Salary in the British Army is made up of three parts – core salary (which is based on rank) plus the supplement or step rate, plus the X-Factor.
On this page, you can find pay charts for all British Army ranks and for each step within that rank. Click on the links below to scroll to a specific section.
British Army pay rise 2023
In July 2023, the Government announced a 2023/24 pay rise for members of the army (and the rest of the armed forces) of 5%. In addition, all full-time UK Regular personnel will receive a £1,000 increase in basic salary.
This approach means that personnel receive an overall increase in 2023 of between 5.8% (one star officers) and 9.7% (most junior ranks).
How is pay set in the British Army
The Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB) reviews pay across the British Armed Forces. A range of organisations, including the Ministry of Defence, provide evidence and, each year the AFPRB produces a report with its recommendations for pay increases.
The Ministry of Defence reviews the report and takes the final decision on what pay rise should be given each year. It doesn’t have to accept the AFPRB’s recommendation, but it usually does.
The process is similar for all major groups working in the British Public Sector.
British Army X-Factor
The pay tables below all include additional X-Factor payments.
X-Factor payments exist to ensure that pay in the armed forces is comparable to pay for civilians working in the public sector. They are reviewed every five years, and are currently set at 14.5% on top of basic (core) pay for full time personnel.
X-Factor payments are pensionable.
British Army Pay Steps / Supplements
Every member of the Other Ranks in the British Army is placed into one of four trade supplement groups (also known as Steps). The value of these steps is paid in addition to core pay.
Steps are calculated based on scoring of evidence from Job Evaluations.
Step payments are, like X-Factor payments, pensionable.
New Recruit (OR-1)
New army recruits receive this salary while they are in basic training and phase 1 training. You can read more about British Army training on the army.mod.uk website.
| Level | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR-1 | £18,687 | £18,687 | £18,687 | £18,687 |
Private (OR-2)
New trainees move on to the Army Private pay scale as soon as they have successfully completed their training.
The salary of a private in the British Army includes a range of roles – so, for example, depending on your Regiment or Corps, this could be a Gunner, Rifleman, Guardsman, Sapper, Signaller or Kingsman.
There are nine bands of private pay – the top two are shared with lance corporals.
| Level | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR-2-9 / OR-3-2 | £32,148 | £32,965 | £33,589 | £34,166 |
| OR-2-8 / OR-3-1 | £30,769 | £31,460 | £32,055 | £32,596 |
| OR-2-7 | £29,473 | £30,039 | £30,633 | £31,012 |
| OR-2-6 | £28,213 | £28,605 | £29,095 | £29,459 |
| OR-2-5 | £27,227 | £27,245 | £27,636 | £28,000 |
| OR-2-4 | £25,937 | £26,228 | £26,530 | £26,530 |
| OR-2-3 | £24,400 | £24,400 | £24,400 | £24,400 |
| OR-2-2 | £24,400 | £24,400 | £24,400 | £24,400 |
| OR-2-1 | £23,496 | £23,496 | £23,496 | £23,496 |
Lance-Corporal (OR-3)
Lance Corporal Pay is split across three levels. The first two levels are the same as the top two levels of the private (OR-2) pay scale.
Lance Corporals in the British Army supervise small teams of up to four soldiers. They also often specialise in particular areas.
It is possible to move directly from basic training to a lance corporal role, but most lance corporals have served as a private first.
| Level | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR-3-3 | £33,596 | £34,497 | £35,203 | £35,870 |
| OR-2-9 / OR-3-2 | £32,148 | £32,965 | £33,589 | £34,166 |
| OR-2-8 / OR-3-1 | £30,769 | £31,460 | £32,055 | £32,596 |
Corporal (OR-4)
Corporals usually command a section in the British Army; they can also command tanks or guns. Often, corporals are supported by a Lance Corporal.
Promotion to Corporal usually comes after several years of military service.
There are six levels of pay for Corporals.
| Level | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR-4-6 | £38,190 | £39,439 | £41,062 | £42,260 |
| OR-4-5 | £37,668 | £38,918 | £40,348 | £41,451 |
| OR-4-4 | £37,174 | £38,407 | £39,537 | £40,504 |
| OR-4-3 | £36,646 | £37,677 | £38,689 | £39,599 |
| OR-4-2 | £35,718 | £36,728 | £37,711 | £38,622 |
| OR-4-1 | £35,718 | £36,728 | £37,711 | £38,622 |
Sergeant (OR5 / OR6)
Sergeant’s are non-commissioned officers. Usually they have at least ten years of experience in the army.
A Sergeant will typically be second in command of a platoon or equivalent, responsible for management and support of 25-30 soldiers, and for supporting junior officers.
Once appointed, Sergeants can progress up through six levels of pay.
| Level | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR-6-6 | £44,091 | £45,905 | £47,480 | £49,330 |
| OR-6-5 | £43,060 | £44,793 | £46,319 | £48,091 |
| OR-6-4 | £42,039 | £43,563 | £45,215 | £46,897 |
| OR-6-3 | £41,031 | £42,443 | £44,155 | £45,718 |
| OR-6-2 | £40,058 | £41,374 | £43,080 | £44,462 |
| OR-6-1 | £40,058 | £41,374 | £43,080 | £44,462 |
Staff Sergeant / Colour Sergeant (OR-7)
A Sergeant can be promoted to become a Staff Sergeant. This opens up a further six levels of pay.
A Staff Sergeant of the British Army is a management role, typically it involves managing the soldiers and resources for a 120 man company. They can also command platoons.
| Level | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR-7-6 | £47,792 | £49,748 | £52,055 | £53,734 |
| OR-7-5 | £47,068 | £49,025 | £51,050 | £52,919 |
| OR-7-4 | £46,375 | £48,332 | £50,176 | £52,045 |
| OR-7-3 | £45,658 | £47,614 | £49,326 | £51,196 |
| OR-7-2 | £44,966 | £46,815 | £48,477 | £50,393 |
| OR-7-1 | £44,966 | £46,815 | £48,477 | £50,393 |
Warrant Officer Class 2 (OR-8)
Warrant Officers are the most senior non-commissioned roles in the British Army.
Class 2 Warrant Officer is a senior management role within a company. They are often responsible for training, welfare and discipline of around 120 men and acting as senior advisors to commissioned officers, such as Majors. They can also take on more specialised roles.
In common with all non-commissioned ranks, there are six levels of pay for Warrant Officers Class 2.
| Level | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR-8-6 | £52,520 | £54,153 | £55,296 | £56,858 |
| OR-8-5 | £51,656 | £53,471 | £54,973 | £56,536 |
| OR-8-4 | £50,812 | £52,767 | £54,631 | £56,193 |
| OR-8-3 | £49,843 | £52,059 | £54,249 | £55,784 |
| OR-8-2 | £48,819 | £51,035 | £53,498 | £55,210 |
| OR-8-1 | £48,819 | £51,035 | £53,498 | £55,210 |
Warrant Officer Class 1 (OR-9)
Warrant Officer Class 1 is the highest non-commissioned rank in the Army and occupies the top six pay levels in the OR pay scale.
As well as being responsible for management and administration of hundreds of soldiers and officers.
Warrant Officers typically have at least 15-20 years experience.
| Level | Step 1 | Step 2 | Step 3 | Step 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR-9-6 | £58,559 | £58,559 | £58,559 | £60,111 |
| OR-9-5 | £57,976 | £57,976 | £57,976 | £59,586 |
| OR-9-4 | £57,340 | £57,340 | £57,340 | £59,028 |
| OR-9-3 | £56,703 | £56,703 | £56,703 | £58,477 |
| OR-9-2 | £56,383 | £56,383 | £56,383 | £57,989 |
| OR-9-1 | £56,383 | £56,383 | £56,383 | £57,989 |
Officer Cadet (OF-0)
Officer Cadets in the British Army are those undertaking their initial officer training. Pay for Officer Cadets is on a three point scale.
| Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| OF-0-3 | £23,924 |
| OF-0-2 | £21,778 |
| OF-0-1 | £18,555 |
Lieutenant / 2nd Lieutenant (OF-1)
Lieutenant is the first step on the officer ladder in the British Army.
The role can include commanding troops, administration, logistics, liaising with other organisations, and training other troops. Lieutenants will also normally undergo further training in their areas of specialty.
A second Lieutenant will usually be in post for 1 or 2 years, and a Lieutenant for a further 2-3 years. This is reflected in a pay scale with five levels.
| Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| OF-1-5 | £41,262 |
| OF-1-4 | £39,982 |
| OF-1-3 | £38,704 |
| OF-1-2 | £37,425 |
| OF-1-1 | £31,305 |
Captain (OF-2)
Captains are second-in-command of units of 120 soldiers.
They are responsible for a range of management roles and, during military operations are often responsible planning and tactics.
Captains are usually in post for between 5 and ten years and there are eight levels of pay for a Captain in the British Army.
| Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| OF-2-8 | £56,512 |
| OF-2-7 | £55,040 |
| OF-2-6 | £53,568 |
| OF-2-5 | £52,096 |
| OF-2-4 | £50,624 |
| OF-2-3 | £49,152 |
| OF-2-2 | £47,680 |
| OF-2-1 | £47,680 |
Major (OF-3)
Majors command sub-units in the British Army of 120 soldiers. An officer will usually need at least 8-10 years of service at Lieutenant and Captain before being promoted to Major.
This is a senior role where stability is key – because of this there are thirteen levels of Major pay.
| Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| OF-3-13 | £78,749 |
| OF-3-12 | £77,225 |
| OF-3-11 | £75,730 |
| OF-3-10 | £74,265 |
| OF-3-9 | £72,828 |
| OF-3-8 | £71,420 |
| OF-3-7 | £69,483 |
| OF-3-6 | £67,547 |
| OF-3-5 | £65,610 |
| OF-3-4 | £63,673 |
| OF-3-3 | £61,736 |
| OF-3-2 | £59,799 |
| OF-3-1 | £59,799 |
Lieutenant Colonel (OF-4)
A Lieutenant-Colonel in the British Army is responsible for commanding around 650 men in a regiment or battalion.
They are usually appointed as commanding officers for two years at time, and can rotate between postings.
There are eight levels in the Lieutenant Colonel pay scale.
| Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| OF-4-8 | £96,556 |
| OF-4-7 | £94,385 |
| OF-4-6 | £92,212 |
| OF-4-5 | £90,040 |
| OF-4-4 | £87,868 |
| OF-4-3 | £85,703 |
| OF-4-2 | £83,524 |
| OF-4-1 | £83,524 |
Colonel (OF-5)
A Colonel in the British Army does not usually operate as a field commander.
As the lowest staff rank, a Colonel will often work in a staff-officer role – ensuring that logistics and administration works effectively across entire brigades. Colonels also support and advise more senior officers, as well as mentoring & training more junior officers.
As with Lieutenant Colonels, there are eight levels of pay for Colonels.
| Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| OF-5-8 | £110,905 |
| OF-5-7 | £109,251 |
| OF-5-6 | £107,596 |
| OF-5-5 | £105,942 |
| OF-5-4 | £104,288 |
| OF-5-3 | £102,633 |
| OF-5-2 | £100,979 |
| OF-5-1 | £100,979 |
Brigadier (OF-6)
A Brigadier is a field officer rank in the British Army, and not a General rank.
As the title suggests, Brigadiers often command Brigades. However, they also often have more general or specialised management roles within the army. Brigadiers are tasked with strategic management at a large scale.
| Level | Salary |
|---|---|
| OF-6-6 | £124,964 |
| OF-6-5 | £123,759 |
| OF-6-4 | £122,554 |
| OF-6-3 | £121,349 |
| OF-6-2 | £120,143 |
| OF-6-1 | £120,143 |
Sources
Salary information on this page comes from the reports published by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body. You can find a link to this year’s report below, along with details of other key sources.
Armed Forces Pay Review Body Report