Which statement about petty officers and chief petty officers is true?

• A. They are the same pay grade and have identical responsibilities.
• B. A petty officer is E-4 to E-6; a chief petty officer is E-7 to E-9 with additional leadership responsibilities.
• C. Chief petty officers have no leadership duties.
• D. Petty officers outrank chiefs in authority.

Answer: (B)

Understanding how petty officers differ from chief petty officers in rank and duties is essential. A petty officer holds pay grades E-4 through E-6 and handles technical tasks within their rating, often assisting and supervising junior sailors under the direction of more senior enlisted leaders. A chief petty officer holds pay grades E-7 through E-9 and serves as a senior enlisted leader, with broader responsibilities for training, welfare, and discipline across a command, acting as a key bridge between enlisted personnel and officers. This combination of higher rank and expanded leadership duties is what makes the statement true.

Other options don’t fit the Navy’s enlisted structure: petty officers aren’t the same pay grade as chiefs and don’t share identical responsibilities; chiefs do have leadership duties; and petty officers do not outrank chiefs in authority.