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Updated December 1, 2021
Defense Primer: Military Officers
Grade and Rank
Company-grade or junior-grade officers (pay grades O-1
The armed forces are hierarchical organizations with clearly
to O-3) typically lead units with several dozen to several
defined levels of authority. The different levels for officers
hundred personnel, or serve as junior staff officers. They
are defined in law and called grades, while rank refers to
make up about 56% of the officer corps.
the order of precedence among those in different grades and
Field-grade or mid-grade officers (pay grades O-4 to O-6)
within the same grade (e.g., someone who has been a Major
typically lead units with several hundred to several
for three years outranks someone who has been a Major for
thousand personnel, or serve as senior staff officers . They
two years; see 10 U.S.C. §741). However, it is common for
make up about 36% of the officer corps. The number of
the term rank to be used as a synonym for grade. Pay grade
officers in these grades is limited by law (10 U.S.C. §523).
is an administrative classification that determines certain
General or flag officers (pay grades O-7 to O-10) may
rates of pay, but it is sometimes used to indicate grade as
lead units or organizations with several thousand to
well. For example, a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy
hundreds of thousands of personnel or serve as staff for the
may be referred to as an O-4. See Figure 1.
largest military organizations. General and flag officers
Numbers and Roles
make up just under 0.4% of the officer corps. The number
Officers make up about 18% of the armed forces, with
of officers in these grades is limited by law (10 U.S.C.
enlisted personnel making up the other 82%. Officers
§525-526a).
outrank all enlisted personnel. Table 1 below lists the
Insignia
number of active duty officers in each pay grade.
As shown in Figure 1, each officer grade in the armed
Warrant officers (pay grades W-1 to W-5) perform highly
forces has distinctive insignia, typically worn on the sleeve,
technical or specialized work within their career field and
shoulder, collar, and/or headgear (caps, berets, etc.).
also, in the case of the Army, serve as helicopter pilots .
Warrant officers constitute about 8% of the officer corps.
Table 1. Active Duty Military Officers by Pay Grade (as of September 30, 2021)
Services
Pay Grade
Total
Air Force/Space
Army
Navy
Marine Corps
Force
O-10
16
9
3
13
41
O-9
48
39
20
50
157
O-8
105
63
30
96
294
O-7
129
110
36
134
409
O-6
3,903
3,278
659
3,357
11,197
O-5
9,139
6,756
1,959
9,946
27,800
O-4
16,179
10,722
4,004
14,497
45,402
O-3
27,227
18,927
5,952
21,401
73,507
O-2
12,286
7,196
3,988
8,666
32,136
O-1
9,737
6,954
2,818
6,713
26,222
W-5
543
85
108
0
736
W-4
1,972
467
309
0
2,748
W-3
3,475
733
594
0
4,802
W-2
5,849
670
944
0
7,463
W-1
2,835
10
277
0
3,122
Unknown
0
25
0
0
25
Total
93,443
56,044
21,701
64,873
236,061
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: Military Officers
Source: Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center.
Figure 1. Pay Grade, Grade, and Insignia of Officers
Source: CRS adaption of Department of Defense web page: https://dod.defense.gov/About/Insignias/Officers/
Resources
Resources (continued)
10 U.S.C. §§101(b), 523, 525-526a, 741, 742.
CRS Report R44389, General and Flag Officers in the U.S. Armed
Department of Defense Instruction 1310.01, Rank and
Forces: Background and Considerations for Congress, by Lawrence
Seniority of Commissioned Officers, August 23, 2013.
Kapp
CRS Report R44496, Military Officer Personnel Management: Key
Concepts and Statutory Provisions, by Lawrence Kapp
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: Military Officers
IF10685
Lawrence Kapp, Specialist in Military Manpower Policy
Disclaimer
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