Pay in the U.S. Navy in 1898
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| Rear Admirals | $6,000 per year ($500 per month) |
| Commodores | $5,000 per year ($416.66 per month) |
| Captains | $4,500 per year ($375 per month) |
| Commanders | $3,500 per year (291.66 per month) |
| Lt. Commanders | $2,800-$3,000 per year ($233.33-$250 per month) |
| Lieutenants | $2,400-$2,600 per year ($200-$216.66 per month) |
| Lieutenants, j.g. | $1,800-$2,000 per year ($150-$166.66 per month) |
| Ensigns | $1,200-$1,400 per year ($100-$116.66 per month) |
| Naval Cadets | $950 (at sea) per year ($79.16 per month), $500 (at Academy) per year ($41.66 per month) |
| Mates | $1,200 per year ($100 per month) |
| Medical Directors, Inspectors Pay Directors, Inspectors Chief Engineers (at sea) |
$4,400 per year ($366.66 per month) |
| Fleet Surgeons, Fleet Paymasters, Fleet Engineers |
$4,400 per year ($366.66 per month) |
| Surgeons, Paymasters, Chief Engineers |
$2,800-$4,200 per year ($233.33-$350.00 per month) |
| Naval Constructors | $3,200 - $4,200 per year (266.66 to 350 per month) |
| Professors of Mathematics Civil Engineers |
$2,400 - $3,500 per year ($200 to $291.66 per month) |
| Chaplains | $2,500 - $2,800 per year ($208.33 to $233.33 per month) |
| Assistant Naval Constructors | $2,000 - $2,600 per year ($166.66 to $216.66 per year) |
| Passed Assistant Surgeons Paymasters |
$2,000-$2,200 per year ($166.66 - $183.33 per month) |
| Passed Assistant Engineers | $2,000 per year ($166.66 per month) |
| Assistant Surgeons, Paymasters Engineers |
$1,700-$1,900 per year ($141.66 - $158.33 per month) |
| Clerks | $1,200 - $1,800 per year ($100 to $150 per month) |
| Boatswains, Gunners, Carpenters, Sailmakers |
$1,200 per year ($100 per month) |
| Chief Machinists | $840 per year ($70 per month) |
| Chief Master-at-Arms | $780 per year ($65 per month) |
| Chief Yeoman, Apothecaries, 1st Class Boilermakers |
$720 per year ($60 per month) |
| 1st Classs Machinists | $660 per year ($55 per month) |
| Band Master | $624 per year ($52 per month) |
| Chief Boatswain's Mates, Chief Gunners Mates, Chief Gun Captains, Chief Carpenters Mates, Chief Quartermasters, 1st Class Coppersmiths, 1st Classs Blacksmiths |
$600 per year ($50 per month) |
| Plumbers and Fitters Stewards to Commander-in-chief Stewards to Commandants |
$540 per year ($45 per month) |
| 1st Class Boatswains Mates, 1st Class Gunner Mates, 1st Class Quartermasters, 1st Class Carpenters, 1st Class Gun Captains, 1st Class Sailmakers' Mates, 1st Class Yeomen 1st Class Water Tenders, Masters-at-arms Schoolmasters, 2nd Class Machinists Cooks to Commander-in-chief Cooks to Commandants |
$480 per year ($40 per month) |
| Oilers Cabin Stewards Wardroom Stewards |
$444 per year ($37 per month) |
| First Musicians | $432 per year ($36 per month) |
| 2nd Class Boatswains Mates 2nd Class Gunner Mates, 2nd Class Quartermasters, 2nd Class Gun Captains 2nd Class Carpenters Mates 2nd Class Yeomen 1st Class Firemen 1st Class Ships Cooks Printers |
$420 per year ($35 per month) |
| 1st Class Musicians Cabin Cooks Wardroom Cooks |
$384 per year ($32 per month) |
| 3rd Class Master-at-Arms 3rd Class Gunner Mates, 3rd Class Quartermasters, 3rd Class Carpenters Mates 3rd Class Yeomen 2nd Class Musicians 2nd Class Firemen 2nd Class Ships Cooks Buglers Painters Coxswains |
$360 per year ($30 per month) |
| Seamen Gunners | $312 per year ($26 per month) |
| Shipwrights Sailmakers Steerage Stewards 3rd Class Ships Cooks |
$300 per year ($25 per month) |
| Seamen Warrant Officers' Stewards |
$288 per year ($24 per month) |
| Coal Passers Steerage Cooks |
$264 per year ($22 per month) |
| Apprentices, 1st Class | $252 per year ($21 per month) |
| Warrant Officers' Cooks 4th Class Ships Cooks |
$240 per year ($20 per month) |
| Baymen | $216 per year ($18 per month) |
| Landsmen Mess Attendants |
$192 per year ($16 per month) |
| Apprentices, 2nd Class | $180 per year ($15 per month) |
| Apprentices, 3rd Class | $108 per year ($9 per month) |
Notes:
1. Where a range of pay is given, it is dependent on length of service.
2. Twenty cents was deducted from everyone's monthly pay and donated to the naval hospital system.
Crabtree, J.B., The Passing of Spain and the Ascendency of America (Springfield, MA: The King-Richardson Publishing Co., 1898) 360.
Register of the Commissioned and Warrant Officers of the Navy of the United States and of the Marine Corps to January 1, 1898. (Washington: Government Printing Office, 1898)