Pay grades: assignment to; general rules
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Title 37—PAY AND ALLOWANCES OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES > CHAPTER 3—BASIC PAY
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For the purpose of computing their basic pay, commissioned officers of the uniformed services (other than commissioned warrant officers) are assigned by the grade or rank in which serving to the following pay grades:
Pay grade
Army, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Space Force
Navy, Coast Guard, and
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Public Health Service
O–10
General
Admiral
Assistant Secretary for Health.
O–9
Lieutenant general
Vice admiral
Surgeon General.
O–8
Major general
Rear admiral
Deputy Surgeon General.
Assistant Surgeon General having rank of major general.
O–7
Brigadier general
Rear admiral (lower half)
Assistant Surgeon General having rank of brigadier general.
O–6
Colonel
Captain
Director grade.
O–5
Lieutenant colonel
Commander
Senior grade.
O–4
Major
Lieutenant commander
Full grade.
O–3
Captain
Lieutenant
Senior assistant grade.
O–2
1st lieutenant
Lieutenant (junior grade)
Assistant grade.
O–1
2d lieutenant
Ensign
Junior assistant grade.
( Pub. L. 87–649 , Sept. 7, 1962 , 76 Stat. 453 ; Pub. L. 88–132, § 3(a) , Oct. 2, 1963 , 77 Stat. 212 ; Pub. L. 89–718, § 49(a)(1) , Nov. 2, 1966 , 80 Stat. 1121 ; Pub. L. 91–278, § 3(1) , June 12, 1970 , 84 Stat. 306 ; Pub. L. 95–79, title III, § 302(a)(1) , July 30, 1977 , 91 Stat. 326 ; Pub. L. 96–76, title III, § 313(a) , Sept. 29, 1979 , 93 Stat. 586 ; Pub. L. 96–513, title V , §§ 506(3), 516(2), Dec. 12, 1980 , 94 Stat. 2918 , 2937; Pub. L. 97–86, title IV, § 405(c) , Dec. 1, 1981 , 95 Stat. 1106 ; Pub. L. 98–94, title IX, § 932(d) , Sept. 24, 1983 , 97 Stat. 650 ; Pub. L. 98–557, § 25(b)(1) , Oct. 30, 1984 , 98 Stat. 2872 ; Pub. L. 99–145, title V, § 514(d)(1) , Nov. 8, 1985 , 99 Stat. 629 ; Pub. L. 101–502, § 5(k)(2) , Nov. 3, 1990 , 104 Stat. 1289 ; Pub. L. 102–25, title VII, § 701(b)(1) , (c), Apr. 6, 1991 , 105 Stat. 117 ; Pub. L. 102–190, div. A, title VI, § 605 , title XI, § 1111(b), Dec. 5, 1991 , 105 Stat. 1374 , 1491; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title V, § 515(d)(1)(B) , Jan. 6, 2006 , 119 Stat. 3236 ; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title IX, § 925(c) , Jan. 1, 2021 , 134 Stat. 3827 ; Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title VI, § 601(b)(1) , Dec. 18, 2025 , 139 Stat. 901 .)
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