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Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade

O-2 Junior Officer, U.S. Navy
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Lieutenant

Navy Ranks » Lieutenant Junior Grade RankLTJG PayLTJG Rank HistoryPromotion Information

Rank badge of a Lieutenant Junior Grade O-2 Lieutenant Junior Grade - U.S. Navy Ranks

Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade
Navy O-2 Lieutenant Junior Grade Navy Military Ranks
Class Junior Officer
Abbr. LTJG
Title Lieutenant (last name) or Mr./Ms. (last name)
Paygrade O-2 (DoD Paygrade)
OF-2 (NATO Code)
Basic Pay $4,007/mo

Lieutenant Junior Grade, or LTJG, is the second commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, and is equivalent to the rank of First Lieutenant in other branches of the Armed Services. An LTJG usually serves as a billeted Division Officer, and leads a group of seamen and petty officers in specific divisions like Engineering or Intelligence.

Promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade from Ensign usually occurs about two years after an officer has received their commission as an Ensign. Sailors may receive earler or later promotions at the discretion of their commanding officers, based on their experience and display of leadership skills.

Lieutenant Junior Grade is the 17th rank in the United States Navy , ranking above Ensign and directly below Lieutenant. A lieutenant junior grade is a Junior Officer at DoD paygrade O-2, with a starting monthly pay of $4,007.

How do you become a Lieutenant Junior Grade?

A Lieutenant Junior Grade is most often promoted from Ensign (ENS), although promotion from lower paygrades may occur with sufficient display of leadership and experience. Click here to learn more about promotion to Lieutenant Junior Grade.

What is the proper way to address a Lieutenant Junior Grade?

The correct way to address a Lieutenant Junior Grade named Mr. Espinoza is "Lieutenant Espinoza or Mr./Ms. Espinoza", or written as LTJG Espinoza. In formal situations, a Lieutenant Junior Grade should always be addressed by their full rank.

How much does a Lieutenant Junior Grade earn?

Basic pay for an entry-level Lieutenant Junior Grade with 2 or less years of experience is $4,006.50 per month.

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

In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including housing allowance, clothing allowance, retirement benefits, hostile fire pay, and more.

For full details on the Navy's Lieutenant Junior Grade compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade Pay Chart. A full table of the Navy's current paygrades are available at the Navy Pay Chart.

Patch of a Lieutenant Junior Grade Equivalent Ranks to the Navy's O-2 Lieutenant Junior Grade

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

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

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.