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Coast Guard Lieutenant Junior Grade

O-2 Junior Officer, U.S. Coast Guard
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Rank badge of a Lieutenant Junior Grade O-2 Lieutenant Junior Grade - U.S. Coast Guard Ranks

Coast Guard Lieutenant Junior Grade
Coast Guard O-2 Lieutenant Junior Grade Coast Guard Military Ranks
Class Junior Officer
Abbr. LTJG
Title Lieutenant (last name)
Paygrade O-2 (DoD Paygrade)
OF-1 (NATO Code)
Basic Pay $4,007/mo

Lieutenant Junior Grade (LTJG) is the second commissioned officer rank in the United States Coast Guard 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 ship divisions like Engineering or Intelligence.

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

Lieutenant Junior Grade is the 18th rank in the United States Coast Guard , 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.

According to the Defense Officer Personnel Management Act (DOPMA), advancement from Ensign to Lieutenant Junior Grade is automatic. A fully-qualified Ensign, after completing eighteen months' service, becomes eligible for 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. Smith is "Lieutenant Smith", or written as LTJG Smith. 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 Coast Guard Lieutenant Junior Grade may be eligible for multiple types of allowances and bonus pay including hazard pay, clothing allowance, personal money allowance, and more.

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

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

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

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

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