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Air Force Major GeneralO-8 General Officer, U.S. Air Force |
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Air Force Ranks » Major General Rank • Maj G Pay • Maj G Rank History • Promotion Information
O-8 Major General - General Officer - U.S. Air Force Ranks
Major General Air Force Military Ranks
| Class | General Officer |
| Abbr. | Maj G |
| Title | General (last name) |
| Paygrade |
O-8 (DoD Paygrade) OF-8 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $12,804/mo |
Major General (MG) is the two star General Officer rank of the United States Air Force. It ranks just above Brigadier General and below Lieutenant General. During peacetime, it is the highest permanent rank. romotion to a Brigadier General is a lengthy process; it starts with a promotion board made of general officers; this board then creates a list of candidates for promotion, which is sent to the service secretary and joint chiefs for review before it is sent to the President through the Secretary of Defense for approval. The President chooses airmen for promotion from the list with the help of the Secretary of Defense and the Service Secretary.
Major General is a permanent rank, which means that even after the airman leaves this position, he is considered a Brigadier General still. Other than voluntary retirement, all Brigadier Generals must retire after five years in grade and/or a total of 35 years in service, whichever comes second. All General and Flag Officers must retire the month after their 64th birthday, unless an extension is made by the Secretary of Defense or the President. Most retire well before the limits so that their juniors may continue their advancement in rank.
The rank insignia of a Major General is the same as the Brigadier General's, except that it is two silver stars instead of just one.
Major General is the 24th rank in the United States Air Force , ranking above Brigadier General and directly below Lieutenant General. A major general is a General Officer at DoD paygrade O-8, with a starting monthly pay of $12,804.
What is the proper way to address a Major General?
The correct way to address a Major General named Mr. Gutierrez is "General Gutierrez", or written as Maj G Gutierrez. In formal situations, a Major General should always be addressed by their full rank.
How much does a Major General earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Major General with 2 or less years of experience is $12,803.70 per month.
A Major General receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Major General's final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Air Force Major General may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including personal money allowance, hazard pay, retirement benefits, and more.
For full details on the Air Force's Major General compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Air Force Major General Pay Chart. A full table of the Air Force's current paygrades are available at the Air Force Pay Chart.
Equivalent Ranks to the Air Force's O-8 Major General
To learn more about the Air Force's rank structure, see our complete list of Air Force ranks.
The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Major General is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Air Force rank to GS grade conversion table 
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To see a list of military medals and decorations that can be earned by servicemembers in the Air Force and other branches of the military, see our list of military decorations and medals.