Memory Alpha
Register
Memory Alpha
m (formatting)
mNo edit summary
Line 226: Line 226:
 
In the '''[[2390s]]''', Starfleet changed their uniform once again, but despite having a familiar design the pip system design was radically changed; the rank insignia were now designed with curved silver pips and the pips of flag officers were placed on a dark gray isosceles trapezoid with a silver border.
 
In the '''[[2390s]]''', Starfleet changed their uniform once again, but despite having a familiar design the pip system design was radically changed; the rank insignia were now designed with curved silver pips and the pips of flag officers were placed on a dark gray isosceles trapezoid with a silver border.
   
  +
{| class="grey" style="font-size:80%; margin:auto"
<gallery>
 
  +
|- align="center"
PIC Ens.png|[[Ensign]]
 
PIC Lt.png|[[Lieutenant]]
+
| [[File:PIC Ens.png|25px|Ensign pip]]<br />Ensign
  +
| [[File:PIC Lt.png|50px|Lieutenant pips]]<br />Lieutenant
PIC Cmdr.png|[[Commander]]
 
  +
| rowspan="2"|[[File:PIC Cmdr.png|75px|Commander pips]]<br />Commander
PIC Com.png|[[Commodore]]
 
  +
| rowspan="2"|[[File:PIC Com.png|75px|Commodore pips]]<br />Commodore
PIC FAdm.png|[[Fleet admiral]]
 
  +
| rowspan="2"|[[File:PIC FAdm.png|135px|Fleet admiral pips]]<br />Fleet admiral
</gallery>
 
  +
|}
  +
   
 
== Alternate timelines ==
 
== Alternate timelines ==

Revision as of 16:49, 19 February 2020

Multiple realities
(covers information from several alternate timelines)
This article or section needs citationsThis page or section does not adequately cite one or more of its sources, and needs attention. If you can provide references from valid resource material, feel free to edit it to add a citation or correct the data.
Captain rank pin

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

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

Starfleet ranks were the identifying titles for the officers and enlisted members of Starfleet, under both United Earth and the United Federation of Planets. These ranks used the titles and positions adopted from earlier Earth naval forces.

Creation and early usage

Starfleet ranks were first created sometime in the mid 22nd century due to the expansion of the United Earth Starfleet. These early Starfleet ranks had at least three enlisted positions, four officer ranks, and three ranks for use by flag officers.

Starfleet uniforms of this period were mainly worn as single fitting jumpsuits with a colored shoulder trim denoting what field a particular officer or crewman specialized in (command, security/engineering, or science/medical).

The original Starfleet rank pattern was as follows:

Starfleet 3rd crewman insignia
Crewman 3rd class
Starfleet 2nd crewman insignia
Crewman 2nd class
Starfleet 1st crewman insignia
Crewman 1st class
Starfleet ensign insignia
Ensign pip
Starfleet lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant pips
Starfleet commander insignia
Commander pips
Starfleet captain insignia
Captain pips
Starfleet commodore insignia
Commodore pip
Starfleet rear admiral insignia
Rear admiral pips
Starfleet vice admiral insignia
Vice admiral pips
Dialogue from Star Trek: Enterprise indicated that the "four star" rank of admiral also existed in the United Earth Starfleet, but no one holding this rank was ever seen on camera.

23rd century

Early 23rd century

In the 2230s, the Starfleet uniform used a sleeve stripe system instead of pips to denote rank. The rank of lieutenant commander had also been added. (Star Trek)

No insignia
(Enlisted ranks)
Lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Commander insignia
Lieutenant commander
Captain insignia
Captain

Mid 23rd century

By the late 2230s, Starfleet had changed its uniform and had a new rank and insignia system. Enlisted personnel wore no rank insignia. Commissioned officers were denoted by the number of pips on their delta/arrowhead design and the Admiralty wore a delta/arrowhead surrounded by a wreath of arrowheads on a dark disc. (DIS: "The Vulcan Hello")

Cadet 1st class
Cadet 1st class
Crewmen
Crewman
Ensign
Ensign
Lt. Junior Grade
Lieutenant junior grade
Lieutenant
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander
Commander
Commander
Captain
Captain
Rear Admiral
Rear admiral
Vice Admiral
Vice admiral
Admiral
Admiral

Lower rank grades among the Admiralty were indicated by blackened arrowheads on each side of the large arrowhead. (DIS: "The Butcher's Knife Cares Not for the Lamb's Cry", "The War Without, The War Within")

As rank was shown on the breast badge that also indicated the division one worked for, the above ranks were shown similarly on the below division insignia. (DIS: "Will You Take My Hand?")

Command
Command
Operations
Operations
Science
Science
Medical
Medical
Section 31
Section 31

Another variation of this uniform style that was new in the 2250s changed the rank system back to a sleeve stripe system similar to the one used in the 2230s. (DIS: "Brother")

No insignia
(Enlisted ranks)
Lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Commander insignia
Lieutenant commander
Commander insignia
Commander
Captain insignia
Captain

In the 2250s the uniform was in flux, and Starfleet changed its uniforms more than once in the decade. One of these transitional styles had a much simpler rank and insignia system. 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 in the early 2260s, when those holding the rank of captain were authorized to wear two gold stripes whereas other officers wore one.

By 2265, the rank system was as follows:

No insignia
(Enlisted ranks)
Chief petty officer insignia
Chief petty officer
Commissioned officer insignia
Commissioned officer
Captain insignia
Captain
No ranks above captain were seen in the Star Trek pilot episodes, leaving the question as to admiral insignia completely unknown.

The 2260s and 2270s

By 2266, Starfleet had once again changed its uniforms and, while still using the sleeve stripe system to denote rank, the rank stripes had been modified to show more detail for each particular rank. An exception was that enlisted personnel, chief petty officers included, now had no insignia whatsoever with most enlisted personnel also wearing Starfleet jumpsuits instead of the standard tunic uniforms worn by the officers.

Starfleet flag officers wore a thicker braid insignia than regular officers and the rank of cadet and midshipman were both apparently in use at Starfleet Academy.

The 2266 rank and insignia pattern was as follows:

No insignia
Enlisted
Ensign
Lieutenant junior grade insignia
Lieutenant junior grade
Lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant
Lieutenant commander insignia.
Lieutenant commander
Commander insignia
Commander
Captain insignia
Captain
Commodore insignia
Commodore
Vice admiral insignia
Vice admiral
The only admiral seen wearing insignia in the Original Series was Admiral Fitzpatrick who, although addressed as "admiral", wore an insignia which has been equated in numerous technical manuals and fan publications as vice admiral. The rank of fleet admiral was also mentioned to have existed in "Space Seed" but an actual fleet admiral was not seen on camera until Star Trek III: The Search for Spock.

In the mid 2270s, Starfleet changed its uniforms again, although mainly in appearance only. The rank insignia of officers remained relatively the same, with the exception that the rank of lieutenant junior grade was apparently done away with. Enlisted personnel also 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.

The 2271 rank insignia pattern was as follows:

Petty officer epaulet
Petty officer
Chief petty officer epaulet
Chief petty officer
Ensign and lieutenant junior grade sleeve stripe
Ensign
Lieutenant sleeve stripe
Lieutenant
Lieutenant commander sleeve stripes
Lieutenant commander
Commander sleeve stripes
Commander
Captain sleeve stripes
Captain
Rear admiral sleeve stripes.
Rear admiral

Corresponding officer shoulder boards appeared as follows:

Late 23rd to mid 24th 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.

With the exception of some minor cosmetic changes to officer uniforms, including the introduction of a standard communicator pin around 2344, the uniforms and insignia of the late 23rd century remained unchanged until approximately the year 2355.

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

The insignia pattern was as follows:

Crewman insignia
Crewman
petty officer, 2nd class insignia
Petty officer, 2nd class
petty officer, 1st class insignia
Petty officer, 1st class
Chief petty officer insignia
Chief petty officer
Senior chief petty officer insignia
Senior chief petty officer
Master chief petty officer insignia
Master chief petty officer
Ensign insignia
Ensign
Lieutenant junior grade insignia
Lieutenant junior grade
Lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant
Lieutenant commander insignia
Lieutenant Commander
Commander insignia
Commander
Captain insignia
Captain
Commodore insignia
Commodore sleeve stripe (past 2285)
Commodore
Rear admiral insignia
Rear admiral sleeve stripe (past 2285)
Rear admiral
Vice admiral insignia
Vice admiral sleeve stripe (past 2285)
Vice admiral
Admiral insignia
Admiral sleeve stripe (past 2285)
Admiral
Fleet admiral insignia
Fleet admiral sleeve stripe (past 2285)
Fleet admiral
 

24th century

Starfleet ranks, 2360s

Ranks in the 2360s

File:Picards rank pips.jpg

A captain's rank pips

By the year 2355, Starfleet had introduced a new uniform design with the manner of insignia returning to the pip system used a hundred years earlier. The 24th century pip system introduced a generic "hollow pip" insignia to denote chief petty officers.

The pip system used in the mid 24th century remained relatively unchanged and by 2385 was still the standard insignia system used by Starfleet, although the uniforms themselves had undergone several changes.

The original officer and enlisted pip system, introduced in the 2350s was as follows:

Chief petty officer pip
Chief petty officer
Ensign pip
Ensign
Lieutenant junior grade pips
Lieutenant junior grade
Lieutenant pips
Lieutenant
Lieutenant commander pips
Lieutenant commander
Commander pips
Commander
Captain pips
Captain
Close examination of the Next Generation Season 1 and 2 DVDs indicates that in some episodes, officers wore silver pips instead of gold. Most reference manuals, however, state that the gold pips were used all along to denote rank on Starfleet uniforms of this era.
Nakamura, 2365

Admiral insignia worn in the vertical fashion

The insignia for flag officers had a slightly different history than those of the regular officer and enlisted corps. In the 2360s, admirals wore a type of triangular insignia on a special flag officer uniform. By 2366, this insignia had been replaced by a "boxed pip" system worn vertically on the flag uniform collar. The very next year the admiral insignia changed again, this time worn flat against the collar in the same way as the insignia worn by other grades.

The original flag officer insignia pattern was as follows:

Rear admiral (lower half)
Rear admiral (lower half)
Rear admiral upper half pips (to 2365)
Rear admiral
Vice admiral pips (to 2365)
Vice admiral

By 2367, the admiral insignia appeared as follows:

Rear admiral upper half pips
Rear admiral
Vice admiral pips
Vice admiral
Admiral pips
Admiral
File:Ds9 scpo.png

Senior chief petty officer

By the mid 2370s, Starfleet had made a further change to its insignia, this change pertaining to enlisted personnel. Replacing the "hollow pip" generic insignia was a new chevron system, worn as pins on the collar of the enlisted personnel's uniform. The chevron system displayed rank for the petty officer and chief petty office grades. (In the ’ST: Deep Space Nine’ Season 4 episode "Hippocratic Oath" (Episode 4) when a rogue group of Jem'Hadar, who are attempting to overcome their genetic addiction to Ketracel White, capture Chief O'Brien and Dr. Bashir after their runabout crashes, the Jem'Hadar leader, Goran'Agar, looks their uniforms over and identifies O’Brien’s gold color as "Engineering", and his rank as "Chief Petty Officer", even though O’Brien is wearing the chevron insignia with the two dots on it.)

Chief O'Brien's senior chief petty officer pin was the only badge ever seen on camera, although the Deep Space Nine costume designers had designed a system covering all ranks between petty officer 3rd class up to master chief petty officer. Another pin can very briefly be seen worn by Burke in "Nor the Battle to the Strong", though as it is partially covered it is not possible to see if it is a different rank than that of Chief O'Brien.

Late 24th century

In the 2390s, Starfleet changed their uniform once again, but despite having a familiar design the pip system design was radically changed; the rank insignia were now designed with curved silver pips and the pips of flag officers were placed on a dark gray isosceles trapezoid with a silver border.

Ensign pip
Ensign
Lieutenant pips
Lieutenant
Commander pips
Commander
Commodore pips
Commodore
Fleet admiral pips
Fleet admiral


Alternate timelines

Mirror universe

Alternate reality

By 2258 in the alternate reality, Starfleet had adopted uniforms and an insignia pattern more reminiscent of the mid 2250s in the prime reality.

Starfleet uniforms in the late 2230s, Countdown to Darkness

Starfleet officers in the late 2230s

Star Trek: Countdown to Darkness, Issue 2 depicts that this 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.

These new insignia consisted of silver bands worn on the lower sleeves of the Starfleet uniforms. Ensigns and enlisted personnel wore no rank insignia.

Ensign insignia
Ensign
Lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Commander insignia
Lieutenant commander
Commander insignia
Commander
Captain insignia
Captain
unidentified Admiral insignia
Admiral

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 metal bars behind the Starfleet crest, designed to show the rank of the wearer and accompanied the prime universe's collar pips. This same insignia also appeared in the "prime" universe, when it was 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: "Parallels", "Future Imperfect")

Crewmen
Crewman
Ensign
Ensign
Lieutenant
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander
Commander
Commander
Captain
Captain
Admiral
Admiral
A rank of lieutenant junior grade would also logically seem to exist, but no one was seen wearing this rank on screen.

29th century

The uniforms worn by the Starfleet crew of the USS Relativity during the 29th century displayed rank insignia on the right collar. (VOY: "Future's End", "Relativity")

Starfleet ensign insignia
Ensign
Earth Starfleet lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant
Starfleet captain insignia
Captain
Only three rank insignia types were observed in the episode "Relativity". More were likely to have existed, but they remain conjectural.

Comparative rank tables

Flag officers

Admirals in Starfleet were described as the "flag officers." These ranks constituted the highest authorities of Starfleet Command.

Starfleet flag ranks and insignia
2140s-2160s 2230s 2240s-2250s 2250s 2260s 2270s 2280s-2350s 2350s-2380s 2390s-
--- --- --- --- --- --- 2280s fleet admiral insignia
Fleet admiral pin
2280s Starfleet fleet admiral sleeve stripe insignia
Sleeve stripe
--- 2390s fleet admiral insignia
Fleet admiral rank bar
--- --- Admiral
Admiral
--- --- --- 2280s admiral insignia
Admiral pin
2280s Starfleet admiral sleeve stripe insignia
Sleeve stripe
2360s admiral insignia
Admiral
---
2140s-Early 2160s vice admiral insignia
Vice admiral pips
--- Vice Admiral
Vice admiral
--- 2260s vice admiral insignia
Vice admiral
--- 2280s vice admiral insignia
Vice admiral pin
2280s Starfleet vice admiral sleeve stripe insignia
Sleeve stripe
2350s vice admiral insignia
Vice admiral (2260s)
2360s vice admiral insignia
Vice admiral (2270s)
---
2140s-Early 2160s rear admiral insignia
Rear admiral pips
--- Rear Admiral
Rear admiral
--- --- 2270s rear admiral epaulet insignia
Rear admiral epaulet
2270s Starfleet rear admiral sleeve stripe insignia
Sleeve stripe
2280s rear admiral insignia
Rear admiral pin
2280s Starfleet rear admiral sleeve stripe insignia
Sleeve stripe
2350s rear admiral insignia
Rear admiral (2260s)
2360s rear admiral insignia
Rear admiral (2270s)
---
2140s-Early 2160s commodore insignia
Commodore pips
2140s-Early 2160s commodore sleeve stripe insignia
Sleeve stripe
--- --- --- 2260s commodore insignia
Commodore
--- 2280s commodore insignia
Commodore pin
2280s Starfleet commodore sleeve stripe insignia
Sleeve stripe
2350s rear admiral lower half/commodore insignia
rear admiral (lower half)
2390s commodore insignia
Commodore rank bar
Fleet admiral
The most senior flag rank in Starfleet. In 2293, the commander in chief of Starfleet held this rank. (Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country)
Admiral
The second most senior flag rank known to exist in Starfleet.
Vice admiral
Starfleet flag rank immediately inferior to full admiral, but superior to a rear admiral.
Rear admiral
The lowest grade of admiral in Starfleet. It was inferior to a vice admiral, and superior to a commodore or captain.
Commodore
Superior to captain, inferior to rear admiral.

Line officer ranks

Starfleet officer ranks and insignia
2140s-2160s 2230s 2240s-2250s 2250s 2260s 2270s 2280s-2350s 2350s-2380s 2390s-
2140s-Early 2160s captain pins
Captain
2230s captain insignia
Captain
Captain
Captain (2240s)
2230s captain insignia
Captain (2250s)
2260s two-stripe captain insignia
Captain (early 2260s)
2260s captain stripes
Captain
2270s captain stripes
Captain sleeve stripes
2270s captain epaulet
2280s captain insignia
Captain
2350s captain insignia
Captain
---
2140s-Early 2160s commander insignia
Commander
unknown Commander
Commander (2240s)
2250s commander insignia
Commander (2250s)
2250s officer stripe
All commissioned grades
2260s commander stripes
Commander
2270s commander stripes
Commander sleeve stripes
2270s commander epaulet
2280s commander insignia
Commander
File:Tng cmdr.png
Commander
File:PIC Cmdr.png
Commander
2230s LTCMDR insignia
Lieutenant commander
Lieutenant Commander
Lieutenant commander (2240s)
2250s LTCMDR insignia
Lieutenant commander (2250s)
2260s LTCMDR stripes
Lieutenant commander
2270s LTCMDR stripes
Lieutenant commander sleeve stripes
2270s lieutenant commander epaulet
2280s LTCMDR insignia
Lieutenant commander
2390s LTCMDR insignia
Lieutenant commander
---
2140s-Early 2160s lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant
2230s Lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant
Lieutenant
Lieutenant (2240s)
2250s Lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant (2250s)
2260s lieutenant stripe
Lieutenant
2270s lieutenant stripe
Lieutenant sleeve stripes
2270s lieutenant epaulet
2280s lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant
2350s lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant
2390s lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant
unknown Lt. Junior Grade
Lieutenant junior grade
2260s LTJG stripe
Lieutenant junior grade
2280s LTJG insignia
Lieutenant junior grade
2350s LTJG insignia
Lieutenant junior grade
---
2140s-Early 2160s ensign insignia
Ensign
unknown Ensign
Ensign
(Ensign had
no sleeve insignia
in the 2260s
)
2270s ensign stripe
Ensign sleeve stripe
2270s ensign epaulet
2280s ensign insignia
Ensign
2350s ensign insignia
Ensign
2390s ensign insignia
Ensign
Captain
The most senior regular line rank in Starfleet. It was most often held by starship and starbase commanders, as well as adjutants and executives serving beneath admirals. This rank was usually considered a big transition, because it was often the first rank in which officers ran a base of operation (for example, a starship) more or less by themselves. The equivalent ground forces rank to Starfleet captain was colonel. It should also be noted that there are rare cases of officers holding the captain's rank serving as other than the commanding officer of starship. Examples of this include Spock and Montgomery Scott, who both held the rank of captain while serving under James T. Kirk, who also held the equal rank of captain. Departments in rare cases could get a captain as the superior head of that particular department, such as Montgomery Scott being a "Captain of Engineering". (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock) Other examples of this include William T. Riker and Worf, both of whom attained the rank of captain (in Worf's case, through the Klingon Defense Force) while under the command of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Another example of a captain holding a position other than commanding a starship was that of Phillipa Louvois, who held the rank while working as a prosecutor under the office of the Judge Advocate General.
In the modern US Navy, captain is a four-stripe officer rank. This insignia style was used in ENT and all TNG-era productions. During TOS and the movies, captains had differing insignia. The TOS captains wore one full braid, a broken braid, and another full braid. However, in the pilot "The Cage", Captain Pike wore only a single rank strip, so it was not clear how other officers were differentiated from captains. By "Where No Man Has Gone Before", Kirk was the only officer with two stripes, but that system didn't differentiate any other officer grades below captain except for no-stripe ensigns.
Commander
The Starfleet line rank immediately inferior to captain. Typical assignments at this rank included executive officer of larger vessels such as the Galaxy- and Sovereign-class, space station commander (such as Benjamin Sisko of Deep Space 9 prior to his promotion to captain in 2371), and commanding officer of smaller vessels (William Riker was offered command of the Drake, presumably as part of promotion to full commander, but declined in favor of serving as first officer on the Enterprise). The rank of commander was also available to chief medical officers and ship counselors who passed the Bridge Officer's Test. An officer who held the rank of commander was expected to be able to assume command of a starship should the situation call for it. Officers at this rank typically had ten to fifteen years of experience in Starfleet.
Lieutenant Commander
The Starfleet line rank immediately inferior to commander. Officers with this rank typically held positions as senior department heads on larger vessels such as the Galaxy- and Sovereign-class ships, or serve as the executive officer of smaller or older vessels. On most starships, the second officer held this rank (such as Data of the USS Enterprise or Tuvok of the USS Voyager). In some rare cases, a lieutenant commander could also serve as the commanding officer of a smaller vessel, such as Jadzia Dax of the USS Defiant for a brief period in 2374.
Lieutenant
The Starfleet line rank immediately inferior to lieutenant commander. Officers at this rank typically had some command experience, and were occasionally appointed department heads on starships. Typically they were shift commanders in a department under a lieutenant commander; for example, a lieutenant commander would be chief of engineering and commander of A shift, and there would be a B and a C shift, each under a lieutenant. Additionally, some advanced Starfleet training programs, such as Advanced Tactical Training, commissioned their graduates at this rank. (TNG: "Preemptive Strike")
The United States armed forces have various programs for service members to begin their careers as officers in higher pay grades than second lieutenant or ensign, with commissioning in the rank of lieutenant common for such United States Navy occupations as Judge Advocate General Corps (JAG), Chaplains, Medical and Medical Service Corps, and the Navy Dental Corps. Whether Starfleet utilized a similar policy for commissioning officers in the medical and science fields is unknown, although highly likely given Counselor Deanna Troi's rapid rise to lieutenant commander after her advanced studies on Betazed. This may also explain how Saavik of Vulcan was both a cadet and a lieutenant in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Lieutenant junior grade
The Starfleet line rank immediately inferior to lieutenant. Officers at this rank typically held support positions on starships and starbases. At this rank, they had begun to prove their ability to perform acceptably in Starfleet, and typically began to take on more senior roles in command situations. Typical posts at this rank were conn officer, communications officer, or second officer of a shift (see 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. 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 Starfleet line rank. It was the rank bestowed on newly-commissioned officers when they graduated from Starfleet Academy. Ensigns typically began their careers as the most junior officers in the department of their chosen specialty. Ensigns who had distinguished themselves in their academy class or on duty could be given posts as main-shift bridge officers (for example Ensign Harry Kim). A typical officer spent approximately three years at the rank of ensign. (TNG: "Datalore")

Provisional officers

During some periods of its existence, Starfleet maintained a procedure of granting temporary rank to civilians when the civilian in question was required to have authority over Starfleet personnel.

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")

It is unknown what rank Kosinski held. It is possible that he was a provisional lieutenant junior grade. Other sources have stated he was a warrant officer.
In Star Trek Online, this insignia is used to denote specialists, additional black rectangles indicating higher ranks.
Kosinski's rank
Rank insignia worn by warp specialist Kosinski

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. The provisional insignia system as of 2372 was as follows:

Provisional enlisted insignia
Provisional
Enlisted
Provisional ensign insignia
provisional
Ensign
Provisional LTJG insignia
provisional
Lieutenant junior grade
Provisional lieutenant insignia
provisional
Lieutenant
Provisional CMDR insignia
provisional
Commander
The insignia for Voyager's provisional crewmembers were designed by Jim Magdaleno. He intended for the insignia that has 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. An insignia resembling that of a traditional commander rank insignia, logically consisting of three solid gold lines within the lozenge, was never seen on camera, although it was designed by Magdaleno. (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine issue 1, p. 72)
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. However, Chakotay was a commissioned Starfleet officer with a rank of lieutenant commander prior to his defecting to the Maquis, so gaining a Starfleet captain's rank wouldn't be an issue. Behind the scenes, a provisional captain's rank insignia, featuring four solid gold lines, was designed by Jim Magdaleno, despite it never appearing on camera. (The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine issue 1, p. 72)

Cadet ranks

Starfleet cadet ranks and insignia
4th class 3rd class 2nd class 1st class
2250s --- --- --- Cadet 1st class
2360s

Cadet ranks were held by those attending Starfleet Academy during their training to become commissioned officers.

Cadet 1st class
Cadets of this rank were fourth-year students at Starfleet Academy. After graduation, these cadets were granted the rank of ensign.
Cadet 2nd class
Cadets of this rank were third-year students at Starfleet Academy.
Cadet 3rd class
Cadets of this rank were second-year students at Starfleet Academy. Cadets at this rank took part in field training at a space station or outpost.
Cadet 4th class
Cadets of this rank were first-year students at Starfleet Academy.
The rank of midshipman has occasionally been interchanged with that of cadet, although this rank's exact status remains unclear.

Enlisted ranks

Enlisted ranks were achieved by members of Starfleet who had not attended Starfleet Academy.

Non-commissioned officers

Starfleet noncom ranks and insignia
2250s 2260s 2270s 2280s-2350s 2350s-2370s Provisional 2370s-later
2250s CPO stripe
Chief petty officer
No known insignia
Chief petty officer
2270s CPO insignia
Chief petty officer
2280s MCPO insignia
Master chief petty officer
2350s CPO insignia
Chief
Provisional Noncom insignia
Noncom
---
2280s SCPO insignia
Senior chief petty officer
2370s SCPO insignia
Senior chief petty officer
2280s CPO insignia
Chief petty officer
---
No known insignia
Petty officer
No known insignia
Petty officer
2270s PO insignia
Petty officer
2280s PO1 insignia
Petty officer first class
No known insignia
Petty officer
---
2280s PO2 insignia
Petty officer second class
---
---
Master chief petty officer
Senior chief petty officer
Also known as "senior chief specialist".
Chief petty officer
Petty officer
  • Petty officer, first class; also known as "technician first class", etc.
  • Petty officer, second class; also known as "specialist second class", etc.
  • Petty officer, third class; also known as "yeoman third class", etc.

Crewmen

Starfleet enlsted ranks and insignia
2140s-Early 2160s 2240s-2250s 2270s-2350s Late 24th century Provisional
2140s-Early 2160s crewman first class insignia
Crewman first class
Crewmen
Crewman
2280s Starfleet crewman insignia
Crewman
No known insignia
Crewman
Provisional enlisted insignia
Enlisted
2140s-Early 2160s crewman second class insignia
Crewman second class
2140s-Early 2160s crewman third class insignia
(or no insignia)
Crewman third class*
Crewman first class
Crewman second class
Crewman third class

The lowest possible rank of recruit, rated below the crewman grades, had no insignia.

Titles and positions

Fleet captain

Fleet captain was a title bestowed on senior Starfleet captains. It was a rare distinction, held by particularly distinguished captains. The title of fleet captain was held by former Enterprise Captain Christopher Pike in the year 2266. It was also held in the 2260s, by Captain Garth, one of Starfleet's most decorated captains and hero of the Battle of Axanar.

Although this title was not used in canon at any point after TOS, 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

File:Tng fcapt.png

Deputy Director insignia

File:DS9 Dep Dir.png

Deputy Director insignia

Deputy Director was a positional title whose exact relationship to the regular Starfleet rank tier is somewhat unclear; although the position did warrant some command authority over a captain. The insignia for Deputy Director was the four pips of a captain centered above a gold bar. Note: some rank lists show this as fleet captain, which might be the actual rank a deputy director held, as both seem to have been staff officers.

In Deep Space Nine, "Deputy Director Sloan" wore this insignia, and was introduced as Deputy Director of Internal Affairs.

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 a captain in the Navy and Coast Guard: both ranks having the position on the rank charts as "O-6" (O for officer, 6 for the 6th rank up, with ensign/2nd lieutenant being O-1), so it is unclear why Colonel West wore the uniform of a Starfleet vice admiral (vice admirals being O-9). His rank was in fact taken from the real-life Lt. Colonel Oliver North. (Cinefantastique, Vol. 22, no. 5) It was not revealed if there was a special branch of services in Starfleet that colonels served in.

Corporal

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

It is likely that the costuming department was supposed to place the actor in a MACO uniform.

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, indicating he may have been a simple line officer between the ranks of lieutenant and captain. It is possible that the officer represented an admiral.

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. It is likely that The Doctor's unique situation allowed him (and perhaps other Emergency Medical Holograms) to have a Starfleet commission without a rank.
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

Development

Monster maroon flag officer rank collection

Flag rank insignia used for the TOS films

The Starfleet rank system was designed by William Ware Theiss, with the first versions cribbed principally from the insignia of the United States Navy. According to Inside Star Trek: The Real Story, 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.

The later pip designs of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Enterprise emulate US Navy insignias almost exactly, although Star Trek: The Magazine's March 2003 issue notes there aren't any lieutenant commander and lieutenant jg ranks in United Earth's Starfleet. Since such ranks also don't appear on Star Trek: Enterprise, there is some question about their existence during that timeframe.

Among the items sold off on eBay's It's A Wrap! sale and auction was an able seaman's rank pin. [2] [3]

Implied ranks

Several insignia patterns were designed and created by the producers of Star Trek films and television series, although the full rank spectrum never appeared on camera. The first such pattern was the full array of Theiss-designed flag officer insignia which appeared in Star Trek: The Original Series. Dialogue from the first-season episode "Space Seed" revealed Starfleet admiral ranks as high as fleet admiral, but the highest on-screen rank was a simple admiral (bearing vice-admiral insignia according to costume notes). In modern USN ranking, fleet admiral is a special rank earned during wartime only, bearing gold sleeve cuffs in one two-inch-wide stripe with four ½-inch-wide stripes, and five five-pointed silver stars in a tight circle upon gold shoulderboards. Five silver stars also appear on the uniform shirt collar in the same pattern as the shoulderboards.

Including the official insignia designed by Theiss, the full range of admiral insignia from the Original Series is as follows:

File:Tos cdore.png
Commodore
File:Tos radm.png
Rear admiral
File:Tos vadm.png
Vice admiral
File:Tos adm.png
Admiral
File:Tos fadm.png
Fleet admiral

Script notes and costume design templates from Star Trek: The Motion Picture also provide insignia patterns for the first three Starfleet flag ranks. The senior ranks of admiral and fleet admiral, although definite to exist, were not discussed in the film leaving the question open as to how the insignia for these two ranks may appear. The rank of commodore has been used on and off in modern nautical military services (US Navy, US Coast Guard), with the rank being called "rear admiral lower half" (see below) when not used as "commodore". Currently, the proper name for this rank is "rear admiral lower half" and has the insignia of one two-inch-wide gold stripe on the sleeve cuffs, and one silver star on gold shoulder boards, and one star worn on the shirt collar. (There is no change to the naming of the two-star rank of "rear admiral" regardless of whether "commodore" or "rear admiral lower half" is used for the "one-star" rank.)

Thus, the flag officer insignia pattern for Star Trek: The Motion Picture is as follows:

File:Tmp cdore.png
Commodore
File:Tmp radm.png
Rear admiral
File:Tmp vadm.png
Vice admiral
???
Admiral
???
Fleet admiral

The first season of Star Trek: The Next Generation showed admiral ranks ranging to vice admiral; however admiral and fleet admiral were never seen on camera. Surviving script and costume notes indicate the following pattern for the first season admirals of The Next Generation.

File:TngS1 radmlh.png
Rear admiral
(lower half)
File:TngS1 radm.png
Rear admiral
 
File:TngS1 vadm.png
Vice admiral
 
File:TngS1 adm.png
Admiral
 
File:TngS1 fadm.png
Fleet admiral
 

During the entire run of The Next Generation, two flag ranks which were never seen on camera were that of the one star admiral rank, which would have been properly referred to as "rear admiral lower half", using the "boxed pip" insignia, as well as a Starfleet fleet admiral. Costume notes, in particular those of Michael Okuda, provide the insignia for these two ranks. A similar matter also arose during Star Trek: Enterprise when the ranks of full admiral and fleet admiral were never seen, although they were discussed, leaving costume notes from the series as the only known source for how these insignia would appear. Also never seen on screen is the rank of lieutenant junior grade in the Starfleet insignia rank system used in the TNG episodes "Future Imperfect" and "Parallels". This rank is implied since that system paralleled the "pip" system used in the rest of the series.

In all, the following five insignia never appeared on camera and thus are not considered as canon material; however, in modern nautical military services they are real ranks:

File:Ent adm.png
Admiral (ENT)
File:Ent fadm.png
Fleet admiral (ENT)
File:Tng radmlh.png
One star admiral (TNG)
File:Tng fadm.png
Fleet admiral (TNG)
File:A.I. Starfleet LT JG.png
Lieutenant junior grade (TNG)

Another array of insignia which the viewing audience never was able to see were the full spectrum of enlisted insignia patches designed for Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. In all, the costume designers for the show developed rank patches for every enlisted rank from petty officer, 3rd class to master chief petty officer. (citation needededit) The budget of the show, however, prevented mass production of these insignia and, other than Miles O'Brien and Dorian Collins, no enlisted personnel appeared wearing the following collar patch enlisted ranks:

File:Tng po3.png
Petty officer 3rd class
File:Tng po2.png
Petty officer, 2nd class
File:Tng po1.png
Petty officer, 1st class
File:Tng cpo.png
Chief petty officer
File:Ds9 scpo.png
Senior chief petty officer
File:Tng mcpo.png
Master chief petty officer

The rank systems used in 2009's Star Trek were based on the rank system used in TOS. The insignia used for the 2230s Starfleet uniform aboard the USS Kelvin in the beginning of the film would seem to contain two ranks that were not seen on screen, lieutenant junior grade and commander. The full system would then appear as:

No insignia
(Enlisted ranks)
Lieutenant junior grade insignia
Lieutenant junior grade
Lieutenant insignia
Lieutenant
Lieutenant Commander insignia
Lieutenant commander
Commander insignia
Commander
Captain insignia
Captain

Warrant officers

According to the personal notes of the movie-era Starfleet ranks designer, Robert Fletcher, "there is no warrant rank." (p. 11)

A 2 June 1987 '"Star Trek" Cast Ranks' memo from Rick Berman to Bill Theiss confirms the intention of having warrant ranks, whereas it was stated that the "C.W.O." ("Chief Warrant Officer") was described as having "1 Black Disk" (pip).

According to the Star Trek Encyclopedia (? ed., p. ?), the insignia worn by CPO Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's first few years and enlisted Maquis on Star Trek: Voyager was supposed to represent a warrant officer, even though numerous dialogue references and general naval parlance about the ranks of those referred to would seem to contradict this.

The non-canon reference manual Star Trek: The Next Generation Officer's Manual speaks briefly on the subject.

See also