancement to senior chief petty officer is similar to that of chief petty officer. It carries requirements of time in service, superior evaluation scores, and peer review. In the Navy, it is the first promotion that is based entirely on proven leadership performance; test scores do not play a part. After three years in the current grade, a chief petty officer can only advance to senior chief if a board of master chiefs approve, convened every year around March. Senior chief petty officers make up just 2.5% of the total enlisted force of the Navy and overall fall within the top 4% of the enlisted ranks.