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United States Marine Corps - O-2 First Lieutenant

O-2 First Lieutenant

Yearly Base Pay

$52,902 - $73,210

Monthly Base Pay

$4,408.50 - $6,100.80

Hourly Base Pay *

$27.55 - $38.13

Marine Corps First Lieutenant - Rank Details


First Lieutenant (1stLt)

Classification Commissioned Officer
Abbreviation 1stLt
NATO Code OF-2
Service United States Marine Corps
Address Lieutenant (last name)
What are a First Lieutenant's Responsibilities?

A First Lieutenant is the second-lowest among Officer ranks in the USMC. This rank is held for two years until promotion to Captain.

1stLts typically have already spent a year or two in the Fleet, and probably have at least one deployment under their belt. Their fellow Marines have much higher expectations for 1stLts than for 2ndLts because of their experience. 1stLts may continue to be Platoon Commanders, or become Company Executive Officers (2nd-in-command of 80-250 Marines). Aviators most likely show up to their first Squadron as 1stLts.

What is a First Lieutenant's Paygrade?

A First Lieutenant is considered a Commissioned Officer, with a paygrade of O-2. The civilian equivalents of this military rank are roughly GS-8, GS-9 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

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

Seal of the Marine Corps Marine Corps First Lieutenant Pay Calculator

Starting pay for a First Lieutenant is $4,408.50 per month, with raises for experience resulting in a maximum base pay of $6,100.80 per month. You can use the simple calculator below to see basic and drill pay for a First Lieutenant, or visit our Marine Corps pay calculator for a more detailed salary estimate.


Basic Pay:

Drill Pay:

n/a Learn more
For an O-2 First Lieutenant with
years of experience.

Use the slider below to calculate the basic pay and drill pay for an O-2 First Lieutenant at varying years in his or her military career.

2 or less years

Over 40 years


Equivalent Ranks to a Marine Corps First Lieutenant

A First Lieutenant is a Commissioned Officer, with a military paygrade of O-2. The civilian equivalents of this military rank are roughly GS-8, GS-9 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

The table below lists the equivalent ranks of a Marine Corps First Lieutenant, 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/first-lieutenant