By Luke Dalton, former Royal Marine. Updated 5 August 2026.

Royal Marines Ranks In Order: Every Rank From Marine To General

In 30 Seconds

Royal Marines ranks run in two tiers. Other ranks in order: Marine, Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, Colour Sergeant, Warrant Officer Class 2 and Warrant Officer Class 1. Commissioned officers in order: Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier, Major General, Lieutenant General and General. There is no Private in the Royal Marines: the rank you hold on passing out of training is Marine, and the full structure is set out in Forces News’ guide to how the ranks work.

This guide walks the ladder in order and explains what each rank actually does, written by Luke Dalton, former Royal Marine and co founder of Contact Coffee Company. Rank structure is easy to list and easy to misunderstand; the job titles below are where it starts making sense.

Two Tiers, One Corps

Per Forces News, the structure splits into commissioned officers and other ranks, where a commission is a formal document of appointment signed by the monarch. Because the ranks follow the Army pattern while the Corps belongs to the Royal Navy, a Royal Marine’s name is followed by Royal Marines or RM to distinguish them from Army colleagues. One thing both tiers share: every officer, recruit and reserve trains at the same place, CTCRM at Lympstone. The Corps has also been through the Future Commando Force modernisation programme, covering new kit, new ways of working and a new uniform, but the rank ladder itself has stayed constant through it.

Other Ranks In Order

• Marine. The rank earned by passing out of 32 weeks of recruit training. Not a Private, and do not call one that. The Marine in a rifle troop is the working end of the entire Corps.
• Lance Corporal. One chevron and the first step into command, typically leading a fire team and learning that responsibility weighs more than the tape.
• Corporal. Two chevrons, section commander, and in my experience the rank the Corps runs on. A good Corporal sets the standard for eight blokes and everything they do.
• Sergeant. Three chevrons. The troop Sergeant is the experience behind a young troop commander and the person the troop actually fears disappointing.
• Colour Sergeant. A crown above three chevrons, addressed as Colours. Per the rank’s equivalences, it sits above Sergeant and below WO2, level with a Staff Sergeant in most of the Army and a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy. Often the company quartermaster role: the person who makes logistics happen.
• Warrant Officer Class 2. The Sergeant Major tier at company level. Discipline, standards and the collective memory of how things are done properly.
• Warrant Officer Class 1. The top of the other ranks ladder, the Regimental Sergeant Major tier of a commando unit, with the Corps RSM as the most senior appointment among them.

Officer Ranks In Order

The commissioned ladder runs Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, then the star ranks: Brigadier at one star, Major General at two, Lieutenant General at three and General at four. In practical terms inside a commando unit, a troop is typically led by a Second Lieutenant or Lieutenant with that troop Sergeant beside them, a company by a Major with a WO2 as Sergeant Major, and the unit as a whole by a Lieutenant Colonel as Commanding Officer with the WO1 as RSM. Rank pairs with experience all the way up; that pairing is the actual system. Above unit level, the star ranks carry Corps wide and joint appointments across defence.

Commando Is A Qualification, Not A Rank

A point that confuses almost everyone outside the Corps: commando does not appear anywhere on the ladder above because it is not a rank. It is a qualification, earned by passing the four commando tests at the end of training, and it is marked by the green beret and the commando flash on the shoulder rather than by anything on your arm. A Marine is a commando. So is a General who came up the same way. The rank tells you where someone sits in the structure; the green beret tells you what they passed to get there. If you want the detail on those tests, the timings and the standards, our Royal Marines fitness requirements guide covers all four.

How The Ranks Compare To The Army And Navy

The names follow the Army pattern, so translation is mostly direct: Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant and the Warrant Officer classes mean the same thing in both services, and the officer ladder from Second Lieutenant to General is identical in name. The two differences worth knowing: the Royal Marines have no Private, because the equivalent rank is Marine, and at the senior NCO level the Corps uses Colour Sergeant where most of the Army uses Staff Sergeant, a rank that also sits level with a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy. That last equivalence matters in practice, because Royal Marines serve inside a naval service and work alongside both systems at once. The RM suffix after a name is what keeps it all straight.

How Promotion Actually Works

The honest version, from someone who lived it: promotion in the Corps is earned twice over. First on paper, through time served, reports and selection, and then physically and professionally on command courses that have their own reputation for a reason. Nobody is handed a chevron with the tape still warm; each step up is a course, a test of leadership under pressure, and a queue of capable people competing for the same slot. That is why the ranks carry the weight they do inside the Corps. When you see two chevrons on a section commander, you are not looking at time served. You are looking at someone who was tested for the job in front of people who had already done it.

Who Leads The Corps

Two appointments sit above the ladder. The Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Corps, a title that has existed since 1943. The ceremonial head is the Captain General Royal Marines, a role held by the monarch: King Charles III was announced as Captain General on 28 October 2022, the 358th anniversary of the founding of the Corps on 28 October 1664 under King Charles II.

The Culture Behind The Ranks

The list only gets you so far; the culture is the rest. A Royal Marine is a bootneck. Royal is the everyday address between Marines. A Colour Sergeant is Colours, Warrant Officers are Sir or Ma’am, and the fastest way to learn any of it is to get it wrong once in earshot of the right person. The other constant across every rank is the wet: the brew that appears at every pause in every programme, made by whoever is most junior and drunk by everyone. Rank has its privileges, and that is the oldest one. The story of how this coffee company grew out of exactly that culture is in From Bullets to Beans.

Thinking About Joining

If the ladder has you thinking about the bottom rung, start with the two guides built for exactly that: the Royal Marines fitness requirements, covering every test from the PJFA to the 30 Miler with the official numbers, and the Royal Marines kit list, covering what to bring to CTCRM and what to leave at home. For the adults training towards it, the Red On range and Red On caffeine pouches are built for those who push harder, strictly 18 and over.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the Royal Marines ranks in order?

Other ranks in order: Marine, Lance Corporal, Corporal, Sergeant, Colour Sergeant, Warrant Officer Class 2 and Warrant Officer Class 1. Commissioned officer ranks in order: Second Lieutenant, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Lieutenant Colonel, Colonel, Brigadier, Major General, Lieutenant General and General.

What is the lowest rank in the Royal Marines?

Marine is the rank held on passing out of recruit training, and it is the foundation rank of the Corps rather than a lowly one. There is no Private in the Royal Marines; the equivalent rank is Marine, and earning it takes 32 weeks at CTCRM.

What is the highest rank in the Royal Marines?

The rank structure runs up to General, a four star rank. The professional head of the Corps is the Commandant General Royal Marines, while the ceremonial head is the Captain General Royal Marines, a role held by the monarch. King Charles III became Captain General in October 2022.

Is there a Private in the Royal Marines?

No. The entry rank in the Royal Marines is Marine, not Private. It is held from the moment a recruit passes out of training at CTCRM, and Marines are addressed by that rank.

What is a Colour Sergeant in the Royal Marines?

Colour Sergeant is the senior non commissioned officer rank above Sergeant and below Warrant Officer Class 2, with an insignia of a crown above three chevrons. It is equivalent to a Staff Sergeant in most of the Army and a Chief Petty Officer in the Royal Navy, and is commonly addressed simply as Colours.

Do the Royal Marines use Army or Navy ranks?

Royal Marines ranks follow the Army pattern, from Lance Corporal and Corporal up to General, even though the Corps is part of the Royal Navy. To distinguish them from Army colleagues, a Royal Marine's rank is followed by Royal Marines or RM.

What rank do you hold after Royal Marines training?

Marine. It is awarded on completion of the 32 week recruit training programme at the Commando Training Centre Royal Marines at Lympstone, alongside the green beret earned through the commando tests.

Who is the head of the Royal Marines?

Two roles sit at the top. The Commandant General Royal Marines is the professional head of the Corps, an appointment that has existed under that title since 1943. The Captain General Royal Marines is the ceremonial head, a role held by the monarch; King Charles III was announced as Captain General on 28 October 2022, the 358th anniversary of the Corps.

What do Royal Marines call each other?

A Royal Marine is a bootneck, and Royal is the everyday term of address between Marines. Rank still matters: a Colour Sergeant is addressed as Colours, and Warrant Officers as Sir or Ma'am. You learn the culture fast because getting it wrong gets corrected faster.

When were the Royal Marines formed?

The Corps traces its founding to 28 October 1664, during the reign of King Charles II. That is why King Charles III's appointment as Captain General was announced on 28 October 2022, the 358th anniversary of the Corps.

Related Guides

• Royal Marines Fitness Requirements. Every test from the PJFA to the 30 Miler, with the official numbers.
• The Royal Marines Kit List. What to bring to CTCRM, what is issued, and what to leave at home.
• From Bullets to Beans. How a former Royal Marine ended up founding a coffee company.
• The Coffee Ammo Tin. The pass out and promotion gift that always lands.
• The Red On Range. The performance caffeine range built for those who push harder. 18 and over.
• Red On Caffeine Pouches. 200mg caffeine per pouch for adult users. Strictly 18 and over.

References and Further Reading

• Forces News: Royal Marines ranks and how they work (the full rank ladder)
• Royal.uk: The King announced as Captain General Royal Marines, 28 October 2022
• Wikipedia: Commandant General Royal Marines (the professional head of the Corps)
• Wikipedia: Colour Sergeant (position, equivalents and insignia)
• Royal Navy: Royal Marines joining process (training at CTCRM)