Which ranks are at the E-9 pay grade in the Marine Corps?

• A. Master Gunnery Sergeant/Sergeant Major/Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
• B. Gunnery Sergeant
• C. Master Sergeant
• D. First Sergeant

Answer: (A)

In the Marine Corps, enlisted ranks are grouped by pay grades, with E-9 being the highest enlisted pay grade. The three ranks that hold E-9 are Master Gunnery Sergeant, Sergeant Major, and the Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps. So a choice that lists all three of these together is the best one because it accurately represents every rank that falls at the E-9 level. The other ranks shown correspond to lower pay grades (for example, Gunnery Sergeant is E-7 and Master Sergeant is E-8, with First Sergeant also at E-8), so they don’t reflect the E-9 group.