The difference in rank means that they may be responsible for making decisions involving up to 20,000 personnel. To be qualified for this position, a member of the military will need to have at least 16 years of military service, including some time spent in combat.

Pay for a Major General or Rear Admiral is $125,373 per year, and this figure does not include any bonuses or benefits that the person would be entitled to. Qualifying for available positions at this level is not an easy task, since only one out of every 750 officers currently have this rank.

Lieutenant General (3 Star) or Vice Admiral

The position of Lieutenant General (3 Star) or Vice Admiral is usually a temporary assignment, and it usually only lasts for three years. The person holding this rank will be in charge of up to 60,000 military personnel.

You would need to have at least 20 years of service in the military to be considered for this role. Combat experience is a requirement, as in the case of a Brigadier General or Major General. The appointment must be made by an Order of the President and confirmed by the Senate.

If you have the right stuff for this military job, you will be earning a salary of approximately $143,360 per year, not including bonuses and benefits.

This is a difficult rank to attain, since only one in every 1,750 officers currently serving get to this level of rank.

General (4 Star) or Admiral

The rank of General (Four Star) or Admiral means that the person is responsible for commanding up to 240,000 military personnel. As in the case of a Lieutenant General (3 Star) or Vice Admiral, this is a three-year appointment. The individual who attains this rank is a senior officer with at least 20 years of military service, some of which must be in a combat role.

The President appoints new Generals and Admirals to their positions, which must be confirmed by the Senate. The salary for this position works out to $163,900, not including bonuses or benefits. To achieve this top-ranked military position, you would need to be an exceptional officer, since only one of every 5,000 officers currently serving holds this rank.

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