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Air Force Lieutenant General

O-9 General Officer, U.S. Air Force
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Air Force Ranks » Lieutenant General RankLt Ge PayLt Ge Rank HistoryPromotion Information

O-9 Lieutenant General - U.S. Air Force Ranks

Air Force Lieutenant General
Air Force O-9 Lieutenant General Air Force Military Ranks
Class General Officer
Abbr. Lt Ge
Title General (last name)
Paygrade O-9 (DoD Paygrade)
OF-9 (NATO Code)
Basic Pay $16,445/mo

Lieutenant General (LtG) is a three star General Officer rank of the United States Air Force. It ranks just above Major General and below General. It is a temporary rank that is based on being appointed to a specific position that requires them to be a three star General Officer, and the rank expires when their term in office does. Lieutenant Generals are picked and appointed by the President from any Generals with the rank of Brigadier General or higher. The Secretary of Defense aids the President in this choice as well as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Senate must also give the nominee a majority vote before they can be appointed. Many statutes limit the tour length of three star General Officers, but extensions to their tour dates can be made by the President, Congress, the Air Force Secretary, or the Secretary of Defense, but this is rare, as it keeps lower ranks from moving up.

The rank insignia of a Lieutenant General is the same as a Major General, but it has three silver stars instead of two.

Lieutenant General is the 25th rank in the United States Air Force , ranking above Major General and directly below General. A lieutenant general is a General Officer at DoD paygrade O-9, with a starting monthly pay of $16,445.

What is the proper way to address a Lieutenant General?

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

How much does a Lieutenant General earn?

Basic pay for an entry-level Lieutenant General with Over 20 years of experience is $16,444.80 per month.

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

In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Air Force Lieutenant General may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including hazard pay, housing allowance, personal money allowance, retirement benefits, and more.

For full details on the Air Force's Lieutenant General compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Air Force Lieutenant 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-9 Lieutenant 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 Lieutenant General is paid under the General Schedule payscale. For more details, see this Air Force rank to GS grade conversion table .

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.