United States Navy - O-3 Lieutenant
Yearly Base Pay $58,198 - $94,687
|
Monthly Base Pay $4,849.80 - $7,890.60
|
Hourly Base Pay *
$30.31 - $49.32
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Navy Lieutenant - Rank Details

Lieutenant (LT)
Classification | Junior Officer |
---|---|
Abbreviation | LT |
NATO Code | OF-3 |
Service | United States Navy |
Address | Lieutenant (last name) or Mr./Ms. (last name) |
What are a Lieutenant's Responsibilities?
A Lieutenant is the third rank among officers in the USN. This is not to be confused with LTs of the Army, Marines, and Air Force, who are O-1s and O-2s.
The expectations for a LT are ever higher than for a LTJG. At this point, the officer is expected to be fully warfare qualified and demonstrate sufficient leadership qualities as to take charge of tactical watch teams and casualty situations. They are the principal mentors of Junior Officers and provide much training and direction for the rest of the crew. On a ship, they can make emergency decisions on behalf of an absent Commanding Officer, such as sailing the ship underway from port if a damaging storm is imminent. They may even be Commanding Officers or Officer-in-Charge (OIC) for small ships or units -- like a SEAL Platoon or small Naval Support Activity (NSA).
In most communities, Lieutenants achieve their rank shortly before leaving their first sea-going command, then work at a shore-based command for two years before going to Department Head training and their next sea-based assignment. LTs then serve as Department Heads, responsible for a collection of related Divisions (e.g. Combat Systems, Engineering, Supply), and may promote to the next rank during this tour.
In the Direct Commission Officer community, LTs are fully qualified professionals, such as MDs, JDs, or PhDs.
What is a Lieutenant's Paygrade?
A Lieutenant is considered a Junior 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 Lieutenant's payscale, the process of becoming a Lieutenant, and the history of the rank in the United States Navy.
Navy Lieutenant Pay Calculator
Starting pay for a Lieutenant is $4,849.80 per month, with raises for experience resulting in a maximum base pay of $7,890.60 per month. You can use the simple calculator below to see basic and drill pay for a Lieutenant, or visit our Navy pay calculator for a more detailed salary estimate.
Use the slider below to calculate the basic pay and drill pay for an O-3 Lieutenant at varying years in his or her military career.
2 or less years
Over 40 years
Equivalent Ranks to a Navy Lieutenant
A Lieutenant is a Junior 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 Navy Lieutenant, and their insignia, in the other four branches of the United States' Armed Services.