How to become an admiral in the US Navy
Admiral is a rank reached by promotion board, and at the top it is not even a permanent one. The Navy uses four flag grades: Rear Admiral (Lower Half) at O-7, Rear Admiral (Upper Half) at O-8, Vice Admiral at O-9, and Admiral at O-10. What you can plan is the commission and the path through the field grades.
The route
Commission as an ensign through the Naval Academy, NROTC, Officer Candidate School or a direct commission. Progress by statutory selection board through lieutenant, lieutenant commander, commander and captain. Selection to O-7 is by a flag board convened by the Secretary of the Navy, with appointment by the President and confirmation by the Senate. Realistically that is 25 to 30 years of service; O-10 is typically 33 years or more, against a handful of billets.
Time in grade
Under 10 U.S.C. § 619(a)(2), three years in grade for lieutenant, lieutenant commander and commander — but only one year in grade for captain (O-6) and rear admiral lower half (O-7) before consideration.
What catches people out
Vice admiral and admiral are not permanent ranks. Under 10 U.S.C. § 601 the grade attaches to the position: an officer holds it only while appointed to that billet, and the appointment "ends on the date of the termination of the assignment of the officer to that position." Leave the job and, absent a statutory exception, you revert.
Admiral salary in the US Navy
Flag pay is unusual in two ways. It is capped: basic pay for O-7 through O-10 is limited to Level II of the Executive Schedule, so O-7 at twenty years is $16,817.70 and O-10 is $18,999.90 — a narrower spread than the ranks below it. And at O-9 and O-10 the grade attaches to the position rather than the officer, so leaving the billet means leaving the pay.
| Grade | ≤2 yrs | Over 4 | Over 8 | Over 12 | Over 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-1 | $4,150.20 | $5,222.40 | flat | flat | flat |
| O-2 | $4,782.00 | $6,484.50 | $6,617.70 | flat | flat |
| O-3 | $5,534.10 | $7,382.70 | $8,125.50 | $8,788.20 | $9,004.20 |
| O-4 | $6,294.60 | $7,881.00 | $8,816.40 | $9,888.30 | $10,509.90 |
| O-5 | $7,295.40 | $8,894.10 | $9,461.40 | $10,271.70 | $12,032.70 |
| O-6 | $8,751.30 | $10,245.00 | $10,725.00 | $10,783.50 | $13,751.10 |
These are basic pay only. They exclude the Basic Allowance for Housing, which varies by duty station and dependants, the Basic Allowance for Subsistence, and any special or incentive pays. Both allowances are untaxed, so total compensation is meaningfully higher than the table shows — comparing a military figure against a civilian salary is not comparing like with like.
Source: DFAS 2026 Basic Pay tables, effective 1 January 2026.
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