Cross-country comparison
MIL-9 (South Korea) vs GS-12 (United States)
South Korea · 공무원보수규정 별표 (11 salary schedules)
MIL-9
군인 (준위) — Military officers and NCOs — 13 ranks from Major General (소장) to Sergeant (하사).
₩30,531,600 – ₩68,314,800
FY 2026 · annual base · KRW
View full MIL-9 detail →United States · General Schedule (GS)
GS-12
Senior specialist and first-line supervisor level. Most common grade for experienced federal professionals.
$76,463 – $99,404
FY 2026 · annual base · USD
View full GS-12 detail →How they compare
A MIL-9 in the South Korea federal civil service earns between ₩30,531,600 and ₩68,314,800 per year at base rates, while a GS-12 in the United States federal civil service earns between $76,463 and $99,404. Both figures are annual base in each country’s currency, before locality adjustments, allowances, or bonuses.
Responsibilities at these grades are not directly comparable — each country’s civil service uses its own classification framework. See the linked authoritative sources for role scoping.