Major General Pay 2026
In the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force, a Major General is pay grade O-8, between Brigadier General and Lieutenant General. Abbreviated MG in the Army, MajGen in the Marine Corps, and Maj Gen in the Air Force and Space Force. Monthly basic pay in 2026 is O-8: $13,888.50 to $18,999.90, depending on years of service.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Page reviewed against DFAS pay tables and defense.gov rank titles October 26, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Which pay grade is a Major General?
The title is one pay grade; the other branches use different titles for it (see below). Grades come from the defense.gov rank insignia page.
| Branch | Pay grade | Branch pay chart | Other titles at this grade in the branch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | O-8 | Army pay chart 2026 | None |
| Marine Corps | O-8 | Marine Corps pay chart 2026 | None |
| Air Force | O-8 | Air Force pay chart 2026 | None |
| Space Force | O-8 | Space Force pay chart 2026 | None |
Major General pay 2026 at O-8: monthly basic pay by years of service
O-8 is Major General pay in the Army and Marine Corps and Air Force and Space Force. Monthly basic pay is $13,888.50 to $18,999.90; annual is monthly × 12, $166,662.00 to $227,998.80 a year. An asterisk marks pay held at an Executive Schedule cap.
| Years of service | Monthly | Annual (monthly × 12) | 1 drill | 4 drills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 years or less | $13,888.50 | $166,662.00 | $462.95 | $1,851.80 |
| Over 2 to 3 years | $14,343.90 | $172,126.80 | $478.13 | $1,912.52 |
| Over 3 to 4 years | $14,645.40 | $175,744.80 | $488.18 | $1,952.72 |
| Over 4 to 6 years | $14,729.40 | $176,752.80 | $490.98 | $1,963.92 |
| Over 6 to 8 years | $15,106.50 | $181,278.00 | $503.55 | $2,014.20 |
| Over 8 to 10 years | $15,735.30 | $188,823.60 | $524.51 | $2,098.04 |
| Over 10 to 12 years | $15,882.00 | $190,584.00 | $529.40 | $2,117.60 |
| Over 12 to 14 years | $16,479.60 | $197,755.20 | $549.32 | $2,197.28 |
| Over 14 to 16 years | $16,651.80 | $199,821.60 | $555.06 | $2,220.24 |
| Over 16 to 18 years | $17,166.60 | $205,999.20 | $572.22 | $2,288.88 |
| Over 18 to 20 years | $17,911.80 | $214,941.60 | $597.06 | $2,388.24 |
| Over 20 to 22 years | $18,598.20 | $223,178.40 | $619.94 | $2,479.76 |
| Over 22 years | $18,999.90* | $227,998.80 | $633.33 | $2,533.32 |
Basic pay for O-7 to O-10 is limited to Executive Schedule Level II, which is $18,999.90 a month in calendar year 2026. Cells at the cap are marked with an asterisk.
Drill pay is 1/30 of monthly basic pay per drill period, four drills for a usual weekend; DFAS prints no drill table for this grade, so it is computed by the same rule. BAS for officer (commissioned and warrant) is $328.48 a month ($3,941.76 a year, monthly × 12) in 2026, paid on top of basic pay. See the full O-8 pay page and the BAS rates.
Major General pay in 2027: not final
Not final as of October 18, 2026. The President's tiered plan (7% for E-1 to E-5, 6% for E-6 to O-3, 5% for O-4 and above) would take effect January 1, 2027 unless Congress sets a different raise; the Senate Armed Services Committee's bill would set 3.6% for every grade. Neither is an official DFAS table.
| Pay grade | 2026 (official) | 2027 (7-6-5 tiered raise) | 2027 (3.6% raise) |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-8 | $13,888.50 to $18,999.90 | $14,583.00 to $18,999.90* | $14,388.60 to $18,999.90* |
Every grade and column is on the 2027 military pay chart.
Rank notes from the defense.gov insignia page
Commissioned officers hold presidential commissions and are confirmed at their ranks by the Senate. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps officers are called general officers in the paygrades of O-7 and higher (flag officers in the Navy).
Same pay grade, other branches
One pay grade has one basic pay and a different title in each branch. Select a title for its own page.
| Pay grade | Army | Marine Corps | Navy | Air Force | Space Force | Coast Guard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-8 | Major General | Major General | Rear Admiral Upper Half | Major General | Major General | Rear Admiral Upper Half |
Promotion path from Major General
The next lower and next higher pay grade in each branch, as the defense.gov rank list orders them, with the monthly basic pay difference at the length of service stated for that branch.
- Army: previous Brigadier General (O-7), $1,780.50 a month less; next Lieutenant General (O-9), $401.70 a month more, at over 20 to 22 years of service.
- Marine Corps: previous Brigadier General (O-7), $1,780.50 a month less; next Lieutenant General (O-9), $401.70 a month more, at over 20 to 22 years of service.
- Air Force: previous Brigadier General (O-7), $1,780.50 a month less; next Lieutenant General (O-9), $401.70 a month more, at over 20 to 22 years of service.
- Space Force: previous Brigadier General (O-7), $1,780.50 a month less; next Lieutenant General (O-9), $401.70 a month more, at over 20 to 22 years of service.
All titles are on the military rank pay page; the full table is the military pay chart 2026.
Major General pay questions
How much does an Army Major General make in 2026?
An Army Major General is pay grade O-8. Basic pay under the DFAS table effective January 1, 2026 is O-8: $13,888.50 to $18,999.90 a month ($166,662.00 to $227,998.80 a year, monthly × 12), depending on years of service. Basic pay only; BAH, BAS and special pays are separate.
How much does a Marine Corps Major General make in 2026?
A Marine Corps Major General is pay grade O-8. Basic pay under the DFAS table effective January 1, 2026 is O-8: $13,888.50 to $18,999.90 a month ($166,662.00 to $227,998.80 a year, monthly × 12), depending on years of service. Basic pay only; BAH, BAS and special pays are separate.
How much does an Air Force Major General make in 2026?
An Air Force Major General is pay grade O-8. Basic pay under the DFAS table effective January 1, 2026 is O-8: $13,888.50 to $18,999.90 a month ($166,662.00 to $227,998.80 a year, monthly × 12), depending on years of service. Basic pay only; BAH, BAS and special pays are separate.
How much does a Space Force Major General make in 2026?
A Space Force Major General is pay grade O-8. Basic pay under the DFAS table effective January 1, 2026 is O-8: $13,888.50 to $18,999.90 a month ($166,662.00 to $227,998.80 a year, monthly × 12), depending on years of service. Basic pay only; BAH, BAS and special pays are separate.
How much does an MG, MajGen or Maj Gen make in 2026?
MG is the Army abbreviation, MajGen is the Marine Corps abbreviation, and Maj Gen is the Air Force and Space Force abbreviation for Major General, as the defense.gov rank insignia page prints them. A Major General is pay grade O-8 in the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force, paid $13,888.50 to $18,999.90 a month at O-8, depending on years of service.
Is a Major General an O-8?
Yes. In the Army, Marine Corps, Air Force and Space Force, a Major General is pay grade O-8, paid $13,888.50 to $18,999.90 a month in 2026. Every branch uses the same basic pay table by grade; only the title differs.
What is the next rank after a Major General?
In the Army, Lieutenant General (O-9), paid $401.70 a month more at over 20 to 22 years of service. In the Marine Corps, Lieutenant General (O-9), paid $401.70 a month more at over 20 to 22 years of service. In the Air Force, Lieutenant General (O-9), paid $401.70 a month more at over 20 to 22 years of service. In the Space Force, Lieutenant General (O-9), paid $401.70 a month more at over 20 to 22 years of service.
How much is Major General drill pay for a weekend?
A drill period is 1/30 of monthly basic pay, so a four-drill weekend for Major General is $1,851.80 to $2,533.32 at O-8, depending on years of service.
What will Major General pay be in 2027?
Not final, and neither scenario is an official DFAS table. O-8: 2027 (7-6-5 tiered raise) gives $14,583.00 to $18,999.90; 2027 (3.6% raise) gives $14,388.60 to $18,999.90.