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Coast Guard Lieutenant CommanderO-4 Junior Officer, U.S. Coast Guard |
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Coast Guard Ranks » Lieutenant Commander Rank • LCDR Pay • LCDR Rank History
O-4 Lieutenant Commander -
Junior Officer -
U.S. Coast Guard Ranks
Lieutenant Commander Coast Guard Military Ranks
| Class | Junior Officer |
| Abbr. | LCDR |
| Title | Lieutenant Commander (last name) |
| Paygrade |
O-4 (DoD Paygrade) OF-3 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $5,803/mo |
Lieutenant Commander is the fourth commissioned officer's rank in the U.S. Coast Guard and is equivalent to the rank of Major in the other Armed Services. Lieutenant Commanders generally serve as mid-ranking officers in the excutive and command divisions of Coast Guard vessels.
A Lieutenant Commander wears a uniform similar to that of a Line Officer, with the main difference being the lack of golden cap-brim embellishments; the hats with gold rims are known as known as "scrambled eggs".
Lieutenant Commander is the 20th rank in the United States Coast Guard , ranking above Lieutenant and directly below Commander. A lieutenant commander is a Junior Officer at DoD paygrade O-4, with a starting monthly pay of $5,803.
How do you become a Lieutenant Commander?
A Lieutenant Commander is most often promoted from Lieutenant (LT), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience.
After the Secretary of the Coast Guard has determined the number of vacant posts, a selection board is convened. To be eligible for advancement to the rank of Lieutenant-Commander, a Coast Guardsman should have served three years as a Lieutenant and shown a proven record of excellent performance, professionalism, leadership and education. These are the main criteria that will be looked at by the selection board in screening candidates for advancement. The best candidates are recommended for promotion and commissioned by the President of the United States.
What is the proper way to address a Lieutenant Commander?
The correct way to address a Lieutenant Commander named Mr. Rodriguez is "Lieutenant Commander Rodriguez", or written as LCDR Rodriguez. In formal situations, a Lieutenant Commander should always be addressed by their full rank.
How much does a Lieutenant Commander earn?
Basic pay for an entry-level Lieutenant Commander with 2 or less years of experience is $5,803.20 per month.
A Lieutenant Commander receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a Lieutenant Commander's final compensation package.
In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including hostile fire pay, housing allowance, food allowance, retirement benefits, and more.
For full details on the Coast Guard's Lieutenant Commander compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Pay Chart. A full table of the Coast Guard's current paygrades are available at the Coast Guard Pay Chart.
Equivalent Ranks to the Coast Guard's O-4 Lieutenant Commander
To learn more about the Coast Guard's rank structure, see our complete list of Coast Guard ranks.
The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Lieutenant Commander is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Coast Guard rank to GS grade conversion table 
.
To see a list of military medals and decorations that can be earned by servicemembers in the Coast Guard and other branches of the military, see our list of military decorations and medals.