Navy Personnel Specialist (PS): Definitive Guide (2025)

This guide provides helpful information for those looking into joining the Navy as a Personnel Specialist (PS) during the Fiscal Year 2025.  

Some people spend their whole careers trying to figure out how to move up. In the Navy, we make sure every Sailor has the tools to get there. Personnel Specialists (PS) are the ones who help make that happen.

From handling promotions to pay issues, they guide Sailors through the challenges and opportunities of Navy life. Whether it’s helping someone advance their career, manage their benefits, or transition to civilian life, PSs keep everything running smoothly behind the scenes.

If you’re the kind of person who loves helping others succeed, or if you’re thinking about a future in Human Resources, this is where you start.

Want to be the one who helps others move up while setting yourself up for success? The Navy is waiting.

Job Description

navy-ps-insignia
PS Insignia – Credit: U.S. Navy

Personnel Specialists (PS) are Navy enlisted Sailors who manage the financial and service records of military personnel and provide customer service to active and reserve members, retirees, and dependents.

Military paperwork and pay transactions don’t process themselves. That’s where Personnel Specialists step in.

They handle military pay, personnel records, and benefits using Automatic Data Processing (ADP) systems. They check documents for accuracy, make calculations, and process paperwork related to promotions, reenlistments, and even disciplinary actions like NJP or Court Martial.

PSs guide Sailors through relocation, separation, and transportation entitlements. They issue orders, arrange travel, process expenses, and advise on education and training programs. They also maintain service records, administer Navy-wide advancement exams, and manage leave and accounting records.

This job is mostly office-based, whether on shore or aboard a ship. It’s structured, but tasks range from highly independent work to close supervision, depending on experience and assignment.

With over 2,300 Personnel Specialists in the Navy, this role is essential. About 20% of a PS’s career will be spent at sea, with the remaining 80% stationed on land.

Specific Responsibilities

As a Personnel Specialist, you ensure Sailors have the information and resources they need for their careers. Your tasks may include:

  • Advising on Navy jobs, training programs, and career growth opportunities
  • Evaluating personnel for job placements and advancements
  • Assisting Sailors and their families with benefits, entitlements, and personal challenges
  • Managing your command’s Career Information Program
  • Keeping Enlisted Service Records up to date
  • Handling transfers, separations, and retirements
  • Serving as a cashier and maintaining shipboard ATMs

Different Roles

Pay Clerk

Handles military payroll, processes travel claims, interprets pay regulations, and ensures Sailors receive the correct payments. Reviews Leave and Earnings Statements (LES), Master Military Payment Accounts (MMPAs), and Department of Defense financial documents. Also responsible for financial record-keeping, acting as a collection agent, and safeguarding cash funds.

Pay Supervisor

Manages payroll operations, audits pay transactions, verifies electronic service records, and ensures financial documents are processed correctly. Supervises Pay Clerks, oversees reenlistments and separations, and maintains personnel records in pay systems. Also responsible for administering the Command Pay/Personnel Administrative Support System and pre-deployment financial briefings.

Pay Manager

Leads pay and travel divisions, overseeing all payment authorizations and financial transactions. Ensures compliance with military pay regulations, responds to official inquiries, and certifies financial documents. Acts as a key resource for resolving complex payroll issues.

Personnel Clerk

Processes military personnel transactions, maintains service records, and prepares reenlistment and separation documents. Drafts administrative naval messages, initiates security screenings for enlistment qualification, and advises Sailors on relocation policies, reenlistment options, education benefits, and training opportunities. Conducts pre-deployment briefings and monitors accession, contract, and quality control reports.

Personnel Manager

Counsels Sailors on transfer procedures, oversees enlistment and separation processes, and manages Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) entries. Verifies personnel details, processes pay documentation, and ensures security for advancement exams.

Personnel Supervisor

Runs personnel offices and programs, reviews pay and personnel documents for accuracy, and provides guidance on career advancement, benefits, and administrative processes. Ensures policies are followed and personnel transactions are handled correctly.

Rank Structure

Pay GradeRateAbbreviationTitle
E-1Seaman RecruitSRSeaman Recruit
E-2Seaman ApprenticeSASeaman Apprentice
E-3SeamanSNSeaman
E-4Personnel Specialist Third ClassPS3Petty Officer Third Class
E-5Personnel Specialist Second ClassPS2Petty Officer Second Class
E-6Personnel Specialist First ClassPS1Petty Officer First Class
E-7Chief Personnel SpecialistPSCChief Petty Officer
E-8Senior Chief Personnel SpecialistPSCSSenior Chief Petty Officer
E-9Master Chief Personnel SpecialistPSCMMaster Chief Petty Officer

Salary and Benefits

Salary for the First 6 Years

Monthly pay for Navy enlisted Sailors (E-1 to E-6) in the first six years is laid out in the January  2025 Active Duty Pay chart:

Pay GradeLess than 2 YearsOver 2 YearsOver 3 YearsOver 4 YearsOver 6 Years
E-1$2,108.10$2,108.10$2,108.10$2,108.10$2,108.10
E-2$2,362.80$2,362.80$2,362.80$2,362.80$2,362.80
E-3$2,484.60$2,640.60$2,800.80$2,800.80$2,800.80
E-4$2,752.20$2,892.90$3,049.80$3,204.30$3,341.40
E-5$3,001.50$3,203.70$3,358.80$3,517.20$3,763.80
E-6$3,276.60$3,606.00$3,765.00$3,919.80$4,080.60

Extra Pays and Allowances

Housing Allowance (BAH):
For members living off-base. Covers rent, based on rank, location, and if they have dependents.

Subsistence Allowance (BAS):
Enlisted get $465.77 monthly for food.

Hazard Duty Pay:
For dangerous jobs. Pays $150-$250 per month, depending on the job.

Sea Pay:
For those assigned to ships or deployed units. Depends on rank and time at sea, from $50 to $750 a month.

Special and Incentive Pays:
Bonuses for certain roles, like air traffic control or unique skills. These can be a few hundred to thousands per year.

Source: Figures are from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service.

Benefits

  • Healthcare: Active-duty personnel are eligible for free complete medical and dental treatment. Tricare programs are inexpensive for families to use.
  • Housing Accomodation: Depending on location, rank, and family size, free on-base accommodation or a tax-free housing allowance (BAH) for off-base living are available.
  • Food: Monthly Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) for food costs is known as the “food allowance.”
  • Blended Retirement System (BRS): Conventional pensions are no longer available to active-duty personnel. Rather:
    • Thrift Savings Plan (TSP): Up to 5% in government matching and automatic contributions.
    • Retirement Pay: After 20 years of service, you’re eligible for monthly payments according on the BRS formula, which combines TSP savings with a calculated pension.
  • Education:
    • Availability of tuition assistance programs that pay for all or part of college tuition.
    • Support for higher education under the post-9/11 GI Bill.
    • Navy College Program to support education while on service.
  • Life Insurance: Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) provides coverage up to $500,000.
  • Vacation: ten or more federal holidays plus thirty days of paid vacation each year.
  • Extra Benefits:
    • Exchanges and commissaries provide tax-free purchasing.
    • Discounted travel via military resorts, access to fitness centers, and leisure amenities.
navy personnel specialist (PS)

Training and Promotion Opportunities 

Initial Training

After Boot Camp at Great Lakes, you’ll head to Meridian, MS for:

  • Class “A” Technical School (5 weeks)
    • Learn forms, records, personnel admin procedures
    • Hands-on pay systems, records management
    • Mix of classroom instruction and practical application

First Assignments

Once training is done, you’ll be sent to:

  • Ships – Usually in Personnel, Admin, Supply, or Training Departments
  • Shore Stations – Mostly Personnel Support Detachments (PSDs)

Expect to spend about 25% of your career at sea, the rest on shore duty.

Promotion & Career Growth

  • Promotions happen, but they’re competitive—your performance matters
  • Over time, you can qualify for more advanced training

More Training & Officer Options

  • Later on, you could get into higher-level personnel admin roles
  • Got a degree? You might qualify for Officer programs in HR/Admin

Civilian Careers After Service

This job sets you up for HR, payroll, office management, or admin jobs

  • You’ll know personnel systems inside and out
  • Good pay, stable work—government, corporate, or small business

This isn’t just paperwork—it’s helping Sailors get what they need and making sure the Navy runs smoothly.

Qualifications to Join 

Basic Requirements

  • High school diploma or equivalent
  • Must be a U.S. citizen (security clearance required)
  • Must be comfortable with record-keeping, detailed paperwork, and customer service
  • Good communication skills, both written and spoken

ASVAB Scores

  • MK + VE = 103; or
  • CS + MK + VE = 148

Other Things to Know

  • No convictions or punishments for larceny or fraud in the last 36 months
  • Should be detail-oriented, organized, and people-focused
  • Typing skills, arithmetic ability, and strong memory are helpful

The enlistment qualification requirements above are current as of Fiscal Year 2025, per the Navy Personnel Command. This information is not readily available to the public. So, contact your local Navy Enlisted Recruiter for the most current requirements to join the Navy as an enlisted Sailor. 

More Information 

PSs handle pay, paperwork, and career records—not glamorous, but essential. If you like helping people, solving problems, and keeping things running smoothly, this is the role.

If you wish to learn more about becoming a Personnel Specialist (PS), contact your local Navy Enlisted Recruiter. They will provide you with more detailed information you’re unlikely to find online. 

You may also be interested in the following related Navy Enlisted jobs: 

Ted Kingston
I’m a Navy veteran who used to serve as a Navy recruiter. This website is the most reliable source of information for all Enlisted Navy Sailor aspirants. In coordination with a network of current and former Navy recruiters, my goal is to make reliable information easily available to you so you can make informed career decisions.

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