Pay grades

O-2: first lieutenant and lieutenant junior grade

The second officer grade, usually reached about two years after commissioning. Titles, insignia and the 2026 pay row.

O-2: rank in each service, insignia and 2026 pay

Used for the 2026 basic pay only.

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Army, O-2 · Commissioned officer

First Lieutenant (1LT)

Company grade officer

Army First Lieutenant insignia
First Lieutenant
Marine CorpsFirst Lieutenant (1stLt)
NavyLieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG)
Air ForceFirst Lieutenant (1st Lt)
Space ForceFirst Lieutenant (1st Lt)
Coast GuardLieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG)
2026 basic pay, over 2 years$5,446.20 a month

Same pay grade means the same basic pay in every service. Basic pay only: housing, food and special pays are not included.

Everything about O-2

O-2 is the second commissioned officer pay grade: first lieutenant in the Army (1LT), the Marine Corps (1stLt), the Air Force and the Space Force (1st Lt), and lieutenant junior grade (LTJG) in the Navy and the Coast Guard, written "Lieutenant (junior grade)" in title 37 of the US Code. The Army describes its first lieutenant as "a seasoned lieutenant with 18 to 24 months of service" who may lead specialized weapons platoons or serve as executive officer of a company. The insignia is a single silver bar, one step above the gold bar of O-1. In 2026, O-2 basic pay runs from $4,782.00 a month with two years or less to $6,617.70 from over four years, where the row stops: the services expect officers to move on to O-3 by then.

What is a promotion worth in basic pay?

O-2 to O-3, over 2 years

+$827.70 / mo

O-2$5,446.20
O-3$6,273.90
Over a year+$9,932

Same years of service in both grades, 2026 DFAS table.

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Ranks and pay tables read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources

Silver above gold

Gold and silver bars confuse many readers: the silver bar of a first lieutenant outranks the gold bar of a second lieutenant, although gold is usually thought of as worth more. The same rule runs through the officer insignia, where the silver oak leaf of O-5 outranks the gold oak leaf of O-4. The insignia page has a quiz on it.

When does basic pay rise in this grade?

O-2: rate changes in the 2026 table

5 steps

2 or less$4,782.00
Over 2$5,446.20
Over 3$6,272.40
Over 4$6,484.50
Over 6$6,617.70
Open the full pay calculator →

Executive officer

The Army notes that a first lieutenant is "often selected to be the executive officer of a company-sized unit", second in command to the captain. The rate jumps by $826.20 a month at over three years, the largest single step in the row.

O-2 in the six services

Department of War rank chart, read on November 1, 2026.
ServiceRankAbbreviationInsignia
ArmyFirst Lieutenant1LTArmy First Lieutenant
Marine CorpsFirst Lieutenant1stLtMarine Corps First Lieutenant
NavyLieutenant Junior GradeLTJGNavy Lieutenant Junior Grade
Air ForceFirst Lieutenant1st LtAir Force First Lieutenant
Space ForceFirst Lieutenant1st LtSpace Force First Lieutenant
Coast GuardLieutenant Junior GradeLTJGCoast Guard Lieutenant Junior Grade

O-2 basic pay in 2026, by years of service

DFAS basic pay table effective January 1, 2026: O-2 rates, shown where they change.
Years of serviceMonthly basic payOver 12 months
2 or less$4,782.00$57,384
Over 2$5,446.20$65,354
Over 3$6,272.40$75,269
Over 4$6,484.50$77,814
Over 6$6,617.70$79,412

Questions people ask

What is O-2 called in each branch?

Army: First Lieutenant; Marine Corps: First Lieutenant; Navy: Lieutenant Junior Grade; Air Force: First Lieutenant; Space Force: First Lieutenant; Coast Guard: Lieutenant Junior Grade. The title changes with the service; the pay grade, and so the basic pay, does not. Between services, the Department of War chart notes, rank and precedence are determined by pay grade, so a O-2 of one service ranks with a O-2 of any other.

What is the annual basic pay of O-2 in 2026?

Twelve months at the first rate of the O-2 row make $57,384, and twelve months at the top of the row $79,412. At over 2 years of service, a common point for the grade, the year comes to $65,354. These are amounts before tax, without allowances, special pays or bonuses.

How much is O-2 basic pay in 2026?

From $4,782.00 a month at 2 or less years of service to $6,617.70 at the top of the row, under the DFAS table effective January 1, 2026. That is basic pay alone: the housing and food allowances, which most members also receive, are paid on top and depend on location and family.

Look up next

O-1

Second Lieutenant (2LT, 2ndLt, 2d Lt) and Ensign (ENS): the gold bar and the 2026 pay row.

O-3

Captain (Army, Marines, Air Force, Space Force) and Navy or Coast Guard Lieutenant: the two silver bars.

Officer ranks

O-1 to O-10: company and field grade, generals and admirals, two naming systems and the 2026 pay cap.

2026 pay chart

Every 2026 basic pay rate, E-1 to O-10, by years of service, with the calculator and the DFAS notes.

Pay grades explained

E, W and O: what a pay grade is, how it differs from a rank, and why it sets pay in every service.

Official pages behind this page

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Independent publisher of a rank, insignia and basic pay reference for the six US armed forces, built on the Department of War rank chart and the DFAS pay tables

Ranks and pay tables checked on · Editorial policy · Contact

Military ranks and basic pay 2026, read on the Department of War chart and the DFAS tables, last checked on