Navy Personnel Specialists (PS) are the Navy’s customer support representatives for their fellow sailors.
The PS provides their shipmates with both counseling and information regarding Navy-related occupations. They also provide information on general education and job training opportunities, rights and benefits, and promotion requirements.
The Personnel Specialist also helps to decode and determine travel entitlements. They help calculate military pay and associated deductions, as well as maintain and audit payroll and personnel records for Navy enlisted personnel.
The PS also prepares accounting/financial reports related to travel and pay transactions and updates the associated accounting systems.
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Personnel Specialist (PS) became an official Navy rating in 2005 when the Navy merged the Disbursing Clerk (DK) and Personnelman (PN) ratings. These original ratings go back to 1948.
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Training And Career Path
What’s Life Like For A Personnel Specialist?
Sea/Shore Rotation
Pay And Benefits
Job Reviews
Civilian Career Opportunities
Summary
Requirements and Qualifications
To serve as a Personnel Specialist (PS) in the United States Navy, you must meet certain requirements:
- Must be between the ages of 18 and 41.
- Must have a high school diploma or equivalent.
- Must not have been convicted for any crime — particularly larceny or fraud — by a civilian or martial court within the previous 36 months.
- Must have an Armed Forces Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) score of VE (Verbal) + MK (Mathematics Knowledge) = 103 or VE + MK + Coding Speed (CS) >=148
Personnel Specialist is one of the few Navy ratings that don’t require US citizenship.
Training and Career Path
Like all other Navy enlisted personnel, Personnel Specialists must successfully complete 10 weeks of Navy Recruit Training. This takes place at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes (RTC Great Lakes).
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The five-week-long Personnel Specialist (PS) A School is located in Meridian, Mississippi.
Through a combination of group and individualized instruction, as well as practical application, future PSs are familiarized with the forms and procedures of naval personnel administration.
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What’s Life Like for a Personnel Specialist (PS)?
The day-to-day duties of a Personnel Specialist include answering questions and updating personnel records that pertain to leave balances, pay stubs, payroll deductions, travel itineraries, and travel pay.
You’ll also be processing the paperwork for other types of separations.
A Personnel Specialist is your unit’s go-to person for information related to Navy occupations and promotion information. You’ll advise on their rights and benefits, and counsel them on the requirements for promotion or change of rating.
You’ll also be able to help them access their educational and training benefits.
One of the most rewarding tasks for a Personnel Specialist is the ability to assist sailors and their families during times of personal hardships or special problems.
Whether it’s filing for emergency leave or accessing special care for minor dependents, you’ll be able to help your fellow sailors recover and thrive through life’s ups and downs.
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Personnel Specialists normally work in office environments. Depending on the assignment, most of the work is administrative in nature.
PSs may work with others under close supervision or alone with limited supervision.
While ashore, Personnel Specialists are usually assigned to a Personnel Support Detachment (PSD). When at they are traditionally assigned to the Personnel, Supply, Training, or Administrative Departments.
Navy Personnel Specialists (PS) Sea/Shore Rotation
Personnel Specialists enjoy a great Sea/Shore Rotation.
A PS will spend about 75 percent of their time ashore and 25 percent of their time assigned to the fleet.
| Tour | Sea Tour | Shore Tour |
|---|---|---|
| First Tour | 48 Months | 36 Months |
| Second Tour | 42 Months | 36 Months |
| Third Tour | 42 Months | 36 Months |
| Fourth Tour | 36 Months | 36 Months |
| Fifth Tour | 36 Months | 36 Months |
| Sixth Tour | 36 Months | 36 Months |
| Seventh Tour | 36 Months | 36 Months |
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How Much Are Personnel Specialists (PS) Paid?
Like all the other Armed Services, the Navy bases a sailor’s pay on their rank and length of service.
| Insignia | Pay Grade | Rank | Abbreviation | 2023 Minimum Monthly Pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N/A | E-1 +4 months | Seaman Recruit | SR | $1,917.60 |
 | E-2 | Seaman Apprentice | SA | $2,149.20 |
 | E-3 | Seaman | SN | $2,259.90 |
 | E-4 | Petty Officer Third Class | PO3 | $2,503.50 |
 | E-5 | Petty Officer Second Class | PO2 | $2,730.30 |
 | E-6 | Petty Officer First Class | PO1 | $2,980.50 |
 | E-7 | Chief Petty Officer | CPO | $3,445.80 |
 | E-8 | Senior Chief Petty Officer | SCPO | $4,957.20 |
 | E-9 | Master Chief Petty Officer | MCPO | $6,055.50 |
 | E-9 | Command Master Chief Petty Officer | CMDCM | $6,055.50 |
 | E-9 | Master Chief Petty Officer Of The Navy | MCPON | $6,055.50 |
Like all military service members, PSs may also receive additional compensation. These include a Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS), sea pay, and other incentives.
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Job Reviews
I must admit that I was amazed at the overwhelmingly positive reviews by current and former Personnel Specialists.
I thought that it would be much less so, given the intense customer service aspect of the rating. Such is not the case:
The Department of the Navy’s Credentialing Opportunities Online (COOL) website estimates that there are about 2,300 men and women serving as Personnel Specialists in the Navy today.
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Civilian Career Opportunities
Civilian career opportunities abound for Personnel Specialists exiting or retiring from the Navy. These include:
- Customer Service Representative
- Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks
- Administrative Service Managers
- Compensation, Benefits, and Job Analysis Specialists
- Human Resource Specialists
- Branch/Department Financial Managers
- Clerical Library Assistants
Opportunities for prior Personnel Specialists also exist with the Department of Homeland Security as Import Specialists and US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Technicians.
Personnel Specialists should take advantage of the training and educational opportunities offered. Some of the better-paying civilian equivalent positions may require a college degree.
The United States Military Apprenticeship Program (USMAP) also allows PSs to complete several of their civilian apprenticeship requirements while on active duty.
Personnel Specialists can earn a broad range of national certifications, federal licenses, and state licenses.
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Summary
If you’re interested in a Navy career, give consideration to the Personnel Specialist rating.
The field may be an especially good fit for you if you’re people-oriented, good at record-keeping, detail-oriented, and can clearly communicate your ideas.
Life as a Personnel Specialist in the Navy allows you to serve your country and see the world. You’ll also learn valuable skills to aid you in your career after the Navy.
References
Official Navy Human Resources Careers Page
U.S. Navy Personnel Command Personnel Specialist (PS) Overview
Navy COOL Summary For Personnel Specialist (PS)
United States Navy COOL Personnel Specialist (PS) Rating Card
Navy Personnel Specialist (PS) Reviews – indeed.com
After the Navy, Travis worked in the Information Technology sector for twenty-five years.
Connect with Travis @MichaelTRose.
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