Pay grades
O-8: major general and rear admiral
Two stars. The officer who commands an Army division of 10,000 to 16,000 Soldiers, titles by service and the 2026 pay row.
O-8: rank in each service, insignia and 2026 pay
Army, O-8 · Commissioned officer
Major General (MG)
General officer
| Marine Corps | Major General (MajGen) |
| Navy | Rear Admiral Upper Half (RADM) |
| Air Force | Major General (Maj Gen) |
| Space Force | Major General (Maj Gen) |
| Coast Guard | Rear Admiral Upper Half (RADM) |
| 2026 basic pay, over 28 years | $18,999.90 a month |
Limited to the Executive Schedule level II rate for 2026 (DFAS officer note 4).
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-8O-8 is the eighth commissioned officer pay grade, marked by two stars. It is major general in the Army (MG), the Marine Corps (MajGen), the Air Force and the Space Force (Maj Gen), and rear admiral upper half (RADM) in the Navy and the Coast Guard, simply "Rear admiral" in title 37 of the US Code. The Army describes its major generals as commanders of division-sized units of 10,000 to 16,000 Soldiers, with two brigadier generals as assistant division commanders. A major general outranks a brigadier general although "major" ranks below "lieutenant" among field grade officers, a naming oddity that comes from history. In 2026, O-8 basic pay starts at $13,888.50 a month and reaches the general officer cap of $18,999.90 from over 22 years.
What is a promotion worth in basic pay?
O-8 to O-9, over 28 years
+$0.00 / mo
| O-8 | $18,999.90 |
| O-9 | $18,999.90 |
| Over a year | +$0 |
Same years of service in both grades, 2026 DFAS table.
Ranks and pay tables read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Major general above lieutenant general?
No: the order is brigadier general, major general, lieutenant general, general. At field grade, a lieutenant colonel outranks a major; at general grade, a lieutenant general outranks a major general. The insignia settle it: two stars for the major general, three for the lieutenant general at O-9.
Quick check: 2026 basic pay
O-8, over 22 years
$18,999.90 / mo
| Over a year | $227,999 |
| Lowest rate of the grade | $13,888.50 |
| Highest rate of the grade | $18,999.90 |
Limited to the Executive Schedule level II rate for 2026 (DFAS officer note 4).
Pay at the cap
The O-8 row hits $18,999.90 over 22 years. From there, every cell of O-8, O-9 and O-10 is the same capped figure in 2026, which is why the table shows a flat line across the top of the officer scale.
O-8 in the six services
| Service | Rank | Abbreviation | Insignia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | Major General | MG | |
| Marine Corps | Major General | MajGen |  |
| Navy | Rear Admiral Upper Half | RADM |  |
| Air Force | Major General | Maj Gen |  |
| Space Force | Major General | Maj Gen | |
| Coast Guard | Rear Admiral Upper Half | RADM |  |
O-8 basic pay in 2026, by years of service
| Years of service | Monthly basic pay | Over 12 months |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or less | $13,888.50 | $166,662 |
| Over 2 | $14,343.90 | $172,127 |
| Over 3 | $14,645.40 | $175,745 |
| Over 4 | $14,729.40 | $176,753 |
| Over 6 | $15,106.50 | $181,278 |
| Over 8 | $15,735.30 | $188,824 |
| Over 10 | $15,882.00 | $190,584 |
| Over 12 | $16,479.60 | $197,755 |
| Over 14 | $16,651.80 | $199,822 |
| Over 16 | $17,166.60 | $205,999 |
| Over 18 | $17,911.80 | $214,942 |
| Over 20 | $18,598.20 | $223,178 |
| Over 22 | $18,999.90 | $227,999 |