United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
MIL-O5 Grade Salary
Commissioned Officer O-5 — Lieutenant Colonel / Commander.
2026 salary range
$87,545 – $148,738
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $87,545 | $7,295 | $42 |
| 2 | $98,618 | $8,218 | $47 |
| 3 | $105,444 | $8,787 | $51 |
| 4 | $106,729 | $8,894 | $51 |
| 5 | $110,995 | $9,250 | $53 |
| 6 | $113,537 | $9,461 | $55 |
| 7 | $119,142 | $9,929 | $57 |
| 8 | $123,260 | $10,272 | $59 |
| 9 | $128,581 | $10,715 | $62 |
| 10 | $136,696 | $11,391 | $66 |
| 11 | $140,566 | $11,714 | $68 |
| 12 | $144,392 | $12,033 | $69 |
| 13 | $148,738 | $12,395 | $72 |
| 14 | $148,738 | $12,395 | $72 |
| 15 | $148,738 | $12,395 | $72 |
| 16 | $148,738 | $12,395 | $72 |
| 17 | $148,738 | $12,395 | $72 |
| 18 | $148,738 | $12,395 | $72 |
| 19 | $148,738 | $12,395 | $72 |
| 20 | $148,738 | $12,395 | $72 |
| 21 | $148,738 | $12,395 | $72 |
| 22 | $148,738 | $12,395 | $72 |
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-O5 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for MIL-O5, 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% | $117,258 | $199,220 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $120,768 | $205,184 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $128,113 | $217,663 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $119,473 | $202,983 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $114,561 | $194,639 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $102,480 | $174,113 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $105,728 | $179,631 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $103,592 | $176,002 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $108,372 | $184,123 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $105,360 | $179,006 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $103,513 | $175,868 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $104,573 | $177,668 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $116,067 | $197,197 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $107,164 | $182,070 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $102,979 | $174,961 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $106,744 | $181,356 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $107,006 | $181,802 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $106,936 | $181,683 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $105,185 | $178,709 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $104,765 | $177,995 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $106,297 | $180,598 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $114,264 | $194,133 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $113,038 | $192,051 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $111,410 | $189,284 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $103,312 | $175,526 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $104,117 | $176,894 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $102,997 | $174,990 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $115,629 | $196,453 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $104,555 | $177,638 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $106,726 | $181,326 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $118,186 | $200,796 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $103,434 | $175,734 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $104,152 | $176,954 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $106,446 | $180,851 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $104,678 | $177,846 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $109,142 | $185,432 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $107,173 | $182,085 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $111,725 | $189,819 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $103,504 | $175,853 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $103,242 | $175,407 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $112,924 | $191,857 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $105,956 | $180,018 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $110,421 | $187,603 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $107,199 | $182,130 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $107,015 | $181,817 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $107,050 | $181,877 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $102,883 | $174,797 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $103,198 | $175,332 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $113,598 | $193,002 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $117,065 | $198,892 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $115,183 | $195,695 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $105,080 | $178,530 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $103,014 | $175,020 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $103,986 | $176,671 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $104,424 | $177,415 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $104,003 | $176,701 |
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-O5 make in the United States federal government?
A MIL-O5 in the United States federal civil service earns between $87,545 and $148,738 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-O5 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.