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United States Army - O-3 Captain

Yearly Base Pay

$61,225 - $99,612

Monthly Base Pay

$5,102.10 - $8,301.00

Hourly Base Pay *

$31.89 - $51.88

Army Captain - Rank Details


Captain (CPT)

Classification Commissioned Officer
Abbreviation CPT
NATO Code OF-3
Service United States Army
Address Captain (last name)
What are a Captain's Responsibilities?

Captains are commissioned officers in the United States Army. They receive their commission upon appointment by the Secretary of the Army.

Their primary reason for existence is to serve as the commanders of company-sized elements (about 150 soldiers), although they can also serve as staff officers or spend some of their time in grade attending professional-development schools or courses intended to prepare them for greater responsibilities in the future (such work is always done post completion of the primary Captain job of company command).

Captains are the final authority in company-sized elements for every matter that the company deals with or that even a single member of the company is involved in. Officially, the US Army charges Captains with being responsible for everything a company does or fails to do.

They are legal enforcers of standards and discipline, aided in such charge by the First Sergeant. Additionally, they are the ultimate trainers of the members of the company, charged with ensuring that the company is always prepared to accomplish its missions. Finally, Captains are the ultimate financial authority at the company level, using such authority to ensure the company is properly resourced to accomplish its missions.

Captains can also serve as staff officers at higher unit levels, such as battalions or brigades, aiding in the resourcing, planning, and functioning of the unit at that higher level.

Finally, as noted, Captains can spend some of their time in grade in professional-development schools or courses, attending school to earn a masters degree or army-internal courses, all internees to prepare Captains for service as officers at higher levels of rank and responsibility.

What is a Captain's Paygrade?

A Captain is considered a Commissioned Officer, with a paygrade of O-3. The civilian equivalents of this military rank are roughly GS-10, GS-11 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

On this page you can learn more about a Captain's payscale, the process of becoming a Captain, and the history of the rank in the United States Army.

Seal of the Army Army Captain Pay Calculator

Starting pay for a Captain is $5,102.10 per month, with raises for experience resulting in a maximum base pay of $8,301.00 per month. You can use the simple calculator below to see basic and drill pay for a Captain, or visit our Army pay calculator for a more detailed salary estimate.


Basic Pay:

Drill Pay:

n/a Learn more
For an O-3 Captain with
years of experience.

Use the slider below to calculate the basic pay and drill pay for an O-3 Captain at varying years in his or her military career.

2 or less years

Over 40 years


Equivalent Ranks to an Army Captain

A Captain is a Commissioned Officer, with a military paygrade of O-3. The civilian equivalents of this military rank are roughly GS-10, GS-11 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

The table below lists the equivalent ranks of an Army Captain, and their insignia, in the other four branches of the United States' Armed Services.


** This Document Provided By www.FederalPay.org - The Civil Employee's Resource **
Source: www.federalpay.org/military/army/captain