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Army Major General

O-8 General Officer, U.S. Army
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Lieutenant General

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O-8 Major General - U.S. Army Ranks

Army Major General
Army O-8 Major General Army Military Ranks
Class General Officer
Abbr. MG
Title General (last name)
Paygrade O-8 (DoD Paygrade)
OF-7 (NATO Code)
Basic Pay $12,804/mo

Major General is a two-star General Officer rank, and the highest permanent peacetime rank in the Army. A Major General commands a division-sized unit of 10,000 to 15,000 soldiers.

A Major General can only be appointed through a stringent process of nomination and review by multiple offices and promotion boards. Officers receiving a commission as Major General are required to retire after five years of commission, or after 35 years of total service, unless promoted or reappointed.

Major General is the 26th rank in the United States Army , ranking above Brigadier General and directly below Lieutenant General. A major general is a General Officer at DoD paygrade O-8, with a starting monthly pay of $12,804.

What is the proper way to address a Major General?

The correct way to address a Major General named Mr. Weber is "General Weber", or written as MG Weber. In formal situations, a Major General should always be addressed by their full rank.

How much does a Major General earn?

Basic pay for an entry-level Major General with 2 or less years of experience is $12,803.70 per month.

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

In addition to a monthly basic pay salary, a Army Major General may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including hazard pay, food allowance, retirement benefits, and more.

For full details on the Army's Major General compensation and retirement plan, visit the 2024 Army Major General Pay Chart. A full table of the Army's current paygrades are available at the Army Pay Chart.

Military Occupational Specialties for Army's O-8 Major General

Infantry Officer

  • Active/Reserve:Active Duty
  • Officer/Enlisted:Officer
  • Restrictions:None
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

  • Active/Reserve:Active Duty
  • Officer/Enlisted:Officer
  • Restrictions:None
Family Medicine Physician

  • Active/Reserve:Both
  • Officer/Enlisted:Officer
  • Restrictions:None
Armor Officer

  • Active/Reserve:Active Duty
  • Officer/Enlisted:Officer
  • Restrictions:None
Field Veterinary Service

  • Active/Reserve:Both
  • Officer/Enlisted:Officer
  • Restrictions:None

To learn more about Military Occupational Specialties, see our complete list of MOS job titles.

Equivalent Ranks to the Army's O-8 Major General

Air Force Major General - Equivalent to Major General
Air Force
Major General
Coast Guard Rear Admiral - Equivalent to Major General
Coast Guard
Rear Admiral
Marine Corps Major General - Equivalent to Major General
Marine Corps
Major General

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

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

To see a list of military medals and decorations that can be earned by servicemembers in the Army and other branches of the military, see our list of military decorations and medals.