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Army Lieutenant ColonelO-5 Field Officer, U.S. Army |
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Army Ranks » Lieutenant Colonel Rank • LTC Pay • LTC Rank History • Promotion Information
O-5 Lieutenant Colonel -
Field Officer -
U.S. Army Ranks
Lieutenant Colonel Army Military Ranks
| Class | Field Officer |
| Abbr. | LTC |
| Title | Colonel (last name) |
| Paygrade |
O-5 (DoD Paygrade) OF-4 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $6,726/mo |
A Lieutenant Colonel is the second field officer grade commissioned officer rank. A Lieutenant Colonel generally serves as a Battalion Commander of a battalion consisting of 300 to 1,000 soldiers. As a Battalion Commander, Lieutenant Colonels are assisted by one or more Majors, many junior non-commissioned officers, and a Command Sergeant Major as principal enlisted advisor. A Lieutenant Colonel may also serve as an Executive Officer or Staff Officer in a variety of high-level units or command posts.
It will generally take an officer 16 to 22 years to rise to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. As a result, many career officers who are eligible to retire after 20 years of active service retire with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.
Lieutenant Colonel is the 23rd rank in the United States Army , ranking above Major and directly below Colonel. A lieutenant colonel is a Field Officer at DoD paygrade O-5, with a starting monthly pay of $6,726.
How do you become a Lieutenant Colonel?
A Lieutenant Colonel is most often promoted from Major (MAJ), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience. Click here to learn more about promotion to Lieutenant Colonel.
What is the proper way to address a Lieutenant Colonel?
The correct way to address a Lieutenant Colonel named Mr. Jones is "Colonel Jones", or written as LTC Jones. In formal situations, a Lieutenant Colonel should always be addressed by their full rank.
How much does a Lieutenant Colonel earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Lieutenant Colonel with 2 or less years of experience is $6,725.70 per month.
A Lieutenant Colonel receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Lieutenant Colonel's final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Army Lieutenant Colonel may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including retirement benefits, clothing allowance, hostile fire pay, hazard pay, and more.
For full details on the Army's Lieutenant Colonel compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Army Lieutenant Colonel Pay Chart. A full table of the Army's current paygrades are available at the Army Pay Chart.
Military Occupational Specialties for Army's O-5 Lieutenant Colonel
 | Cyber Operations Officer
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 | Warrant Officer Corps
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 | Anesthesiologist
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 | Orthopedic Surgeon
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 | Emergency Room Nurse
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To learn more about Military Occupational Specialties, see our complete list of MOS job titles.
Equivalent Ranks to the Army's O-5 Lieutenant Colonel
To learn more about the Army's rank structure, see our complete list of Army ranks.
The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Lieutenant Colonel is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Army rank to GS grade conversion table 
.
To see a list of military medals and decorations that can be earned by servicemembers in the Army and other branches of the military, see our list of military decorations and medals.