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Navy Lieutenant CommanderO-4 Junior Officer, U.S. Navy |
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Navy Ranks » Lieutenant Commander Rank • LCDR Pay • LCDR Rank History
O-4 Lieutenant Commander -
Junior Officer -
U.S. Navy Ranks
Lieutenant Commander Navy Military Ranks
| Class | Junior Officer |
| Abbr. | LCDR |
| Title | Lieutenant Commander (last name) NEVER Lieutenant |
| Paygrade |
O-4 (DoD Paygrade) OF-4 (NATO Code) |
| Basic Pay | $5,803/mo |
Lieutenant Commander is the fourth commissioned officer's rank in the U.S. Navy, and is equivalent to the rank of Major in the other Armed Services. Lieutenant Commanders typically serve as mid-ranking officers in the excutive and command divisions of Navy vessels.
Lieutenant Commander is the 19th rank in the United States Navy , 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.
LTJGs are all but guaranteed to promote to full LT roughly two years after their commissioning date. Exceptions include officers who have received Non-Judicial Punishment for a serious offense such as a DUI. Prior-enlisted officers are ranked O3-E, and earn higher pay than their counterparts.
What is the proper way to address a Lieutenant Commander?
The correct way to address a Lieutenant Commander named Mr. Miller is "Lieutenant Commander Miller NEVER Lieutenant", or written as LCDR Miller. 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 Navy Lieutenant Commander may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including retirement benefits, hazard pay, housing allowance, clothing allowance, and more.
For full details on the Navy's Lieutenant Commander compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Navy Lieutenant Commander Pay Chart. A full table of the Navy's current paygrades are available at the Navy Pay Chart.
Equivalent Ranks to the Navy's O-4 Lieutenant Commander
To learn more about the Navy's rank structure, see our complete list of Navy ranks.
The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Lieutenant Commander is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Navy 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 Navy and other branches of the military, see our list of military decorations and medals.