Army Lieutenant Salary 2026/27: OF-1 Take-Home
OF-1 covers both Second Lieutenant and Lieutenant, the first two commissioned ranks. Pay in 2026/27 starts at £35,925 on commissioning from Sandhurst and rises to £47,351 across five increment levels. Figures include X-Factor and the 3.6% award accepted on 9 June 2026.
Typical pay & take-home
- OF1-03
- £44,415
- Typical range
- £35,925–£47,351
- Take-home at median
- £35,498 England, no pension applied — use the salary calculator for your scheme.
At the median for this profession, you earn about 14% above the UK full-time median (£39,039), placing you in the top 41% of UK earners.
See exact take-home for £44,415 →
The AFPRB scales after the 3.6% award, with the four trade supplements for Other Ranks and take-home on a non-contributory pension: Armed forces pay scales 2026/27, every rank →
What influences army lieutenant (of-1) pay
The first increment is a step apart from the rest. OF1-01 pays £35,925 and OF1-02 pays £42,948 - a £7,023 jump, far larger than any later step, reflecting the move from Second Lieutenant to Lieutenant on completing initial training.
Officers have no trade supplements, so a Lieutenant on a given increment is paid one figure regardless of arm or corps.
The scale crosses the £50,270 higher-rate threshold nowhere - even the top increment stays inside the basic rate band, so the whole rank is taxed at 20% at the margin.
X-Factor is already included. The Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015 is non-contributory, so take-home is gross less Income Tax and National Insurance only.
Career progression
- Second Lieutenant (OF1-01): £35,925.
- Lieutenant (OF1-02 to OF1-05): £42,948 to £47,351.
- Captain (OF-2): £54,716 to £64,852.
- Major (OF-3): £68,624 to £81,960.
Frequently asked questions
- What does an Army Lieutenant take home 2026/27?
- On the £35,925 commissioning rate, take-home is about £29,386 a year or £2,449 a month, after Income Tax and National Insurance and with no pension deduction. At the £47,351 top of the OF-1 range it is about £37,612.
- Why is the first pay point so much lower than the second?
- OF1-01 is the Second Lieutenant rate, paid on commissioning. OF1-02 at £42,948 is the Lieutenant rate, reached on completing initial trade or corps training. The £7,023 gap between them is the largest single step anywhere on the OF-1 scale.