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United States Navy - O-4 Lieutenant Commander

O-4 Lieutenant Commander

Yearly Base Pay

$69,638 - $116,269

Monthly Base Pay

$5,803.20 - $9,689.10

Hourly Base Pay *

$36.27 - $60.56

Navy Lieutenant Commander - Rank Details


Lieutenant Commander (LCDR)

Classification Junior Officer
Abbreviation LCDR
NATO Code OF-4
Service United States Navy
Address Lieutenant Commander (last name) NEVER Lieutenant
What are a Lieutenant Commander's Responsibilities?

A Lieutenant Commander is the fourth rank among officers in the USN. You usually refer to them as "Lieutenant Commander", usually not "Commander", and never "Lieutenant" -- that would be an instant demotion!

"Billets" (jobs) held by LCDRs vary by community. In the Surface Warfare community, a LCDR may be the Commanding Officer of a smaller ship such as a Minesweeper. On larger ships such as Submarines or Destroyers, a LCDR may be either a senior Department Head or the Executive Officer (second-in-command). LCDRs are shown the due respect of a an officer prospecting to become a Commanding Officer of a larger ship or unit.

In the Direct Commission Officer community, O-4s are professionals with equivalent years of experience. For example, a surgeon with ten years of experience who joins the Navy may receive a commission and immediately receive the rank of LCDR.

What is a Lieutenant Commander's Paygrade?

A Lieutenant Commander is considered a Junior Officer, with a paygrade of O-4. The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly GS-12 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

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

Seal of the Navy Navy Lieutenant Commander Pay Calculator

Starting pay for a Lieutenant Commander is $5,803.20 per month, with raises for experience resulting in a maximum base pay of $9,689.10 per month. You can use the simple calculator below to see basic and drill pay for a Lieutenant Commander, or visit our Navy pay calculator for a more detailed salary estimate.


Basic Pay:

Drill Pay:

n/a Learn more
For an O-4 Lieutenant Commander with
years of experience.

Use the slider below to calculate the basic pay and drill pay for an O-4 Lieutenant Commander at varying years in his or her military career.

2 or less years

Over 40 years


Equivalent Ranks to a Navy Lieutenant Commander

A Lieutenant Commander is a Junior Officer, with a military paygrade of O-4. The civilian equivalent of this military rank is roughly GS-12 under the federal government's General Schedule payscale.

The table below lists the equivalent ranks of a Navy Lieutenant Commander, 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/navy/lieutenant-commander