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Updated November 23, 2022
Defense Primer: Military Officers
Grade and Rank
Company-grade or junior-grade officers (pay grades O-1
The Armed Forces are hierarchical organizations with
to O-3) typically lead units with several dozen to several
clearly defined levels of authority. The different levels for
hundred personnel, or serve as junior staff officers. They
officers are defined in law and called grades, while rank
make up about 56% of the officer corps.
refers to the order of precedence among those in different
Field-grade or mid-grade officers (pay grades O-4 to O-6)
grades and within the same grade (e.g., someone who has
typically lead units with several hundred to several
been a Major for three years outranks someone who has
thousand personnel, or serve as senior staff officers. They
been a Major for two years; see 10 U.S.C. §741). However,
make up about 36% of the officer corps. The number of
it is common for the term rank to be used as a synonym for
officers in these grades is limited by law (10 U.S.C. §523).
grade. Pay grade is an administrative classification that
General or flag officers (pay grades O-7 to O-10) may
determines certain rates of pay, but it is sometimes used to
lead units or organizations with several thousand to
indicate grade as well. For example, a Lieutenant
hundreds of thousands of personnel or serve as staff for the
Commander in the Navy may be referred to as an O-4. See
largest military organizations. General and flag officers
Figure 1.
make up just under 0.4% of the officer corps. The number
Numbers and Roles
of officers in these grades is limited by law (10 U.S.C.
Officers make up about 18% of the Armed Forces, with
§§525-526a).
enlisted personnel making up the other 82%. Officers
Insignia
outrank all enlisted personnel. Table 1 below lists the
As shown in Figure 1, each officer grade in the Armed
number of active duty officers in each pay grade.
Forces has distinctive insignia, typically worn on the sleeve,
Warrant officers (pay grades W-1 to W-5) perform highly
shoulder, collar, and/or headgear (caps, berets, etc.).
technical or specialized work within their career field and
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, 2022)
Services
Pay Grade
Total
Air Force/Space
Army
Navy
Marine Corps
Force
O-10
16
10
3
12
41
O-9
46
34
17
55
152
O-8
108
68
29
81
286
O-7
118
104
36
126
384
O-6
3,767
3,265
655
3,423
11,110
O-5
8,902
6,760
1,950
9,917
27,529
O-4
16,131
10,837
4,011
14,685
45,664
O-3
27,212
18,895
5,826
21,847
73,780
O-2
12,209
7,324
3,861
8,005
31,399
O-1
10,111
7,241
2,886
6,790
27,028
W-5
571
85
110
0
766
W-4
1,848
479
301
0
2,628
W-3
3,339
747
652
0
4,738
W-2
5,940
680
950
0
7,570
W-1
3,343
20
204
0
3,567
Total
93,661
56,549
21,491
64,941
236,642
Source: Department of Defense, Defense Manpower Data Center.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: Military Officers
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
10 U.S.C. §§101(b), 523, 525-526a, 741, 742.
Resources (continued)
Department of Defense Instruction 1310.01, Rank and
Seniority of Commissioned Officers, August 23, 2013.
CRS Report R44389, General and Flag Officers in the U.S. Armed
Forces: Background and Considerations for Congress, by Lawrence
CRS Report R44496, Military Officer Personnel Management: Key
Kapp
Concepts and Statutory Provisions, by Lawrence Kapp
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Defense Primer: Military Officers
IF10685
Lawrence Kapp, Specialist in Military Personnel Policy
Disclaimer
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