Updated August 2026
O-2 Pay 2026 — First Lieutenant
Complete 2026 O-2 (First Lieutenant) base pay table by years of service, plus BAH rates and total compensation breakdown. All rates include the 3.8% pay raise effective January 1, 2026.
What O-2 Is Called in Each Branch
O-2 is a paygrade, not a rank. Every branch pays O-2 the same base pay from the same table — only the title changes. If you came here from a Navy or Coast Guard search, the numbers below are yours too.
| Branch | Rank at O-2 |
|---|---|
| Army | First Lieutenant (1LT) |
| Marine Corps | First Lieutenant (1stLt) |
| Navy | Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) |
| Air Force | First Lieutenant (1st Lt) |
| Space Force | First Lieutenant (1st Lt) |
| Coast Guard | Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) |
Rank titles: U.S. Department of War, Military Rank Insignia. Where a service lists two ranks at one paygrade, the job determines which one you hold — the pay is identical.
O-2 Base Pay Table — 2026
| Years of Service | Monthly Pay | Annual Pay |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or less | $4,782.00 | $57,384.00 |
| 2 | $5,446.20 | $65,354.40 |
| 3 | $6,272.40 | $75,268.80 |
| 4 | $6,484.50 | $77,814.00 |
| 6 | $6,617.70 | $79,412.40 |
All amounts reflect the 3.8% pay raise effective January 1, 2026. Source: DFAS.
O-2 base pay keeps rising through 6 years of service, from $4,782.00 at entry to $6,617.70. Promotion to O-3 is worth $1,119.30 more per month at that point ($13,432 a year) before any change in BAH.
O-2 BAH Rates — 2026 (With Dependents)
BAH for an O-2 with dependents ranges from $1,332 to $5,451 per month, with a national average of approximately $2,542/mo across 338 locations.
Top 5 Highest BAH Locations
- San Francisco, CA$5,451/mo
- Westchester County, NY$5,355/mo
- Nantucket, MA$5,115/mo
- New York City, NY$5,094/mo
- Northern New Jersey, NJ$5,049/mo
Top 5 Lowest BAH Locations
- Youngstown, OH$1,332/mo
- Anniston/Fort McClellan, AL$1,488/mo
- Fort Sill/Lawton, OK$1,491/mo
- Vance AFB/Enid, OK$1,509/mo
- Hattiesburg, MS$1,521/mo
Total Compensation Example — O-2 at 3 Years
BAH and BAS are tax-free allowances. Actual total compensation varies by duty station and dependency status. Use the Military Pay Calculator for a personalized estimate.
O-2 Drill Pay — Guard and Reserve
Guard and Reserve members at O-2 are paid from the same base pay table. One drill period pays 1/30 of the monthly base pay above, and a standard drill weekend is four periods.
| Years of service | 1 drill period | Drill weekend (4) | Annual (48 drills + 15 AT days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2 yrs | $159.40 | $637.60 | $10,042 |
| Over 4 yrs | $216.15 | $864.60 | $13,617 |
Drill periods are computed as monthly base pay ÷ 30 per DFAS Reserve Component drill pay rules; annual training is paid at the active-duty daily rate, so 15 AT days add 15 daily payments rather than 30 drill periods. Run your own numbers with the Drill Pay Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How O-2 pay changed in 2026
The 2026 pay raise added 3.8% to O-2 base pay compared with 2025 — $242 more per month at 6 years of service. Officer pay at this grade is capped by Executive Schedule limits at senior levels, so the table below shows where the raise actually lands.
| Years of service | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 2 yrs | $5,247/mo | $5,446/mo | +$200 (3.8%) |
| Over 6 yrs | $6,375/mo | $6,618/mo | +$242 (3.8%) |
| Over 12 yrs | $6,375/mo | $6,618/mo | +$242 (3.8%) |
Promotion is still the bigger lever: at 6 years of service, pinning on O-3 is worth $1,119 more per month in base pay alone ($13,432 a year) — before any change in BAH.
2025 figures: DoD pay tables (incl. the April 2025 junior-enlisted adjustment). 2026 figures: official tables effective January 1, 2026.