The U.S. military is a highly organized system. With over 1.3 million active duty personnel stationed at bases across the country and around the world, the American military’s efficiency hinges on a strict chain of command established by rank. Generally, higher ranking officers or service members have greater responsibility and authority — as well as higher pay.
Though rank designation vary by service branch, the Department of Defense pay structure is the same for the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force. Compensation for enlisted service members and officers is determined by two factors: rank and tenure.
24/7 Wall St. reviewed the DoD 2019 Monthly Basic Pay Table to identify the highest paid military jobs. Depending on rank and years of service, military salaries range from $1,554 a month to $15,800 a month.
Pay scales for American military personnel are divided into two categories: enlistees and officers. Enlisted soldiers are the backbone of the military, carrying out orders and completing missions. Meanwhile, officers effectively serve as managers. Officers generally earn higher salaries, and while there are several paths to become one, all officers must have at least a bachelor’s degree.
Pay scales for enlisted soldiers range from E-1 — equivalent to an Army or Marine private, a Navy seaman recruit, or an Air Force airman basic — to E-9 — an Army sergeant major, a Navy master chief petty officer, a Marine master gunnery sergeant, or a Navy chief master sergeant. Not including warrant officers, a set of ranks in between commissioned officers and enlistees, commissioned officer pay scales range from O-1 to O-10. The O-1 designation covers Army, Marine, and Air Force second lieutenants and Navy ensigns. The O-10 level on the DoD pay scale covers generals in the Army, Marines, and Air Force and admirals in the Navy.
The first table below reflects the pay grade within the corresponding rank by branch. The second table reflects monthly compensation per pay grade by years served. In some service branches, there is more than one possible rank per pay grade. For clarity, we only listed one example rank. Pay scales are for the 2019 calendar year, and all rank and pay data came from the DoD. We did not consider the Coast Guard in our analysis.
Ranks
| Grade: | Army rank: | Navy rank: | Marine Corps rank: | Air Force rank: |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O10 | Gen. | Adm. | Gen. | Gen. |
| O9 | Lt. Gen. | Vice Adm. | Lt. Gen. | Lt. Gen. |
| O8 | Maj. Gen. | Rear Adm. Upper Half | Maj. Gen. | Maj. Gen. |
| O7 | Brig. Gen. | Rear Adm. Lower Half | Brig. Gen. | Brig. Gen. |
| O6 | Col. | Capt. | Col. | Col. |
| O5 | Lt. Col. | Cmdr. | Lt. Col. | Lt. Col. |
| O4 | Maj. | Lt. Cmdr. | Maj. | Maj. |
| O3 | Capt. | Lt. | Capt. | Capt. |
| O2 | 1st Lt. | Lt. j.g. | 1st Lt. | 1st Lt. |
| O1 | 2nd Lt. | Ensign | 2nd Lt. | 2nd Lt. |
| W5 | Chief W. Officer 5 | Chief W. Officer 5 | Chief W. Officer 5 | N/A |
| W4 | Chief W. Officer 4 | Chief W. Officer 4 | Chief W. Officer 4 | N/A |
| W3 | Chief W. Officer 3 | Chief W. Officer 3 | Chief W. Officer 3 | N/A |
| W2 | Chief W. Officer 2 | Chief W. Officer 2 | Chief W. Officer 2 | N/A |
| W1 | Warrant Officer 1 | Warrant Officer 1 | Warrant Officer 1 | N/A |
| E9 | Sgt. Maj. | Master Chief Petty Ofc. | Master Gunnery Sgt. | Chief Master Sgt. |
| E8 | Master Sgt. | Sr. Chief Petty Ofc. | Master Sgt. | Sr. Master Sgt. |
| E7 | Sgt. 1st Class | Chief Petty Ofc. | Gunnery Sgt. | Master Sgt. |
| E6 | Staff Sgt. | Petty Ofc. 1st Class | Staff Sgt. | Tech Sgt. |
| E5 | Sgt. | Petty Ofc. 2nd | Sgt. | Staff Sgt. |
| E4 | Cpl. | Petty Ofc. Third Class | Cpl. | Sr. Airman |
| E3 | Pfc. | Seaman | Lance Cpl. | Airman 1st Class |
| E2 | Pvt. E2 | Seaman Apprentice | Pfc. | Airman |
| E1 | Pvt. | Seaman Recruit | Pvt. | Airman Basic |
Pay Scale
| Grade: | 0-13 yrs. of service: | 14-27 yrs. of service: | 28-40 yrs. of service: |
|---|---|---|---|
| O10 | N/A | N/A – $15,800 | $15,800 – $15,800 |
| O9 | N/A | N/A – $15,800 | $15,800 – $15,800 |
| O8 | $10,669 – $12,660 | $12,792 – $14,639 | $14,639 – $15,381 |
| O7 | $8,865 – $10,790 | $11,104 – $12,986 | $12,986 – $13,245 |
| O6 | $6,723 – $8,284 | $8,754 – $11,668 | $11,668 – $11,901 |
| O5 | $5,604 – $7,891 | $8,231 – $9,521 | $9,521 – $9,521 |
| O4 | $4,835 – $7,596 | $7,847 – $8,074 | $8,074 – $8,074 |
| O3 | $4,252 – $6,751 | $6,917 – $6,917 | $6,917 – $6,917 |
| O2 | $3,674 – $5,084 | $5,084 – $5,084 | $5,084 – $5,084 |
| O1 | $3,188 – $4,012 | $4,012 – $4,012 | $4,012 – $4,012 |
| W5 | N/A | N/A – $8,831 | $8,831 – $10,223 |
| W4 | $4,394 – $6,029 | $6,333 – $8,024 | $8,024 – $8,184 |
| W3 | $4,013 – $5,482 | $5,683 – $7,039 | $7,039 – $7,039 |
| W2 | $3,551 – $5,000 | $5,214 – $5,926 | $5,926 – $5,926 |
| W1 | $3,116 – $4,662 | $4,875 – $5,385 | $5,385 – $5,385 |
| E9 | N/A – $5,429 | $5,580 – $7,119 | $7,119 – $8,242 |
| E8 | N/A – $4,657 | $4,799 – $6,076 | $6,076 – $6,198 |
| E7 | $3,021 – $4,296 | $4,483 – $5,429 | $5,429 – $5,429 |
| E6 | $2,613 – $3,875 | $3,941 – $4,047 | $4,047 – $4,047 |
| E5 | $2,393 – $3,397 | $3,397 – $3,397 | $3,397 – $3,397 |
| E4 | $2,195 – $2,664 | $2,664 – $2,664 | $2,664 – $2,664 |
| E3 | $1,981 – $2,234 | $2,234 – $2,234 | $2,234 – $2,234 |
| E2 | $1,884 – $1,884 | $1,884 – $1,884 | $1,884 – $1,884 |
| E1 | $1,554 – $1,681 | $1,681 – $1,681 | $1,681 – $1,681 |
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