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Marine Corps Lieutenant General

O-9 General Officer, U.S. Marine Corps
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Marine Corps Ranks » Lieutenant General RankLtGen PayLtGen Rank History

O-9 Lieutenant General - U.S. Marine Corps Ranks

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

Lieutenant General is a three-star General Officer rank, and is generally a temporary rank that expires with the end of the general's active tour of duty or service. A Lieutenant General commands a corps-sized unit of 20,000 to 45,000 Marines, and may occasionally serve as a senior staff officer or department head in a domestic and overseas headquarters. The Commandant of the Marine Corps was a three-star general for some time following World War II.

Lieutenant Generals must retire after 38 years of service or the month after their 64th birthday, unless appointed for promotion or reappointed to their rank. In special situations, their rank may be extended by a special order of Congress or by the Commander-in-Chief.

Lieutenant General is the 26th rank in the United States Marine Corps , 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. Weber is "General Weber", or written as LtGen Weber. 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 Marine Corps Lieutenant General may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including hazard pay, hostile fire pay, personal money allowance, and more.

For full details on the Marine Corps' Lieutenant General compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Marine Corps Lieutenant 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-9 Lieutenant General

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

The Government civilian-employee equivalent of a Lieutenant 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.