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Marine Corps Major Pay

O-4 Field Officer, U.S. Marine Corps
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Marine Corps Ranks » Major RankMaj PayMaj Rank History

Salary of a Major How much does an O-4 Major in the Marine Corps get paid?

A Major is a field officer in the United States Marine Corps at DoD paygrade O-4. A Major receives a monthly basic pay salary starting at $5,274 per month, with raises up to $8,805 per month once they have served for over 18 years.

In addition to basic pay, Majors may receive additional pay allowances for housing and food, as well as special incentive pay for hostile fire and dangerous duties.


Including the most common pay allowances, the average total compensation for a Major may range from $91,004.69 to $133,383.89 per year as of 2024.

Marine Corps Major 2024 Salary Marine Corps Major Basic Pay Table for 2024
Years Experience Monthly Basic Pay Yearly Basic Pay Drill Pay Hazard Pay
Starting Pay$5,273.70 / mo$63,284.40 / yr$175.79 / drill$225.00
Over 2 years$6,104.40 / mo$73,252.80 / yr$203.48 / drill$225.00
Over 3 years$6,512.40 / mo$78,148.80 / yr$217.08 / drill$225.00
Over 4 years$6,602.70 / mo$79,232.40 / yr$220.09 / drill$225.00
Over 6 years$6,980.70 / mo$83,768.40 / yr$232.69 / drill$225.00
Over 8 years$7,386.30 / mo$88,635.60 / yr$246.21 / drill$225.00
Over 10 years$7,891.80 / mo$94,701.60 / yr$263.06 / drill$225.00
Over 12 years$8,284.50 / mo$99,414.00 / yr$276.15 / drill$225.00
Over 14 years$8,557.50 / mo$102,690.00 / yr$285.25 / drill$225.00
Over 16 years$8,714.70 / mo$104,576.40 / yr$290.49 / drill$225.00
Over 18 years$8,805.30 / mo$105,663.60 / yr$293.51 / drill$225.00

Additional Pay & Allowances for an O-4

In addition to Basic Pay, a Major may be eligible to receive several types of allowances and incentive pay.

Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)

Basic Allowance for Housing is a monthly payment meant to subsidize a servicemember's housing while deployed. The amount of BAH received each month depends on the location in which they live.

The average Basic Housing Allowance for a Major with dependants is $2,385.86, or $2,029.73 with no dependants.

Basic Allowance for Subsistance (BAS)

All Marine Corps officers receive a monthly allowance for food and drink of $280.29.

Officers' BAS is lower than the enlisted BAS rate, as officers generally have access to subsidized meals in the Officers' Mess.

Hazard Pay / Hostile Fire Pay

A Major may receive hazard pay of $225.00 / mo while serving in an active combat zone or subject to hostile fire or other hazards.


Military Discounts & Benefits for Marines:

In addition to basic pay and allowances, active-duty marines, veterans, and even their families are eligible for hundreds of discounts and additional benefits offered by organizations and private companies like JetBlue , United Airlines , Verizon , and hundreds more.

Learn more about Military Discounts

Salary of a Major Major Pay Calculator for 2024

As this page shows, the total compensation paid to a Marine Corps Major is significantly more than just basic pay. This simple pay calculator can estimate the total compensation for a Major by adding basic pay to housing allowance (BAH) and subsistance allowance (BAS), the two largest payments received by most marines.

Marine Corps Major Pay Calculator Marine Corps Major Salary Calculator
O-4 Basic Pay with years service $63,284.40 per year
Average BAH allowance (no dependants) $24,356.81 per year
Average BAS allowance (officer) $3,363.48 per year
Total Estimated Compensation $91,004.69 per year

The Government civilian employee equivalent of a Major is paid under the General Schedule paygrade. To learn more, see this Marine Corps ranks to civilian General Schedule grades conversion table .