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Captain rank pin

The rank insignia of a Starfleet captain in the late 23rd century

Rios' rank pip collection

Cristóbal Rios' rank pip collection from his Starfleet career

Paris loses his stripes

Tom Paris is demoted to ensign for disobeying orders

For the mirror universe counterpart, please see Starfleet ranks (mirror).

Starfleet ranks were identifying titles of rank for the officers and enlisted members of Starfleet denoting the chain of command under both United Earth and the United Federation of Planets. These titles were generally adapted from earlier Earth naval forces. (TOS: "The City on the Edge of Forever", ENT: "Storm Front")

Early usage[]

By the development of the NX-Alpha in 2143, the Starfleet rank structure had at least three enlisted ranks, four officer ranks, and three ranks for use by flag officers. Silver rank pips were displayed on the right breast of the Starfleet uniforms, above a colored shoulder trim denoting what division the crew member was assigned to. Flag officers' pips were surrounded by a black rectangle with a silver border. (ENT: "First Flight", et al.) This system was still in place by 2161. (ENT: "These Are the Voyages...")

Enlisted officer ranks
Crewman third class Crewman second class Crewman first class
3rd crewman insignia 2nd crewman insignia 1st crewman insignia
Junior officer ranks
Ensign Lieutenant
Ensign insignia Lieutenant insignia
Senior officer ranks
Commander Captain
Commander insignia Captain insignia
Flag officer ranks
Commodore Rear admiral Vice admiral
Commodore insignia Rear admiral insignia Vice admiral insignia

23rd century[]

Early 23rd century[]

By the 2230s, the Starfleet uniform used a sleeve stripe system instead of pips to denote rank. (Star Trek)

Enlisted officers Lieutenant junior grade Lieutenant Captain
No insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant insignia Captain insignia

The rank of lieutenant junior grade was not seen on Star Trek: Enterprise or depicted prior to 2233.

Early-mid 23rd century[]

Cornwell, Pike and Saru review recording

Gold shoulder trim of a flag admiral, captain, and officer (left to right)

By 2239, Starfleet had adopted a uniform where officer rank was denoted by the number of raised or indented pips on a Starfleet delta. (ST: "The Brightest Star") The admiralty wore a Starfleet insignia surrounded by a wreath made up of smaller golden or black Starfleet insignia on a dark disc; the more of them are gold, the higher the rank. (DIS: "The Vulcan Hello", "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry")

Division Cadet Ensign Lieutenant junior grade Lieutenant Lieutenant commander Commander Captain
Command Commander insignia Captain insignia
Operations Cadet 1st class insignia Ensign insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant insignia Commander insignia
Sciences Ensign insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant commander insignia Commander insignia
Medical variant Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant commander insignia
Flag officer ranks
Vice admiral Admiral Fleet admiral
Vice admiral insignia Admiral insignia Fleet admiral insignia

A variation of this uniform introduced in the 2250s changed the rank system back to a sleeve stripe system. For the command and operations division officers, the stripes matched the division color: gold stripes for command, red stripes for operations. Sciences division officers wore silver stripes. (DIS: "Brother", "Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2")

Division Ensign Lieutenant junior grade Lieutenant Lieutenant commander Captain
Command No insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant insignia Captain insignia
Operations Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant commander insignia
Sciences Lieutenant junior grade insignia

A new uniform was introduced around 2259, retaining the rank insignia system from the previous style with only slight modifications. Sciences officers wore blue stripes in the new system, while silver stripes were reserved for medical officers. Doctors wore a light-blue variant of the sciences uniform while nurses wore white. (SNW: "Strange New Worlds", et al.)

Division Cadet Ensign Lieutenant junior grade Lieutenant Lieutenant commander Captain
Command No insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant commander insignia Captain insignia
Operations Cadet 1st class insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant commander insignia
Sciences Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant insignia
Doctor variant Lieutenant commander insignia
Nurse variant Lieutenant commander insignia
Flag officer ranks
Type Fleet captain Commodore Vice admiral Fleet admiral
Delta insignia Fleet captain insignia Fleet admiral insignia
Epaulet insignia No epaulet Commodore epaulet Vice admiral epaulet Fleet admiral epaulet

Another Starfleet uniform used around this time had a much simpler rank and insignia system, in which enlisted personnel wore no rank insignia while the rank of chief petty officer was denoted by a special sleeve stripe. Commissioned officers wore a solid gold stripe. This system would be in use concurrently with other rank insignia systems for at least fifteen years, with only a slight modification by 2265, when those holding the rank of captain were authorized to wear two gold stripes whereas other officers wore one. (TOS: "The Cage", "Where No One Has Gone Before")

Enlisted officers Chief petty officer Commissioned officers Captain
No insignia Chief petty officer insignia Commissioned officer insignia Captain insignia

Late-mid 23rd century[]

By 2266, Starfleet had phased out the simple rank system that gave all commissioned officers the same insignia. They also modified the other system that had been in use for the last decade or so. In this new system, all enlisted personnel, chief petty officers included, as well as ensigns, had no insignia whatsoever with most enlisted personnel also wearing Starfleet jumpsuits instead of the standard tunic uniforms worn by the officers. (TOS: "The Corbomite Maneuver", et al)

Starfleet flag officers wore a thicker braid insignia than regular officers. (TOS: "Court Martial", "The Trouble with Tribbles")

The rank of cadet and midshipman were both in use at Starfleet Academy. (TOS: "Shore Leave", "Court Martial")

Enlisted Ensign Lieutenant junior grade Lieutenant Lieutenant commander Commander Captain Commodore Vice admiral
No insignia No insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant commander insignia Commander insignia Captain insignia Commodore insignia Vice admiral insignia

The rank of fleet admiral was mentioned in dialogue in "Space Seed".

In the mid-2270s, Starfleet changed its uniforms yet again, although mainly in appearance only. The rank insignia of officers remained almost the same, though the lieutenant junior grade braid was now used to indicate ensign. Enlisted personnel adopted a style of their own rank insignia and both officers and admirals could now wear a short sleeve "Class B" uniform which displayed rank insignia on shoulder tabs. (Star Trek: The Motion Picture)

Enlisted / unknown ranks
Unknown Chief petty officer Unknown
Triangle insignia Chief petty officer epaulet Thin insignia
Officer ranks
Type Ensign Lieutenant Lieutenant commander Commander Captain Rear admiral
Sleeve insignia Ensign insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant commander insignia Commander insignia Captain insignia Rear admiral insignia
Epaulet insignia Lieutenant epaulet Commander epaulet Captain epaulet Rear admiral epaulet

Late 23rd century[]

By the year 2278, Starfleet had again changed its uniforms, abandoning the previous sleeve stripe system and adopting a totally new insignia design which incorporated a series of rank pins worn on a shoulder strap with the color of the strap determining the bearer's branch within Starfleet. At this point, the lieutenant junior grade rank had also been re-established.

The shoulder strap system also matched with a cuff strap which could display various citation and years-of-service pins. Finally, in the case of admirals, another series of cuff straps denoted the particular rank of the admiral.

Enlisted uniforms were also completely revamped from previous versions and now were worn as jumpsuits with rank pins worn on the lower right sleeve. Enlisted ranks themselves were expanded, encompassing several grades of petty officer and chief petty officer. (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)

With the exception of some minor cosmetic changes to officer uniforms, including the introduction of a standard communicator pin by 2344, the uniforms and insignia of the late 23rd century remained unchanged until the late 2340s. (TNG: "Yesterday's Enterprise", "Family")

Enlisted officer ranks
Able seaman Petty officer second class Petty officer first class Chief petty officer Senior chief petty officer Master chief petty officer
Crewman insignia Petty officer second class insignia Petty officer first class insignia Chief petty officer insignia Senior chief petty officer insignia Master chief petty officer insignia
Junior officer ranks
Ensign Lieutenant junior grade Lieutenant
Ensign insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant insignia
Senior officer ranks
Lieutenant commander Commander Captain
Lieutenant commander insignia Commander insignia Captain insignia
Flag officer ranks
Type Commodore Rear admiral Vice admiral Admiral Fleet admiral
Rank pin Commodore insignia Rear admiral insignia Vice admiral insignia Admiral insignia Fleet admiral insignia
Sleeve stripe Commodore sleeve stripe (past 2285) Rear admiral sleeve stripe (past 2285) Vice admiral sleeve stripe (past 2285) Admiral sleeve stripe (past 2285) Fleet admiral sleeve stripe (past 2285)

Robert Fletcher's enlisted rank pin chart

Concept art by Robert Fletcher

The ranking system for enlisted officers introduced in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan was designed by Robert Fletcher.

A captain rank badge was among the items which were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay. [1](X)

24th century[]

Starfleet ranks, 2360s

Ranks in the 2360s

Picard's rank pips

A captain's rank pips

By the year 2355, Starfleet had introduced a new uniform design, with a pip system of golden pin insignia worn on the collar. (TNG: "The Battle")

The 24th century pip system included a black pip insignia to denote chief petty officers. (TNG: "Realm Of Fear")

The pip system used in the mid-to-late 24th century remained relatively unchanged through 2385, having been kept across several uniform design changes. (PIC: "Maps and Legends")

Chief petty officer Ensign Lieutenant junior grade Lieutenant Lieutenant commander Commander Captain
Chief petty officer insignia Ensign insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant commander insignia Commander insignia Captain insignia

In the 2360s, admirals wore a triangular insignia on a special flag officer uniform. (TNG: "Too Short A Season", "Coming of Age", "Conspiracy")

Admirals Jameson and Quinn's insignia Admiral Savar's insignia Admiral Aaron's insignia
Admiral Jameson's insignia (2364) Admiral Savar's insignia (2364) Admiral Aaron's insignia (2364)

The officers who have been known to used this style of insignia (Savar, Aaron, Gregory Quinn, and Mark Jameson) were only referred to as "admiral" (Jameson) or "senior admiral" (Quinn, Savar, and Aaron) in dialogue and the episode scripts. [2] [3] [4]

These pins were later reused as Kes decorations in TNG: "Attached", Data's belt clasps in TNG: "All Good Things...", and ornaments on Fennim's costume in VOY: "Think Tank". [5](X)

Nakamura, 2365

Admiral insignia worn in the vertical fashion

By 2365, this insignia had been replaced by a "boxed pip" system worn vertically on the flag uniform collar. (TNG: "The Measure Of A Man") By 2366, the admiral insignia was commonly worn horizontally against the collar in the same way as the insignia worn by other grades. (TNG: "The Defector")

An alien appearing as Vice Admiral Janeway wore boxed pips in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Coda"; he died in 2358.

Rear admiral Vice admiral Admiral Fleet admiral
Rear admiral insignia Vice admiral insignia Admiral insignia Fleet admiral insignia
Starfleet chief petty officer insignia (2370s-early 2380s)

Chief petty officer

By the mid-2370s, Starfleet had changed the chief petty officer rank insignia, replacing the black pip with chevrons and dots. (DS9: "Hippocratic Oath")

25th century[]

By the year 2399, Starfleet's familiar pip design had been relocated from the collar to the right breast of the uniform and the pips had become silver. (PIC: "Remembrance") By the early 2400s, the silver rank pips were back on the collar of the uniform. (PIC: "The Star Gazer")

Junior officer ranks
Ensign Lieutenant junior grade Lieutenant
Ensign insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant insignia
Senior officer ranks
Lieutenant commander Commander Captain
Lieutenant commander insignia Commander insignia Captain insignia

The pips of flag officers were placed on a dark gray isosceles trapezoid with a silver border. (PIC: "Maps and Legends")

Flag officer ranks
Commodore Admiral Fleet admiral
Commodore insignia Admiral insignia Fleet admiral insignia

29th century[]

The uniforms worn by the Starfleet crew of the USS Relativity during the 29th century displayed a new design for rank insignia, with horizontal bronze chevrons on the right collar instead of pips. (VOY: "Future's End", "Relativity")

Ensign Lieutenant Captain
Starfleet ensign insignia Starfleet lieutenant insignia Starfleet captain insignia

32nd century[]

By the 32nd century, Starfleet had passed through a number of rank insignia systems. (DIS: "Forget Me Not", "Su'Kal")

By 3189, rank was indicated on an officer's tricom badge. The ranks of captains and admirals were also shown on the collar and shoulders. The shoulder and collar had a similar design; captains had a vertical shoulder rank band at the edge of the shoulder, while admirals had a horizontal band along the top of the shoulder. (DIS: "Die Trying") Other officers had a plain collar badge.

Crewman Ensign Lieutenant junior grade Lieutenant Lieutenant commander Commander Captain Commodore Fleet admiral
Crewman insignia Ensign insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant Commander insignia Commander insignia Captain insignia Commodore insignia Fleet Admiral insignia

Tricom-badges

Tricom badge concept art

Concept art laying out the 32nd century rank system was revealed in TRR: "Scavengers".

Alternate timelines[]

Mirror universe[]

Alternate reality[]

By 2258 in the alternate reality, Starfleet had adopted uniforms and an insignia pattern reminiscent of the mid 2250s in the prime reality. These new insignia consisted of silver bands worn on the lower sleeves of the uniform. Ensigns and certain skirt uniforms displayed no rank insignia. (Star Trek)

Ensign Lieutenant Lieutenant commander Commander Captain Admiral
No insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant commander insignia Commander insignia Captain insignia Unidentified admiral insignia

Alternate universe[]

In an alternate universe observed during a quantum fissure, Starfleet had adopted an additional form of insignia which was incorporated directly into the design of the Starfleet combadge. The insignia appeared as black, gold, and silver bars behind the Starfleet delta, designed to show the rank of the wearer and along with collar pips. (TNG: "Parallels")

The same insignia was also used by the alien Barash during a holographic simulation of the USS Enterprise-D, designed to trick Commander William T. Riker into thinking he was in the future. Barash's simulation did not include the collar pips. (TNG: "Future Imperfect")

Crewman Ensign Lieutenant Lieutenant commander Commander Captain Admiral
Crewman insignia Ensign insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant commander insignia Commander insignia Captain insignia Admiral insignia

The insignia from "Future Imperfect" was obviously reused to represent the same ranks in "Parallels", though the lieutenant insignia was only seen in "Parallels", and the crewman and admiral insignia were only seen in "Future Imperfect".

Comparative rank tables[]

Flag officers[]

Admirals in Starfleet were described as the flag officers, a term held over from naval tradition. These ranks constituted the highest authorities of Starfleet Command. (TOS: "The Deadly Years")

Fleet admiral
In 2293, 2399, and 3189, the commanders in chief of Starfleet held this rank. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, PIC: "Maps and Legends", DIS: "Die Trying")
Admiral
Next below fleet admiral, above vice admiral. (DS9: "Rapture")
Vice admiral
Next below admiral, above rear admiral. (ENT: "Broken Bow")
Rear admiral
Next below vice admiral, above commodore. (ENT: "Broken Bow")
Commodore
Superior to captain, inferior to rear admiral. (TOS: "The Deadly Years")
Flag officer rank insignia
Rank 2140s–early 2160s Late 2230s–2250s Late 2250s Mid 2260s–early 2270s Mid 2270s Late 2270s–2350s 2350s–2380s 2390s–2400s 3180s
Commodore Commodore insignia Commodore insignia Commodore insignia Commodore insignia Commodore insignia
Rear admiral Rear admiral insignia Rear admiral insignia Rear admiral insignia Rear admiral insignia
Vice admiral Vice admiral insignia Vice admiral insignia Vice admiral insignia Vice admiral insignia Vice admiral insignia
Admiral Admiral insignia Admiral insignia Admiral insignia Admiral insignia
Fleet admiral Fleet admiral insignia Fleet admiral insignia Fleet admiral insignia Fleet admiral insignia Fleet admiral insignia Fleet admiral insignia

Officer ranks[]

Captain
The most senior regular officer rank below flag officer, it was most often held by starship and starbase commanders. (TOS: "The Cage", et al) Captains could also serve as administrative adjutants beneath admirals. (DS9: "Behind the Lines") In rare circumstances, officers with the rank of captain held other positions aboard a starship, such as "Captain of Engineering" Montgomery Scott aboard the USS Excelsior, and later Scott and Spock aboard the USS Enterprise-A. (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) Phillipa Louvois held the rank of captain while working as a prosecutor under the office of the Judge Advocate General at Starbase 173. (TNG: "The Measure Of A Man")
Commander
The officer rank immediately above lieutenant commander, and below captain. Typical assignments at this rank included executive officer of larger vessels, space station commander (such as Benjamin Sisko of Deep Space 9). (TNG: "Encounter at Farpoint"; DS9: "Emissary") The rank of commander was also available to chief medical officers and ship counselors who passed the Bridge Officer's Test. (TNG: "Thine Own Self")
Lieutenant Commander
The officer rank immediately above lieutenant, and below commander. Officers with this rank could serve as the executive officer of smaller vessels. (TNG: "Redemption II", VOY: "Caretaker", Star Trek) In some cases, a lieutenant commander could also serve as the commanding officer of a smaller vessel, such as Worf or Jadzia Dax of the USS Defiant. (Star Trek: First Contact, DS9: "Behind the Lines")
Lieutenant
The officer rank immediately above lieutenant junior grade, and below lieutenant commander. Some advanced Starfleet training programs, such as Advanced Tactical Training, commissioned their graduates at this rank. (TNG: "Preemptive Strike")
Lieutenant junior grade
The officer rank immediately above ensign, and below lieutenant. It was also the rank bestowed on medical doctors and counselors (but not nurses) upon completion of their studies and training at Starfleet Medical Academy or elsewhere. (citation needededit) This rank acknowledged the additional time required to become commissioned as reflected in Beverly Crusher's service record and Julian Bashir's age as a recent Academy graduate. (DS9: "Emissary") Assistant counselor Ezri Dax skipped her final months of training and was explicitly given "commission as a full counselor with the rank of lieutenant (junior grade)." (DS9: "Afterimage")
Ensign
The most junior officer rank. It was the rank bestowed on newly-commissioned officers when they graduated from Starfleet Academy. (TNG: "Tapestry") Ensigns who had distinguished themselves in their academy class or on duty could be posted as a senior bridge officer, such as Harry Kim. (VOY: "Caretaker") A typical officer spent approximately three years at the rank of ensign. (TNG: "Datalore")
Officer rank insignia
Rank Division 2140s–early 2160s Early 2230s Late 2230s–2250s 2250s Early 2250s–mid 2260s Mid 2260s–early 2270s Mid 2270s Late 2270s–2350s 2350s–2380s 2390s–2400s 3180s
Ensign Command Ensign insignia No insignia No insignia Ensign insignia Ensign insignia Ensign insignia Ensign insignia Ensign insignia
Operations Ensign insignia
Sciences Ensign insignia
Doctor variant
Nurse variant
Lieutenant junior grade Command Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia
Operations Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia
Sciences Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia Lieutenant junior grade insignia
Doctor variant Lieutenant junior grade insignia
Nurse variant
Lieutenant Command Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant insignia
Operations Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant insignia
Sciences Lieutenant insignia Lieutenant insignia
Doctor variant Lieutenant insignia
Nurse variant
Lieutenant commander Command Lieutenant commander insignia Lieutenant commander insignia Lieutenant commander insignia Lieutenant commander insignia Lieutenant commander insignia Lieutenant commander insignia Lieutenant commander insignia
Operations Lieutenant commander insignia
Sciences Lieutenant commander insignia
Doctor variant Lieutenant commander insignia Lieutenant commander insignia
Nurse variant Lieutenant commander insignia
Commander Command Commander insignia Commander insignia Commander insignia Commander insignia Commander insignia Commander insignia Commander insignia
Operations Commander insignia
Sciences Commander insignia
Doctor variant
Nurse variant
Captain Command Captain pins Captain insignia Captain insignia Captain insignia Officer insignia Captain insignia Captain insignia Captain insignia Captain insignia Captain insignia Captain insignia
Operations
Sciences
Doctor variant
Nurse variant

Provisional officers[]

Starfleet provisional rank insignia, 2364

Insignia worn by warp specialist Kosinski

In 2364, Starfleet propulsion expert Kosinski ran several upgrade experiments on the Enterprise-D. Kosinski wore a unique rank insignia denoting his special position. (TNG: "Where No One Has Gone Before")

Kosinski appeared in a Starfleet uniform with no communicator and does not appear to have a Starfleet rank, as he is referred to throughout the episode as "Mr. Kosinski". His collar features a unique rank insignia: a small silver rectangle, and a darker rectangle of the same size. The Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, 2nd ed., p. 37, makes light of this peculiarity as well, noting, "Kosinski's unexplained square rank pip was never seen again."

In Star Trek Online, this insignia is used to denote specialists, additional black rectangles indicating higher ranks.

The crew of the USS Voyager, which included non-Starfleet Maquis members, was forced to make use of provisional rank appointments as a matter of course since the ship was stranded in the Delta Quadrant and the Maquis members were essential to shipboard operations. (VOY: "Caretaker", et al.)

In 2381, Vulcan Officer T'Lyn was given a provisional rank appointment as an ensign when she transferred from the VCF Sh'vhal to the USS Cerritos. (LD: "wej Duj")

Provisional rank insignia
Crewman Ensign Lieutenant junior grade Lieutenant Commander
Provisional crewman insignia Provisional ensign insignia Provisional lieutenant junior grade insignia Provisional lieutenant insignia Provisional commander insignia

Maquis Voyager pips Magdaleno

Emblems designed by Madgaleno

The insignia for Voyager's provisional crewmembers were designed by Jim Magdaleno. He intended for the insignia with a single black line within the lozenge to represent the position of chief warrant officer. (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine issue 1, p. 72)

The insignia for provisional commander followed the pattern of what would be a lieutenant commander, which Jim Magdaleno intended it to be. However, the only character ever seen wearing this insignia – Chakotay – held a rank of provisional commander throughout the series. In "Before and After", Chakotay is promoted to captain and wears the standard Starfleet insignia of four pips. This may indicate that there is no provisional rank insignia for captain – and/or that Starfleet policy simply did not allow a person with a provisional commission to command a starship.

Cadet ranks[]

Cadet ranks were held by those attending Starfleet Academy during their training to become commissioned officers. (TNG: "The First Duty")

Cadet 1st class
Cadets of this rank were fourth-year students at Starfleet Academy. After graduation, these cadets were granted the rank of ensign. (TNG: "Tapestry"; VOY: "Caretaker")
Cadet 2nd class
Cadets of this rank were third-year students at Starfleet Academy. (TNG: "The First Duty")
Cadet 3rd class
Cadets of this rank were second-year students at Starfleet Academy. (TNG: "The First Duty")
Cadet 4th class
Cadets of this rank were first-year students at Starfleet Academy. (TNG: "The First Duty")

The rank of midshipman has occasionally been interchanged with that of cadet, as in TOS: "Court Martial" and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

Cadet rank insignia
Rank Late 2250s 2360s
4th class
Cadet 4th class insignia
3rd class
Cadet 3rd class insignia
2nd class
Cadet 2nd class insignia
1st class Cadet 1st class insignia Cadet 1st class insignia
Cadet 1st class insignia

Enlisted ranks[]

Enlisted ranks were achieved by members of Starfleet who had not attended Starfleet Academy. (DS9: "Starship Down")

Non-commissioned officers[]

Master chief petty officer
(Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
Senior chief petty officer
Also known as "senior chief specialist". (DS9: "Shadowplay")
Chief petty officer
(TNG: "Family", DS9: "Hippocratic Oath", "Valiant")
Petty officer
Non-commissioned rank insignia
Rank 2230s 2250s 2260s–early 2270s Mid 2270s Late 2270s–2350s 2350s–2370s 2370s
Petty officer second class No insignia No insignia Petty officer second class insignia
Petty officer first class Petty officer first class insignia
Chief petty officer Chief petty officer insignia Chief petty officer epaulet Chief petty officer insignia Chief petty officer insignia Chief petty officer insignia
Senior chief petty officer Senior chief petty officer insignia
Master chief petty officer Master chief petty officer insignia

Crewmen[]

Crewman

Crewman, 2nd class, was the only class mentioned in dialogue in Star Trek: Enterprise, though insignia representing the three classes were seen on Cutler (1st class) and Michael Rostov (2nd class) in "Strange New World", and Daniels (3rd class) in "Cold Front".

The lowest possible rank of recruit, ranked below the crewman grades. (ENT: "Rogue Planet", "Cogenitor")

Enlisted rank insignia
Rank 2140s–early 2160s 2230s–early 2270s 2270s–2350s 2350s–2380s 3180s
Crewman third class Crewman third class insignia No insignia Able seaman insignia No insignia Crewman insignia
Crewman second class Crewman second class insignia
Crewman first class Crewman first class insignia

Titles and positions[]

Fleet captain[]

Starfleet fleet captain insignia (2250s)

Fleet captain insignia, 2259

Fleet captain was a title bestowed upon Starfleet captains when in command of more than one facility. It was a rare distinction, held by particularly respected captains. (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part I", "Whom Gods Destroy") The 2259 fleet captain rank insignia used the flag-officer-disk-version of the Starfleet insignia, with only the two small delta leaves below the main delta colored gold; the cuff stripes and other elements of the uniform were those of a captain. (SNW: "Lost in Translation")

In 2259, Captain Christopher Pike, commanding officer of the USS Enterprise, was temporarily promoted to fleet captain, bringing the USS Farragut and Bavali Station under his command. (SNW: "Lost in Translation") Pike was permanently promoted to this title by 2266. (TOS: "The Menagerie, Part I") In the 2260s, it was also held by Captain Garth, one of Starfleet's most decorated captains and hero of the Battle of Axanar. (TOS: "Whom Gods Destroy")

Fleet captain was assigned a rank pin in the Star Trek Encyclopedia, as part of a movie-era set of ranks established for Star Trek II through Star Trek VI. The pin was the same as the captain's rank pin, but with two additional "flags" attached to the long edges of the pin. In addition, FASA's Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual carried the idea of a fleet captain insignia into the TNG era, using five solid pips to designate the rank.

Deputy director[]

Starfleet deputy director rank insignia, 2374

Sloan's insignia

Luther Sloan

Sloan posing as a deputy director with Internal Affairs

While posing as a deputy director with Internal Affairs, Luther Sloan wore captain's pips with a gold bar connecting them beneath. (DS9: "Inquisition")

The exact relationship between the position of deputy director and the rank insignia Sloan wore while posing as a deputy director is unclear. While posing, Sloan did seem to have some command authority over Captain Sisko.

Ronald D. Moore believed that the bar reflected Sloan's alleged position in Internal Affairs. (AOL chat, 1998)

Colonel[]

West

Colonel West in 2293

In 2293, Starfleet Colonel West was involved in the Khitomer conspiracy. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)

In the US Armed Forces, the rank of colonel in the Marines, Army, and Air Force is equivalent to that of captain in the Navy and Coast Guard. Colonel West wore the uniform of a Starfleet vice admiral. His rank was in fact taken from the real-life Lt. Colonel Oliver North. (Cinefantastique, vol. 22, no. 5)

Corporal[]

In 2154, Starfleet Corporal Askwith perished at the Earth embassy on Vulcan. (ENT: "The Forge")

Miscellaneous[]

Starfleet uniform shoulder epaulet, 2254

The space officer's shoulder epaulets

In 2254, Captain Christopher Pike, while on Talos IV, imagined himself as an Orion trader. He imagined an officer in a dress uniform with him at the Orion colony wearing peculiar shoulder epaulets and of unknown rank. (TOS: "The Cage")

The space officer wore one stripe.

In 2376, The Doctor aboard Voyager briefly resigned his Starfleet commission. (VOY: "Virtuoso")

The Doctor wore no rank insignia, and this was the only indication that he was a commissioned Starfleet officer.

This chart shows only general equivalencies based on the ranks used by many governments on Earth, as well as the rest of the galaxy.

Appendices[]

See also[]

Background information[]

The rank system used during Star Trek: The Original Series was originally designed by William Ware Theiss, with the first versions inspired principally by the insignia of the United States Navy. According to Inside Star Trek: The Real Story [page number?edit], since Gene Roddenberry didn't want an overtly military Starfleet, Theiss toned down his stripe system by giving ensigns no stripe and lieutenants one full stripe, which is what an actual USN ensign wears.

For Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Jon Povill sent Fletcher a production memo, dated 3 August 1978, explaining the rank insignia to be used in the film, with no reference to lieutenant junior grade or other flag officers. (The Making of Star Trek: The Motion Picture, p. 126) Robert Fletcher, who designed the Starfleet uniform used in the film, developed a rank system which displayed on straps over both shoulders. These insignia included a circle for "mid shipman", a triangle for "lieut comm jr. grade", a chevron for "lieutenant comm", a single stripe for "commander", two stripes for "captain", two stripes a circle with spines for "admiral" and two spiney circles for "adm of the fleet". (Star Trek: Costumes, p. 45) An unidentified triangular insignia is worn on the epaulets of several crewmembers, but is not identified in any production or background sources. It's A Wrap! sale and auction listed it as representing the rank of petty officer. [6](X) While an additional epaulet insignia featuring a single thin strip was also used but not identified to a rank. [7]

Monster maroon flag officer rank collection

One version of the flag officer rank insignia sold as part of It's A Wrap! sale and auction

During the production of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Director Nicholas Meyer wanted the uniforms to feel as real as possible, and asked for new rank insignia. Fletcher explained: "There was kind of a complicated arrangement of divisions and ranks expressed by the braid on the sleeves. I made that up. I organized it and produced a little instruction booklet about it for the wardrobe department […]." (citation needededit) On the early version of the uniforms, the insignia was on a band around the upper arm, which was later moved to the cuff. (citation needededit)

Starfleet rank chart (late 2270s-2350s)

The Star Trek Encyclopedia omitted and created insignia, introducing some confusion

The Star Trek Encyclopedia, 3rd ed., p. 201, depicted an overview of the rank system used in the Star Trek films, though it omitted the petty officer second class, created the master chief petty officer second class and fleet captain (which had not been used in the films,) and depicted erroneous insignia for lieutenant commander and admiral. The Star Trek Fact Files Part 70 and the Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 10, p. 99, would also include the apocryphal fleet captain and master chief petty officer second class insignia, the erroneous lieutenant commander insignia (with a broken vertical gold stripe, instead of a solid horizontal gold stripe,) and an almost entirely different depiction of flag officer insignia. This system created an insignia with one gold dart to represent commodore, used the commodore insignia for rear admiral, created a three gold dart insignia for vice admiral, and used the rear admiral insignia for admiral. A three gold dart insignia was included in some It's A Wrap! sale and auction flag officer sets, but never seen on screen. [8](X)

The later pip designs of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Enterprise emulated US Navy insignias almost exactly, although an article on the 2151 uniforms and rank did not mention lieutenant junior grade or lieutenant commander. (Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 3, Issue 11, p. 42) Neither rank is used during Star Trek: Enterprise.

Apocrypha[]

The role-playing game supplement Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual discusses ranks.

Starfleet uniforms in the late 2230s, Countdown to Darkness

Starfleet officers in the late 2230s

Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness, Issue 2 depicts that a style of uniform was in use by 2239. This would make it seem that a few versions of the prime reality uniform were never adopted in the alternate reality, unless they was used very briefly after 2233.

A rank senior to fleet admiral was first referenced in "The Wormhole Connection". The rank of grand admiral is said to have existed in 2285 and has a special uniform with shoulder boards worn on the red maroon jacket uniform. The rank also appeared in the novel The Sorrows of Empire, held first by the counterpart Garth, then by the counterpart Matt Decker and then by Spock, before he becomes Emperor of the Terran Empire.

Six star rank pin

A "flag admiral" pin used as one of Data's medals

A "flag admiral" insignia design (a six pointed starburst) from the fan-published Klingon Covert Operations Manual was used as one of Data's medals in "The Most Toys".

External links[]

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