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United States Marine Corps - 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

Marine Corps Captain - Rank Details


Captain (Capt)

Classification Commissioned Officer
Abbreviation Capt
NATO Code OF-3
Service United States Marine Corps
Address Captain (last name) While on a sea-going vessel: Major (last name)
What are a Captain's Responsibilities?

A Captain is the third rank among Officers in the USMC. This is not to be confused with Navy and Coast Guard Captains, who are O-6s.

The expectations for a Captain are ever higher than for a 1stLt. Captains form up roughly a third of Active Duty USMC Officers. They are expected to demonstrate sufficient leadership qualities as to take charge of tactical fire teams and casualty situations without hesitation. They are the principal mentors of Junior Officers and provide much training and direction for the rest of the unit. They usually spend some time as instructors before going to an advanced school, afterwards becoming Company Commanders or Battalion-level staff Officers. Sometimes they are Platoon Commanders for Special Forces. Legal Officers typically show up to their first units as Captains.

While on a Navy ship, a Marine O-3 is addressed as "Major" to preserve the ship's Captain's prestige.

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 Marine Corps.

Seal of the Marine Corps Marine Corps 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 Marine Corps 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 a Marine Corps 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 a Marine Corps 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/marine-corps/captain