Pay grades
O-6: colonel and Navy captain
The last field grade before the generals and admirals. Titles, the eagle, and the 2026 pay row with its cap.
O-6: rank in each service, insignia and 2026 pay
Army, O-6 · Commissioned officer
Colonel (COL)
Field grade officer
| Marine Corps | Colonel (Col) |
| Navy | Captain (CAPT) |
| Air Force | Colonel (Col) |
| Space Force | Colonel (Col) |
| Coast Guard | Captain (CAPT) |
| 2026 basic pay, over 22 years | $14,112.90 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-6O-6 is the sixth commissioned officer pay grade and the highest field grade. It is colonel in the Army (COL), the Marine Corps, the Air Force and the Space Force (Col), and captain (CAPT) in the Navy and the Coast Guard. The Army describes its colonels as commanders of brigade-sized units of 1,500 to 3,200 Soldiers and often chiefs of division staff agencies. The insignia is a silver eagle. In 2026 the O-6 row starts at $8,751.30 a month and is capped at $15,408.30, the rate of level V of the Executive Schedule, which DFAS applies to every grade from O-6 down. The capped rate is reached over 30 years of service. A Navy captain is O-6; an Army captain is O-3.
What is a promotion worth in basic pay?
O-6 to O-7, over 22 years
+$2,704.80 / mo
| O-6 | $14,112.90 |
| O-7 | $16,817.70 |
| Over a year | +$32,458 |
Same years of service in both grades, 2026 DFAS table.
Ranks and pay tables read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
The Executive Schedule cap
DFAS officer note 5 limits basic pay for O-6 and below to level V of the Executive Schedule for the year, $15,408.30 a month in 2026. The O-6 row reaches it over 30 years. The cap moves each year with the Executive Schedule, which is why a 2027 estimate for a capped cell cannot be computed before that schedule is set.
What would each 2027 proposal pay you?
O-6 in 2026, over 22 years
$14,112.90 / mo
| 3.6% plan (Senate, formula) | about $14,620.96 |
| Tiered plan (5% for O-6) | about $14,818.55 |
Estimates only: Congress had not settled the 2027 raise when this page was checked.
Navy captain and Army captain
The two captains are three grades apart. Title 37 of the US Code lists them in separate columns: captain under the Army, Air Force and Marine Corps at O-3, captain under the Navy and Coast Guard at O-6.
O-6 in the six services
| Service | Rank | Abbreviation | Insignia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | Colonel | COL | |
| Marine Corps | Colonel | Col |  |
| Navy | Captain | CAPT |  |
| Air Force | Colonel | Col |  |
| Space Force | Colonel | Col | |
| Coast Guard | Captain | CAPT |  |
O-6 basic pay in 2026, by years of service
| Years of service | Monthly basic pay | Over 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or less | $8,751.30 | $105,016 |
| Over 2 | $9,613.80 | $115,366 |
| Over 3 | $10,245.00 | $122,940 |
| Over 6 | $10,284.30 | $123,412 |
| Over 8 | $10,725.00 | $128,700 |
| Over 10 | $10,783.50 | $129,402 |
| Over 14 | $11,396.40 | $136,757 |
| Over 16 | $12,479.70 | $149,756 |
| Over 18 | $13,115.40 | $157,385 |
| Over 20 | $13,751.10 | $165,013 |
| Over 22 | $14,112.90 | $169,355 |
| Over 24 | $14,479.20 | $173,750 |
| Over 26 | $15,188.70 | $182,264 |
| Over 30 | $15,408.30 | $184,900 |