§ 201. Pay grades: assignment to; general rules
(a)
For the purpose of computing their basic pay, commissioned officers of the uniformed services (other than commissioned warrant officers) are assigned by the grade or rank in which serving to the following pay grades:
| Pay grade | Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps | Navy, Coast Guard, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration | Public Health Service |
|---|---|---|---|
| O–10 | General | Admiral | Assistant Secretary for Health. |
| O–9 | Lieutenant general | Vice admiral | Surgeon General. |
| O–8 | Major general | Rear admiral | Deputy Surgeon General. |
| Assistant Surgeon General having rank of major general. | |||
| O–7 | Brigadier general | Rear admiral (lower half) | Assistant Surgeon General having rank of brigadier general. |
| O–6 | Colonel | Captain | Director grade. |
| O–5 | Lieutenant colonel | Commander | Senior grade. |
| O–4 | Major | Lieutenant commander | Full grade. |
| O–3 | Captain | Lieutenant | Senior assistant grade. |
| O–2 | 1st lieutenant | Lieutenant (junior grade) | Assistant grade. |
| O–1 | 2d lieutenant | Ensign | Junior assistant grade. |
(b)
For the purpose of computing their basic pay, warrant officers of the armed forces are assigned, by the warrant officer grade in which serving, to the following pay grades:
| Pay Grade: | Warrant Officer Grade: |
|---|---|
| W–5 | Chief Warrant Officer, W–5. |
| W–4 | Chief Warrant Officer, W–4. |
| W–3 | Chief Warrant Officer, W–3. |
| W–2 | Chief Warrant Officer, W–2. |
| W–1 | Warrant Officer, W–1. |
(c)
Unless entitled to the basic pay of a higher pay grade, an aviation cadet of the Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or Coast Guard is entitled to monthly basic pay at the lowest rate prescribed for pay grade E–4.
(d)
Unless he is entitled to the basic pay of a higher pay grade, an aviation pilot of the Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, or Coast Guard Reserve is entitled to monthly basic pay at the rate prescribed for pay grade E–5.
(e)
Except as provided by subsections (c) and (d), enlisted members of the uniformed services shall, for the purpose of computing their basic pay, be distributed by the Secretary concerned in the various enlisted pay grades set forth in section
203 of this title. However, except as provided by section
307 of this title, an enlisted member may not be placed in pay grade E–8 or E–9 until he has completed at least 8 years or 10 years, respectively, of enlisted service computed under section
205 of this title.