By Denise Dayton Updated August 13, 2018
General officers are the highest ranking officers in the U.S. Armed Forces. Although their job titles vary according to the branch of service, they are at the highest level of military management during times of peace and war.
The job description for a general officer depends on the career field, rank and assignment. Generals are responsible for high-level decision making and personnel in their command. General officers serve in combat and non-combat administrative positions, as well as in professions such as law, medicine and the ministry.
In the Army, Air Force and Marines, the term "general" is used for officers at pay grades O-7 to O-10. The full corresponding titles are Brigadier General (BG), Lieutenant General (LTG), Major General (MG) and General (GEN). Equivalent ranks in all four services wear the same insignia. A one-star general, a brigadier general, wears a single silver star.
A lieutenant general wears two stars, a major general wears three, and a general wears four. During wartime only, an additional star can be added by the Army, Navy and Air Force.
A Navy one star rank is the same as the one star rank in the other services. Corresponding titles for general officers in the Navy are as follows:
There are three ways to become an officer in the Armed Forces. The majority of officers are commissioned after graduating from a college or university, often having earned a degree through a Reserve Officers Training Corp (ROTC) program. Officers can also be commissioned after completing a professional degree such as medicine, dentistry or law.
A select number of officers are graduates of one of the service academies, either the U.
S. Military Academy (Army) at West Point, the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis (Navy and Marines) or the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Admissions to the academies is highly competitive and requires an appointment from a U.S. official, usually a senator or a member of Congress.
Enlisted service members, who have exemplary records, can apply for Officer Candidate School (OCS), which trains soldiers, who may not have a college degree, to serve as officers.
Most officers begin their Army careers as a second lieutenant (pay grade O-1), although newly graduated physicians, dentists and veterinarians start at the rank of captain (O-3). Depending on the needs of the military, an experienced professional may even enter at a higher rank, though it is rare. To become a general, you must be promoted through all the ranks to O-7, which usually requires distinction in the chosen field and at least 20 years of military service. It is very rare for an officer trained through OCS to reach the rank of general.
General officers work in a variety of environments, depending on their career field. A general officer may head a hospital or a group of satellite clinics. He may be superintendent of an educational institution, such as one of the service academies or an advanced officer training program. General officers serve as strategic and tactical leaders in peace time and when the nation is at war.
A brigadier general salary starts at $8,640.60 a month. The top salary for a general is $15,800.10 a month, for an O-10 with more than 40 years of military service. That's a salary range of $103,687.20 to 189,601.20 annually, depending on rank and years of service. General officers receive a housing allowance, adjusted for local cost of living, as well as medical, dental and vision benefits. As with anyone in the military with more than 20 years of service, general officers are entitled to a pension after military retirement.
A retired general can go on to a civilian career with the government or private sector, usually at a high level of responsibility and pay.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics does not project employment outlook for military jobs. The needs of the military dictate the number of available positions for officers in the armed services. Becoming a general is reaching the pinnacle of a military career. Of the many officers in the armed forces, only a select few will rise to the ranks of general officers.
By Denise Dayton Updated September 17, 2020
The highest rank in the U.S. Army is a four-star general. As of June 2020, there were 14 Army four-stars, the most at any time since World War II, according to Military.com. The 2020 four-star general pay is $16,441.80 per month, which does not include amounts for a housing allowance and other benefits. The base yearly four-star general pay is $197,302.
There are four classifications of generals: brigadier general (one star), major general (two stars), lieutenant general (three stars) and general (four stars). The ranks correspond to pay grades O-7, O-8, O-9 and O-10. Pay grades are used to designate equivalent ranks across the Armed Forces since not all branches of the military use the same names. For example, an O-10 is a general in the Army, Marine Corps and Air Force, but an admiral in the Navy and the Coast Guard.
An O-10 is currently the highest rank in the U.S. Army. As an O-10, four-star general pay is the same as an O-10 in any branch of the military. Likewise, salaries for generals O-7 through O-9 are also the same throughout the Armed Forces. The Department of Defense website shows insignia and rank equivalents for all service members.
Military officers typically have a minimum of a bachelor's degree.
Enlisted service members can become officers by successfully completing officer candidate school. Admission is by application with the recommendation of the individual's commanding officer.
To become a four-star general, an officer must be promoted through the ranks. Usually, an officer receives a commission of second lieutenant (2LT, or O-1) when entering the service, although in certain occupations, including physician, veterinarian, dentist and attorney, officers are commissioned at a higher rank. Typically, these professionals are commissioned at the rank of captain (CPT, or O-3), although it varies according to the branch of service and the experience of the individual.
Although many officers and enlisted personnel choose to retire after 20 years of service, when they are first eligible to collect a military pension, a four-star general is not typically awarded the rank before 30 years of service.
Army generals are in senior leadership positions.
They typically work indoors in an office setting but work outdoors during training exercises and, if necessary, in combat situations. They work with large staffs and have overall responsibility for thousands of service members who report to authorities at various levels.
Every Army officer has an Area of Concentration (AOC), similar to the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) designation used in the enlisted ranks. Generals assume leadership positions in many AOCs, although not every one will be promoted to O-10. For example, the highest ranking officer in the U.S. Dental Corps is a two-star, or major general. The U.S. Surgeon General is a three-star, or lieutenant general. General Mark Milley, the current four-star holding the position of Joint Chiefs of Staff, held leadership positions in infantry and air assault.
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) makes military pay charts available online to the public.
Pay tables are typically updated as of January 1 of each year. The monthly pay for a four-star general, also known as a General of the Army, (O-10) was $16,441,80, effective January 2020. Service members typically receive a pay increase every year as determined by Congress. Officers and enlisted personnel also receive increases according to their years of service. The exception is for lieutenant generals (O-9s) and Generals of the Army (O-10s), whose salaries are capped.
There is no current information on a five-star general salary because the rank is reserved for wartime and has not been used since World War II. The history website of the U.S. Army states that, at that time, a temporary grade was approved by Congress on December 14, 1944. Five men held the rank: George C. Marshall, Douglas MacArthur, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Henry H. Arnold and Omar N. Bradley. If the rank is ever re-instated, the five-star general salary would be established by Congress.
Staffing levels in the military can change with federal budget decisions and the global political climate.
For a young officer entering the Army or Air Force as a lieutenant or captain, it is difficult to determine the number of opportunities for promotions leading to the rank of general.
The American armed forces are considered the most powerful in the world. The constant maintenance of combat capability requires considerable financial costs: the salary in the US Army exceeds the salary in most other countries. So how much do the military in America earn? In any case, they are paid more than in the CIS countries. The exact numbers, including by rank, are given below.
The American army is huge in composition and size. The elements of the US Army organizational chart span the scale from the individual soldier to the largest building block in common use, the corps. Between them are the intermediate elements of the organization of the army, including squad, platoon, company, battalion, brigade and division.
As you move up the organizational hierarchy, the elements get larger and also include more combat support units. As a rule, a company is the smallest army unit, which must be given a designation and connection with a higher headquarters at the battalion and brigade level.
Here is a summary of the various controls in the US Army:
If it is an artillery unit, it is called a battery, not a company. If it is armored or air cavalry, it is called a troop. A company is a unit of tactical size that can independently perform a function on the battlefield. 
Armor, ranger and special forces units of the same size are called regiments or groups rather than brigades. 
As of July 2021, the average military salary in the US is about $43,400 per year. This is equivalent to $835 per week, or $3,616 per month, or about $20.86 per hour.
Please note that the amounts shown are, in American tradition, before taxes.
The job and income website ZipRecruiter.com reports that the US military pays between $17,500 and $100,000. At the same time, most US military salaries currently range from $24,000 to $50,000. The top 10% of the highest paid military personnel in the US have a salary of $75,000 annually.
And here is a list of 10 American cities in America where military salaries are the highest (data for 2021):
| City | per year | Monthly | per week | per hour |
| Richmond | $53,098 | $4,425 | $1,021 | $25. 53 |
| Stamford | $51,705 | $4,309 | $994 | $24.86 |
| Bellevue | $51,588 | $4,299 | $992 | $24.80 |
| Lakes | $49,778 | $4,148 | $957 | $23.93 |
| San Francisco | $49,767 | $4,147 | $957 | $23.93 |
| Palmdale | $49,231 | $4,103 | $947 | $23.67 |
| Santa Clara | $49,044 | $4,087 | $943 | $23.58 |
| Hertford | $48,947 | $4,079 | $941 | $23.53 |
| Pasadena | $48,768 | $4,064 | $938 | $23.45 |
| Glendale | $48,483 | $4,040 | $932 | $23.31 |
Often, the lower cost of living can be a determining factor in choosing a duty station.
The average salary of an employee under the contract of an ordinary soldier or sergeant is approximately 51160 per year. However, service with contractors is sometimes more dangerous.
As of May 2021, the monthly salary of a military officer in America is approximately $5,000 per year (before taxes). This is approximately 28.9$0 an hour, $1,158 a week, or over $60,000 a year.
Annual salaries vary greatly depending on rank, years of service, and other factors: American officers receive between $19,500 and $118,500 a year. At the same time, the highest paid employees (10%) earn an average of $83,500 per year.
As a general rule, officers in the US military receive different incomes depending on the state in which they live and serve. Here is a list of the states with the highest earnings in the US military:
| State | per year | Monthly | per week | per hour |
| Washington | $67,012 | $5,584 | $1,289 | $32. 22 |
| Maryland | $66,159 | $5,513 | $1,272 | $31.81 |
| Nebraska | $64,779 | $5,398 | $1,246 | $31.14 |
| Virginia | $63,930 | $5,327 | $1,229 | $30.74 |
| New York | $63,855 | $5,321 | $1,228 | $30.70 |
| Delaware | $61,934 | $5,161 | $1,191 | $29.78 |
| New Hampshire | $61,774 | $5,148 | $1,188 | $29.70 |
| Oklahoma | $60,207 | $5,017 | $1,158 | $28.95 |
| California | $59,986 | $4,999 | $1,154 | $28.84 |
| Massachusetts | $59,175 | $4,931 | $1,138 | $28.45 |
And here you can find out about the income of American military pilots.
Nationally, US Navy sailors earn an average salary of $49,595 per year, or $23.84 per hour. The bottom 10% earn less than $31,000 a year, and the top 10% of the Navy earn more than $77,000 a year.
In the US Navy, engineering and IT personnel tend to earn the highest salaries.
In terms of geography, Anchorage, Alaska, New York, New York, and Newark, New Jersey are among the highest salaries in the Navy.
The salary of the military is not so bad, but not so good either . For a high school recruit with no work experience, it's hard to find the best starting salary. However, for an adult male with many years of work experience trained in an important technical profession, this is not so great compared to the salary for a similar civilian job.
Maintenance
9 E-9: $66 960 This is a list of typical military rank pay, from entry-level Army enlisted men who make $20,172 a year to Air Force generals who bring home $189600.
The base salary for an enlisted soldier for the first six months of service is less than $20,000 per year. But as you advance in rank and gain experience , the military earns a variety of increases .
The average salary in the US Army ranges from about $25,432 a year for a corporal to $90,590 a year for a chief medical officer.
The average monthly salary in the US Army ranges from approximately $1,800 per month for a supply sergeant to 9$572 per month for a medical officer.
The highest-ranking enlisted Marine, Marine Sergeant Major Ronald Green, earns over $90,000 a year on his base salary alone.
The salary of a military officer is much higher. Young officers receive about $38,250 a year.
The base salary is only part of their compensation. Most military personnel also receive allowances for housing, meals, uniforms, and work allowances, many of which are tax-free.
Base pay is taxable ( As of 2015 military personnel pay a tax of 6.2% on income up to $118,500 ) unless you are serving in a designated tax free war zone.
You will pay federal income tax, Social Security, health insurance (Medicare tax rate of 1.45% of all wages), local and state taxes on your base salary.
Some states do not tax military pay, while some others will not tax it if you are not in the state. The state in which you file taxes as your "official residence" will determine the state tax rules to which you are subject.
Each year, Congress passes the Defense Appropriations Act and the Defense Authorization Act, which provide pay increases for military personnel. It is geared to keep military wages from falling too far behind civilians, but that depends on policy.
U.S. Army - Military Salaries in the United StatesThe answer to this question depends on their rank, time of service, place of service, family members and military specialty, etc.
earnings slightly longer than their civilian counterparts.
To give you an idea, we have broken down their monthly salary, or base salary, for each rank. We estimated their salary based on how many years they have typically served by the time they reach that rank.
Many military personnel spend more time in each rank than we calculated, while some military personnel spend less time and advance faster.
We also did not include factors such as housing allowance as they vary widely, but they often make up a large part of their compensation. We also did not include ensigns, whose length of service can vary greatly.
Each military branch sets rules for promotions and implements an "up or down" policy that dictates how long a member of the military can stay in the military without being promoted.
Combat instructor showing Marine recruits techniques. Martial arts training at a Marine Corps recruiting camp in San Diego, California. While they are in the boot camp, the fighters are paid minimally - but their salaries will increase gradually as they gain experience.
CPL. Christian Garcia/US Marine Corps.
E-1 is the lowest military rank in the US Army : Airman Basic (Air Force), Private (Army/Marines), Recruit Sailor (Navy). Enlisted personnel usually complete this rank through basic training and are automatically promoted to the next rank after six months of service.
Base salary (salary) starts at $1,554 per month at this rank. After four months of service, the salary will increase to $1681 per month.
As a punishment for misconduct, superior commanders may demote a soldier back to that rank.
Servicemen are automatically promoted to the level of e-2 - Pilot (Air Force), Private (Army), Private 1st Class (Marines), Junior Sailor (Navy) - after 6 months of service.
Their salary increases to $1,884 per month.
Promotion to E-3 is automatic after 12 months of service.
Pilot 1st class (Air Force), Private 1st class (Army), Lance Corporal (Marines), Sailor (Navy).
Base salary is $1,981 at this rank, adding up to a $427 monthly salary increase after one year of service.
Although service requirements vary by service, military personnel who are promoted to E-4 are typically have at least two years of service. Senior Airman (Air Force), Specialist / Corporal (Army), Corporal (Marines), Petty Officer III Class (Navy)
If E-3 does not raise their pay in two years, their pay will still go up up to $2195.
For those who reach E-4 in two years, the salary will increase to $2,307 per month. Some fighters will be able to advance to the next rank in just one year. Those who remain at the E-4 level will see a pay increase to $2,432 per month after only three years of service.
Promotion is no longer automatic , but military personnel will be able to advance to E-5 in as little as three years of service.
These ranks are Staff Sergeant (Air Force), Sergeant (Army/Marines), Petty Officer Class II (Navy).
For these soldiers, their new salary will be $2,678 per month.
Soldiers typically spend at least three years on this salary. Although they do not advance in rank during this time, their salary will still increase along with their length of service.
Four years after the enlistment, the E-5 will cost $2,804 per month. After six years of service, their salary will rise again - even if they don't get promoted - to $3,001 per month.
It is almost impossible for a soldier to achieve the rank of E-6-Technical Sgt.
Technician Sergeant (Air Force), Staff Sergeant (Army/Marines), Petty Officer Class I (Navy) - with less than six years of service.
"E-6 with six" . The E-6 with six brings home $3,254 a month.
After two more years of service, this will increase to $3,543 per month, making approximately $42,500 per year.
Achieving the next higher pay level, E-7, before 10 years of service is not to an unheard-of miracle, but it is not guaranteed either.
Their next pay raise is 12 years after the date of enrollment, at which point their monthly salary will be $3875.
Are the Russian military better than the American ones? An unexpected answer from a private from the USA.
Achievement of the coveted rank E-7 Summer Service is not a common but it can be done.
To those who reach this milestone ( E-7 ), will be paid $3945 per month, increasing to $4072 per month after reaches their 10th anniversary of enlistment.
When they reach 20 years of service, will be paid $4,798 a month, or $57,576 a year.
The military places a limit on how long each member of the military can spend at each rank. Commonly referred to as "up or down", this means that if a soldier does not advance to the next rank, they will not be able to re-enlist. While they vary between branches of service, in the Navy this restriction occurs at 24 for senior midshipmen.
Executive with 24 years of experience earns $5069 per month.
Enlisted personnel may be promoted to E-8 - Senior Master Sergeant or 1st Sergeant (Air Force), 1st Sergeant or Master Sergeant (Army), Master Sergeant or 1st Sergeant (Marine Corps), Chief Petty Officer (Navy) - 12 years of service in total.
At this stage, they will receive $4,657 per month.
Military personnel, retired as E-8s after 20 years of service, will receive a monthly payment of $ $5,374 - or $64,488 per year.
If they remain in service, they will receive a raise every two years.
An E-8 with 28 years of service earns $6,076 per month.
Army "up or down" policy does not allow more than 29 years of service for 1st sergeant or sergeant major.
E-9 have 15 to 30 years of service, although few elected to certain positions may have more than 30 years of service. Their titles are Chief Master Sergeant (Air Force), Sergeant Major (Army), Senior Gunnery Sergeant or Sergeant Major (Marines), Master Chief Petty Officer (Navy).
Military personnel who achieve this rank with 15 years of service will receive $5,580 per month.
They will receive their next raise at 16 years of service and earn $5,758 per month.
In 20 years they will receive $6,227 - that's $74,724 a year when they reach retirement age.
Some branches of the military allow E-9s to remain in the military until age 32, at which point they will earn $7,475 - or $89700 per year.
Compared to ordinary military personnel with the same seniority, military officers earn significantly more money.
New O-1 Officer - 2nd Lieutenant (Army/Marines/Air Force), Ensign (Navy) - Earns $3,188 per month on base pay alone.
Officers are automatically promoted to O-2 after two years of service. This is a highly anticipated promotion as it marks one of the biggest individual pay raises officers will see during their careers. These ranks are 1st Lieutenant (Air Force/Army/Marines), Second Lieutenant (Navy).
O-2 earns $4,184 per month, which is $50,208 per year.
Officers will receive a pay raise upon reaching three years of service.
Using the Army's average promotion schedule, officers are automatically promoted to the next rank after four years of service.
New Captains and Lieutenants (Navy) with four years of service earn $ 5671 per month. At this rank, officers will receive a salary increase every two years.
By the time they reach rank O-4 , military officers will have spent an average of 10 years in service. Major (Air Force / Army / Marine Corps), Lieutenant Commander (Navy)
A major or lieutenant commander with ten years of service earns $7,236 a month, or just under $86,832 a year. Officers' pay continues to increase every two years of additional service.
O-4 salary is capped at $8,074 a month, so if an officer wants to bring home a six-figure paycheck - extra pay, bonuses, and allowances - he will have to upgrade to O-5.
Officers typically spend at least 17 years in the military before moving to O-5.
They will earn $8,751 per month until their 18th anniversary of service, after which they will be raised to $8,998 per month. These ranks are Lieutenant Colonel (Air Force/Army/Marines), Commander ( Commander Navy).
After 18 years of service in the military, officers receive an annual stipend of nearly $108,000 a year.
"Full bird". "Fat birds" Navy colonels and captains, with an average of 22 years of service, receive $10,841 per month.
Officers who are not promoted to General or Admiral must retire after 30 years of service. At this stage, they will earn $11,668 per month, or approximately $140,000 per year.
Promotion to brigadier general and rear admiral depends on a wide range of variables, including job availability.
Each of these ranks has its own mandatory requirement; similar to the "up or down" policy, officers must advance to the next higher rank or retire.
Officers who have served less than five years in the lowest flag rank must retire after 30 years of service. The latest pay raise increased their monthly salary to $90,054.12,985.
Two-star generals and admirals - Major General (Air Force/Army/Marines), Rear Admiral (Navy) - must retire after 35 years of military service.
At this stage, they will earn $15,381 per month, or $184,572 per year.
It takes the corporal, pictured, about half a year to earn the same amount that Martin takes home each month. Military officer pay is regulated and limited by the U.S. Code
Both three- and four-star admirals and generals who remain in service long enough will receive the maximum compensation permitted by the code. These ranks are vice admiral of the fleet and lieutenant general of other branches of service.
Excluding additional benefits, cost-of-living adjustments and allowances, these employees are paid up to $15,800. This is approximately 189$600 per year.
Regardless of length of service, once a military officer reaches the four-star rank of general or admiral, he no longer receives an increase in salary and is limited to $15,800 per month.
Additional payments and allowances help to slightly increase their salary.
The base salary can seem stingy, especially among the lower ranks, where recruits earn about $20,000 a year.
But military personnel receive a number of benefits and may qualify for additional allowances.
TRICARE Prime, Military Primary Care Package, is free for active duty military personnel. It allows them to save $6,896 a year for single payers.
When military personnel are eligible to live off base, they receive basic housing allowance (BAH), which increases with every pay increase; the exact amount is determined depending on the place of residence and whether the person has children. Members of the armed forces also receive allowances to cover the cost of food, and in expensive duty stations receive a living wage allowance (COLA). Enlisted personnel also receive a supplement to help pay for their uniforms.
Any part of an employee's pay marked as "surcharge" is not taxed by the government , so military personnel will only pay taxes on approximately two-thirds of their income.
In addition to their base salary, each member of the US military also receives:
