Updated August 2026
O-3 Pay 2026 — Captain
Complete 2026 O-3 (Captain) 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-3 Is Called in Each Branch
O-3 is a paygrade, not a rank. Every branch pays O-3 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-3 |
|---|---|
| Army | Captain (CPT) |
| Marine Corps | Captain (Capt) |
| Navy | Lieutenant (LT) |
| Air Force | Captain (Capt) |
| Space Force | Captain (Capt) |
| Coast Guard | Lieutenant (LT) |
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-3 Base Pay Table — 2026
| Years of Service | Monthly Pay | Annual Pay |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or less | $5,534.10 | $66,409.20 |
| 2 | $6,273.90 | $75,286.80 |
| 3 | $6,770.40 | $81,244.80 |
| 4 | $7,382.70 | $88,592.40 |
| 6 | $7,737.00 | $92,844.00 |
| 8 | $8,125.50 | $97,506.00 |
| 10 | $8,375.70 | $100,508.40 |
| 12 | $8,788.20 | $105,458.40 |
| 14 | $9,004.20 | $108,050.40 |
All amounts reflect the 3.8% pay raise effective January 1, 2026. Source: DFAS.
O-3 base pay keeps rising through 14 years of service, from $5,534.10 at entry to $9,004.20. Promotion to O-4 is worth $1,210.20 more per month at that point ($14,522 a year) before any change in BAH.
O-3 BAH Rates — 2026 (With Dependents)
BAH for an O-3 with dependents ranges from $1,686 to $6,633 per month, with a national average of approximately $2,789/mo across 338 locations.
Top 5 Highest BAH Locations
- Westchester County, NY$6,633/mo
- Maui County, HI$5,571/mo
- San Francisco, CA$5,556/mo
- New York City, NY$5,529/mo
- Nantucket, MA$5,442/mo
Top 5 Lowest BAH Locations
- Anniston/Fort McClellan, AL$1,686/mo
- Monroe, LA$1,728/mo
- Stevens Point, WI$1,746/mo
- Fort Sill/Lawton, OK$1,758/mo
- Youngstown, OH$1,767/mo
Total Compensation Example — O-3 at 6 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-3 Drill Pay — Guard and Reserve
Guard and Reserve members at O-3 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 | $184.47 | $737.88 | $11,622 |
| Over 4 yrs | $246.09 | $984.36 | $15,504 |
| Over 8 yrs | $270.85 | $1,083.40 | $17,064 |
| Over 12 yrs | $292.94 | $1,171.76 | $18,455 |
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-3 pay changed in 2026
The 2026 pay raise added 3.8% to O-3 base pay compared with 2025 — $283 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 | $6,044/mo | $6,274/mo | +$230 (3.8%) |
| Over 6 yrs | $7,454/mo | $7,737/mo | +$283 (3.8%) |
| Over 12 yrs | $8,467/mo | $8,788/mo | +$322 (3.8%) |
Promotion is still the bigger lever: at 6 years of service, pinning on O-4 is worth $595 more per month in base pay alone ($7,142 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.