Marine Corps Lieutenant GeneralO-9 LtGen (Previous)
Lieutenant General

Marine Corps General

O-10 General Officer, U.S. Marine Corps
No rank

Marine Corps Ranks » General RankGen PayGen Rank History

O-10 General - U.S. Marine Corps Ranks

Marine Corps General
Marine Corps O-10 General Marine Corps Military Ranks
Class General Officer
Abbr. Gen
Title General (last name)
Paygrade O-10 (DoD Paygrade)
OF-10 (NATO Code)
Basic Pay $16,975/mo

General is a four-star General Officer rank, and the highest rank attainable by a Marine Corps officer. The Marine Corps can have a maximum of sixty general officers, and of these only three may hold a four-starrank at any one time. Several of these slots are filled permanently, such as by the Commandant of the Marine Corps, who is a four-star general. A General typically has over 30 years of Army experience, and commands all operations taking place within their geographical area.

A four-star general is nominated for office by the President, and must be confirmed for duty by the Senate before they may begin their term of service. All four-star general ranks are temporary, and are tied to the positions held by the General. Four-star generals must retire after 40 years of service or after their 64th birthday, although this deadline can be extended by the Army Chief of Staff or the President.

General is the 27th rank in the United States Marine Corps , ranking above Lieutenant General. A general is a General Officer at DoD paygrade O-10, with a starting monthly pay of $16,975.

What is the proper way to address a General?

The correct way to address a General named Mr. Smith is "General Smith", or written as Gen Smith. In formal situations, a General should always be addressed by their full rank.

How much does a General earn?

Basic pay for an entry-level General with Over 20 years of experience is $16,974.90 per month.

A General receives an automatic raise to their basic pay every one to two years. Basic pay is only a small percentage of a General's final compensation package.

In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Marine Corps General may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including hazard pay, education allowance, housing allowance, food allowance, and more.

For full details on the Marine Corps' General compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Marine Corps General Pay Chart. A full table of the Marine Corps' current paygrades are available at the Marine Corps Pay Chart.

Equivalent Ranks to the Marine Corps' O-10 General

Air Force General - Equivalent to General
Air Force
General
Coast Guard Admiral - Equivalent to General
Coast Guard
Admiral

To learn more about the Marine Corps' rank structure, see our complete list of Marine Corps ranks.

The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a General is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Marine Corps rank to GS grade conversion table .

To see a list of military medals and decorations that can be earned by servicemembers in the Marine Corps and other branches of the military, see our list of military decorations and medals.