What is the pay grade for a Rear Admiral?

• A. O-8
• B. O-7
• C. O-9
• D. O-10

Answer: (A)

In the Navy, officer pay grades use the O-number system. The title Rear Admiral exists in two forms: the lower-half version (one star) and the upper-half version (two stars). When people say “Rear Admiral” without qualifiers these days, they’re usually referring to the two-star rank, which corresponds to pay grade O-8. That’s the level shown by the pay scale for the senior two-star officer, sitting above Captain and below Vice Admiral. The one-star version is officially Rear Admiral Lower Half and is pay grade O-7, so recognizing the distinction helps you see why the typical interpretation of “Rear Admiral” points to O-8.