Vice Admiral Pay 2026
In the Navy and Coast Guard, a Vice Admiral is pay grade O-9, between Rear Admiral Upper Half and Admiral. Abbreviated VADM in the Navy and Coast Guard. Monthly basic pay in 2026 is O-9: $18,999.90. Annual pay is monthly × 12. Pay follows the grade, not the title: every branch uses the same DFAS table.
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 Vice Admiral?
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Navy | O-9 | Navy pay chart 2026 | None |
| Coast Guard | O-9 | Coast Guard pay chart 2026 | None |
Vice Admiral pay 2026 at O-9: monthly basic pay
O-9 is Vice Admiral pay in the Navy and Coast Guard. Monthly basic pay is $18,999.90; annual is monthly × 12, $227,998.80 a year. An asterisk marks pay held at an Executive Schedule cap. DFAS lists no O-9 basic pay for 20 years of service or less.
| Years of service | Monthly | Annual (monthly × 12) | 1 drill | 4 drills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 20 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-9 pay page and the BAS rates.
Vice Admiral 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-9 | $18,999.90 | $18,999.90*unchanged: held at the cap | $18,999.90*unchanged: held at the cap |
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-9 | Lieutenant General | Lieutenant General | Vice Admiral | Lieutenant General | Lieutenant General | Vice Admiral |
Promotion path from Vice Admiral
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.
- Navy: previous Rear Admiral Upper Half (O-8), $401.70 a month less; next Admiral (O-10), $0.00 a month more, at over 20 to 22 years of service.
- Coast Guard: previous Rear Admiral Upper Half (O-8), $401.70 a month less; next Admiral (O-10), $0.00 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.
Vice Admiral pay questions
How much does a Navy Vice Admiral make in 2026?
A Navy Vice Admiral is pay grade O-9. Basic pay under the DFAS table effective January 1, 2026 is O-9: $18,999.90 a month ($227,998.80 a year, monthly × 12). Basic pay only; BAH, BAS and special pays are separate.
How much does a Coast Guard Vice Admiral make in 2026?
A Coast Guard Vice Admiral is pay grade O-9. Basic pay under the DFAS table effective January 1, 2026 is O-9: $18,999.90 a month ($227,998.80 a year, monthly × 12). Basic pay only; BAH, BAS and special pays are separate.
How much does a VADM make in 2026?
VADM is the Navy and Coast Guard abbreviation for Vice Admiral, as the defense.gov rank insignia page prints them. A Vice Admiral is pay grade O-9 in the Navy and Coast Guard, paid $18,999.90 a month at O-9.
Is a Vice Admiral an O-9?
Yes. In the Navy and Coast Guard, a Vice Admiral is pay grade O-9, paid $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 Vice Admiral?
In the Navy, Admiral (O-10), paid $0.00 a month more at over 20 to 22 years of service. In the Coast Guard, Admiral (O-10), paid $0.00 a month more at over 20 to 22 years of service.
How much is Vice Admiral drill pay for a weekend?
A drill period is 1/30 of monthly basic pay, so a four-drill weekend for Vice Admiral is $2,533.32 at O-9.
What will Vice Admiral pay be in 2027?
Not final, and neither scenario is an official DFAS table. O-9: 2027 (7-6-5 tiered raise) gives $18,999.90; 2027 (3.6% raise) gives $18,999.90.