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| Lieutenant | |
|---|---|
    Insignia of the rank of Lieutenant (O-3) USN, USCG, USPHS, NOAA Corps | |
| Country |  United States |
| Service branch |  United States Navy United States Coast Guard United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps |
| Abbreviation | LT |
| Rank group | Junior Officer |
| NATOrank code | OF-2 |
| Pay grade | O-3 |
| Next higher rank | Lieutenant commander |
| Next lower rank | Lieutenant junior grade |
| Equivalent ranks | Captain (USA, USMC, USAF, USSF) |
The military rank oflieutenant is thecommissioned officer rank title associated with pay grades O-3 and O-2 in theUnited States Armed Forces military branches of theUnited States Navy and theUnited States Coast Guard.
It is also used in the commissioned officer ranks of the United States Uniformed Services of theNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration with theirNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps (NOAA-COO), and the medical arm of theUnited States Public Health Service with theirUnited States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (PHS-CC).
The rank of lieutenant is divided between the following:
Neither of the above naval style ranks should be confused with the rank ofSecond Lieutenant (pay grade O-1), in the U.S. Army, Air Force, Marine Corps and Space Force, which is equivalent to the rank ofEnsign in the Navy, Coast Guard, NOAA-COO & PHS-CC.
During theAmerican Civil War (1861–1865),brevet second lieutenants in the federalUnion Army and southernConfederate States Army were sometimes also known as "third lieutenants".
Civilian police and fire departments in the United States may also use the rank of lieutenant.
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