United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
MIL-O3E Grade Salary
Commissioned Officer O-3E — O-3 with more than 4 years creditable prior enlisted service.
2026 salary range
$88,592 – $115,315
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | $109,645 | $9,137 | $53 |
| 10 | $112,043 | $9,337 | $54 |
| 11 | $115,315 | $9,610 | $55 |
| 12 | $115,315 | $9,610 | $55 |
| 13 | $115,315 | $9,610 | $55 |
| 14 | $115,315 | $9,610 | $55 |
| 15 | $115,315 | $9,610 | $55 |
| 16 | $115,315 | $9,610 | $55 |
| 17 | $115,315 | $9,610 | $55 |
| 18 | $115,315 | $9,610 | $55 |
| 19 | $115,315 | $9,610 | $55 |
| 20 | $115,315 | $9,610 | $55 |
| 21 | $115,315 | $9,610 | $55 |
| 22 | $115,315 | $9,610 | $55 |
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-O3E base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for MIL-O3E, 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% | $118,660 | $154,453 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $122,213 | $159,077 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $129,646 | $168,752 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $120,902 | $157,370 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $115,931 | $150,901 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $103,706 | $134,988 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $106,993 | $139,266 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $104,831 | $136,452 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $109,668 | $142,748 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $106,620 | $138,782 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $104,751 | $136,348 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $105,823 | $137,744 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $117,455 | $152,885 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $108,445 | $141,157 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $104,211 | $135,645 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $108,020 | $140,604 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $108,286 | $140,950 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $108,215 | $140,857 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $106,443 | $138,551 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $106,018 | $137,997 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $107,568 | $140,015 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $115,630 | $150,509 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $114,390 | $148,895 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $112,742 | $146,750 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $104,547 | $136,083 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $105,362 | $137,144 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $104,228 | $135,668 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $117,012 | $152,308 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $105,805 | $137,721 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $108,003 | $140,581 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $119,599 | $155,675 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $104,671 | $136,245 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $105,398 | $137,190 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $107,719 | $140,212 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $105,929 | $137,882 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $110,448 | $143,763 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $108,454 | $141,169 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $113,061 | $147,165 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $104,742 | $136,337 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $104,477 | $135,991 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $114,275 | $148,745 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $107,223 | $139,566 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $111,741 | $145,447 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $108,481 | $141,203 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $108,295 | $140,961 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $108,330 | $141,007 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $104,113 | $135,518 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $104,432 | $135,933 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $114,957 | $149,633 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $118,465 | $154,199 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $116,560 | $151,720 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $106,337 | $138,413 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $104,246 | $135,691 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $105,230 | $136,971 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $105,673 | $137,548 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $105,247 | $136,994 |
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-O3E make in the United States federal government?
A MIL-O3E in the United States federal civil service earns between $88,592 and $115,315 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-O3E 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.