Second Lieutenant (2nd Lt) rank insignia is one gold bar. Pay grade is O-1. The "O" stands for officer. Terms of address are "Second Lieutenant" or "Lieutenant."

First Lieutenant (1st Lt) rank insignia is one silver bar. Pay grade is O-2. Terms of address are "First Lieutenant" or "Lieutenant."

captain is a company grade officer rank, with the pay grade of O-3. It ranks above first lieutenant and below major. It is equivalent to the rank of lieutenant in the other uniformed services. The insignia for the rank consists of two silver bars, with slight stylized differences between the Army/Air Force version and the Marine Corps version.

Major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. The pay grade for the rank of major is O-4. The insignia for the rank consists of a golden oak leaf, with slight stylized differences between the Army/Air Force version and the Marine Corps version.

A lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the rank of commander in the other uniformed services. The pay grade for the rank of Lieutenant Colonel is O-5. The insignia for the rank consists of a silver oak leaf, with slight stylized differences between the Army/Air Force version and the Navy/Marine Corps version.

In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, colonel is a senior field grade military officer rank just above the rank of lieutenant colonel and just below the rank of brigadier general. It is equivalent to the rank of captain in the other uniformed services–the Navy, Coast Guard, Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps.

A brigadier general in the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, is a one-star general officer, with the pay grade of O-7. Brigadier general ranks above a colonel and below major general. Brigadier general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral (lower half) in the other uniformed services. Brigadier General (Brig Gen) rank insignia is one silver star.

In the United States Air Force, major general is a two-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-8. Major general ranks above brigadier general and below lieutenant general. Major general is equivalent to the rank of rear admiral in the other uniformed services, and is the highest permanent rank during peacetime in the uniformed services.

In the United States Air Force, lieutenant general (abbreviated as Lt Gen in the Air Force, LtGen in the Marine Corps and as LTG in the Army) is a three-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-9. Lieutenant general is equivalent to the rank of vice admiral in the other uniformed services.

General is a four-star general officer rank, with the pay grade of O-10. The Marine Corps does not have an established grade above general. General is equivalent to the rank of admiral in the other uniformed services.

Being the highest possible rank in the United States Air Force, General of the Air Force ranks immediately above a general. There is no established equivalent five-star rank in the other four uniformed services (Marine Corps, Coast Guard, PHSCC, and NOAA Corps). The General of the Air Force rank is not currently active.