United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
MIL-O3 Grade Salary
Commissioned Officer O-3 — Captain / Lieutenant.
2026 salary range
$66,409 – $108,050
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $66,409 | $5,534 | $32 |
| 2 | $75,287 | $6,274 | $36 |
| 3 | $81,245 | $6,770 | $39 |
| 4 | $88,592 | $7,383 | $43 |
| 5 | $92,844 | $7,737 | $45 |
| 6 | $97,506 | $8,126 | $47 |
| 7 | $100,508 | $8,376 | $48 |
| 8 | $105,458 | $8,788 | $51 |
| 9 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
| 10 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
| 11 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
| 12 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
| 13 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
| 14 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
| 15 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
| 16 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
| 17 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
| 18 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
| 19 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
| 20 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
| 21 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
| 22 | $108,050 | $9,004 | $52 |
Hourly computed assuming 2,080 annual working hours. Actual hourly rates on official tables may differ slightly.
Locality pay — total after geographic adjustment
Most US federal employees receive locality pay on top of the MIL-O3 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for MIL-O3, applied to base step 1 and step 10 respectively.
| Locality Area | Adjustment | Step 1 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCBWashington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | +33.94% | $88,948 | $144,722 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $91,611 | $149,055 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $97,183 | $158,120 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $90,628 | $147,456 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $86,903 | $141,394 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $77,738 | $126,483 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $80,202 | $130,492 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $78,582 | $127,856 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $82,208 | $133,755 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $79,923 | $130,038 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $78,522 | $127,758 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $79,326 | $129,066 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $88,045 | $143,253 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $81,291 | $132,264 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $78,117 | $127,099 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $80,972 | $131,745 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $81,172 | $132,070 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $81,119 | $131,983 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $79,790 | $129,822 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $79,472 | $129,303 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $80,634 | $131,194 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $86,677 | $141,027 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $85,747 | $139,514 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $84,512 | $137,504 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $78,369 | $127,510 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $78,980 | $128,504 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $78,130 | $127,121 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $87,713 | $142,712 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $79,312 | $129,044 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $80,959 | $131,724 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $89,652 | $145,868 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $78,462 | $127,661 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $79,007 | $128,547 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $80,747 | $131,378 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $79,405 | $129,195 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $82,792 | $134,706 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $81,298 | $132,275 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $84,751 | $137,893 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $78,515 | $127,748 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $78,316 | $127,423 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $85,661 | $139,374 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $80,375 | $130,773 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $83,762 | $136,283 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $81,318 | $132,307 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $81,178 | $132,080 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $81,205 | $132,124 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $78,044 | $126,980 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $78,283 | $127,369 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $86,172 | $140,206 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $88,802 | $144,484 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $87,374 | $142,161 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $79,711 | $129,692 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $78,143 | $127,142 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $78,881 | $128,342 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $79,213 | $128,882 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $78,894 | $128,363 |
Locality data sourced from U.S. Office of Personnel Management — Locality Pay XML tables. Last refreshed 2026-04-20. RUS ("Rest of U.S.") is the default for areas not otherwise listed. Law-enforcement, special-rate, and capped schedules not shown — see the OPM tables for specifics.
Frequently asked
How much does a MIL-O3 make in the United States federal government?
A MIL-O3 in the United States federal civil service earns between $66,409 and $108,050 per year in 2026, before locality adjustments, allowances, and bonuses. These figures are published by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Is the MIL-O3 grade the same in every agency?
The base pay scale is set centrally by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and applied uniformly across eligible federal employers, but agency-specific supplements, locality pay, and bargaining agreements can produce meaningful differences in take-home pay.
Where does this data come from?
Directly from U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/. Each page on FedSalary carries the retrieval date and a link back to the primary source.