2026 Military Pay Chart: Basic Pay for Every Rank and Year of Service

July 8, 2026 - 10 min read - Active Duty Pay

The pay below is today. Do you know what it becomes?

Twenty years in, half of your base pay follows you for life, and that pension is what your family plans around once the uniform comes off. Enter your rank and years and see your retirement number, after taxes and with your VA rating, in about a minute. Free, no account.

See my retirement number →

This is the complete 2026 military pay chart, transcribed from the official DFAS basic pay tables effective January 1, 2026. It covers monthly base pay for every grade, E-1 through O-10, including warrant officers and prior enlisted officers, at every year of service. The 3.8% raise from the FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law on December 18, 2025 and applies to all branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force.

These figures are basic pay only. Your total paycheck also includes tax-free allowances like BAH and BAS, plus any special pays. Planning for the long game instead? See what these numbers become as a pension with the free retirement calculator or the 2026 military retirement pay chart.

2026 Enlisted Pay Chart (E-1 to E-9)

Years of service 20 and below:

Grade2 or lessOver 2Over 3Over 4Over 6Over 8Over 10Over 12Over 14Over 16Over 18Over 20
E-1$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20
E-2$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90
E-3$2,836.80$3,015.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00
E-4$3,142.20$3,303.00$3,482.40$3,658.50$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40
E-5$3,342.90$3,598.20$3,775.80$3,946.80$4,110.00$4,299.90$4,395.30$4,421.70$4,421.70$4,421.70$4,421.70$4,421.70
E-6$3,401.10$3,743.10$3,908.10$4,068.90$4,235.70$4,612.80$4,759.50$5,043.30$5,130.30$5,193.60$5,267.70$5,267.70
E-7$3,932.10$4,291.50$4,456.20$4,673.10$4,843.80$5,135.70$5,300.40$5,591.70$5,835.00$6,000.90$6,177.30$6,245.70
E-8-----$5,656.50$5,907.00$6,061.80$6,247.20$6,448.20$6,811.20$6,995.40
E-9------$6,910.20$7,066.50$7,263.60$7,496.10$7,730.70$8,105.10

Over 22 to over 40 years:

GradeOver 22Over 24Over 26Over 28Over 30Over 32Over 34Over 36Over 38Over 40
E-1$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20$2,407.20
E-2$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90$2,697.90
E-3$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00$3,198.00
E-4$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40$3,815.40
E-5$4,421.70$4,421.70$4,421.70$4,421.70$4,421.70$4,421.70$4,421.70$4,421.70$4,421.70$4,421.70
E-6$5,267.70$5,267.70$5,267.70$5,267.70$5,267.70$5,267.70$5,267.70$5,267.70$5,267.70$5,267.70
E-7$6,475.20$6,598.20$7,067.40$7,067.40$7,067.40$7,067.40$7,067.40$7,067.40$7,067.40$7,067.40
E-8$7,308.30$7,481.70$7,908.90$7,908.90$8,067.30$8,067.30$8,067.30$8,067.30$8,067.30$8,067.30
E-9$8,423.10$8,756.70$9,267.90$9,267.90$9,730.20$9,730.20$10,217.40$10,217.40$10,729.20$10,729.20

Notes: An E-1 with fewer than 4 months of service receives a reduced rate. The senior enlisted advisor of each service (E-9 in a Note 3 position) receives $11,166.90 regardless of years of service.

2026 Warrant Officer Pay Chart (W-1 to W-5)

Years of service 20 and below:

Grade2 or lessOver 2Over 3Over 4Over 6Over 8Over 10Over 12Over 14Over 16Over 18Over 20
W-1$4,056.60$4,493.70$4,611.00$4,859.10$5,152.20$5,584.20$5,786.10$6,069.30$6,346.50$6,564.90$6,766.20$7,010.10
W-2$4,621.80$5,058.90$5,193.30$5,286.00$5,585.40$6,051.00$6,282.60$6,509.40$6,787.50$7,005.00$7,201.50$7,437.00
W-3$5,223.30$5,440.50$5,664.30$5,736.90$5,970.90$6,431.10$6,910.50$7,136.40$7,397.70$7,665.90$8,150.40$8,476.50
W-4$5,719.80$6,152.10$6,328.50$6,502.20$6,801.90$7,098.00$7,398.00$7,848.30$8,243.70$8,619.90$8,928.60$9,228.90
W-5-----------$10,169.70

Over 22 to over 40 years:

GradeOver 22Over 24Over 26Over 28Over 30Over 32Over 34Over 36Over 38Over 40
W-1$7,010.10$7,010.10$7,010.10$7,010.10$7,010.10$7,010.10$7,010.10$7,010.10$7,010.10$7,010.10
W-2$7,591.50$7,714.20$7,714.20$7,714.20$7,714.20$7,714.20$7,714.20$7,714.20$7,714.20$7,714.20
W-3$8,671.80$8,879.70$9,162.60$9,162.60$9,162.60$9,162.60$9,162.60$9,162.60$9,162.60$9,162.60
W-4$9,669.60$10,032.00$10,445.40$10,445.40$10,653.60$10,653.60$10,653.60$10,653.60$10,653.60$10,653.60
W-5$10,685.70$11,070.30$11,495.10$11,495.10$12,070.80$12,070.80$12,673.50$12,673.50$13,308.30$13,308.30

2026 Officer Pay Chart (O-1 to O-10)

Years of service 20 and below:

Grade2 or lessOver 2Over 3Over 4Over 6Over 8Over 10Over 12Over 14Over 16Over 18Over 20
O-1$4,150.20$4,320.00$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40
O-2$4,782.00$5,446.20$6,272.40$6,484.50$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70
O-3$5,534.10$6,273.90$6,770.40$7,382.70$7,737.00$8,125.50$8,375.70$8,788.20$9,004.20$9,004.20$9,004.20$9,004.20
O-4$6,294.60$7,286.40$7,773.60$7,881.00$8,332.20$8,816.40$9,420.00$9,888.30$10,214.40$10,401.60$10,509.90$10,509.90
O-5$7,295.40$8,218.20$8,787.00$8,894.10$9,249.60$9,461.40$9,928.50$10,271.70$10,715.10$11,391.30$11,713.80$12,032.70
O-6$8,751.30$9,613.80$10,245.00$10,245.00$10,284.30$10,725.00$10,783.50$10,783.50$11,396.40$12,479.70$13,115.40$13,751.10
O-7$11,540.10$12,076.20$12,324.30$12,522.00$12,878.70$13,231.80$13,639.20$14,045.70$14,454.30$15,735.30$16,817.70$16,817.70
O-8$13,888.50$14,343.90$14,645.40$14,729.40$15,106.50$15,735.30$15,882.00$16,479.60$16,651.80$17,166.60$17,911.80$18,598.20
O-9-----------$18,999.90
O-10-----------$18,999.90

Over 22 to over 40 years:

GradeOver 22Over 24Over 26Over 28Over 30Over 32Over 34Over 36Over 38Over 40
O-1$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40$5,222.40
O-2$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70$6,617.70
O-3$9,004.20$9,004.20$9,004.20$9,004.20$9,004.20$9,004.20$9,004.20$9,004.20$9,004.20$9,004.20
O-4$10,509.90$10,509.90$10,509.90$10,509.90$10,509.90$10,509.90$10,509.90$10,509.90$10,509.90$10,509.90
O-5$12,394.80$12,394.80$12,394.80$12,394.80$12,394.80$12,394.80$12,394.80$12,394.80$12,394.80$12,394.80
O-6$14,112.90$14,479.20$15,188.70$15,188.70$15,408.30$15,408.30$15,408.30$15,408.30$15,408.30$15,408.30
O-7$16,817.70$16,817.70$16,904.40$16,904.40$17,242.20$17,242.20$17,242.20$17,242.20$17,242.20$17,242.20
O-8$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90
O-9$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90
O-10$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90$18,999.90

Notes: O-9 and O-10 basic pay is capped at Level II of the Executive Schedule, which is $18,999.90 per month in 2026. Academy cadets, midshipmen, and ROTC members receive $1,452.90 per month.

2026 Prior Enlisted Officer Pay (O-1E to O-3E)

Officers with more than 4 years of creditable enlisted or warrant service are paid on the E scale below, which runs higher than the standard O-1 to O-3 rates at the same years of service.

Years of service 20 and below:

Grade2 or lessOver 2Over 3Over 4Over 6Over 8Over 10Over 12Over 14Over 16Over 18Over 20
O-1E---$5,222.40$5,576.40$5,783.10$5,993.70$6,200.70$6,484.50$6,484.50$6,484.50$6,484.50
O-2E---$6,484.50$6,617.70$6,828.00$7,183.80$7,458.90$7,663.50$7,663.50$7,663.50$7,663.50
O-3E---$7,382.70$7,737.00$8,125.50$8,375.70$8,788.20$9,137.10$9,336.90$9,609.60$9,609.60

Over 22 to over 40 years:

GradeOver 22Over 24Over 26Over 28Over 30Over 32Over 34Over 36Over 38Over 40
O-1E$6,484.50$6,484.50$6,484.50$6,484.50$6,484.50$6,484.50$6,484.50$6,484.50$6,484.50$6,484.50
O-2E$7,663.50$7,663.50$7,663.50$7,663.50$7,663.50$7,663.50$7,663.50$7,663.50$7,663.50$7,663.50
O-3E$9,609.60$9,609.60$9,609.60$9,609.60$9,609.60$9,609.60$9,609.60$9,609.60$9,609.60$9,609.60

What Base Pay Does Not Include

Base pay is usually 60 to 70 percent of total military compensation. On top of the chart figures, most members also receive:

Current allowance rates are published on the DFAS pay tables page.

National Guard and Reserve Drill Pay

Drill pay uses the same table. One drill period pays 1/30th of the monthly rate, and a standard drill weekend has four periods. An E-5 with 6 years of service earns $4,110.00 per month on this chart, so one drill period pays $137.00 and a full drill weekend pays about $548.00 before taxes.

What does this paycheck become when you take off the uniform?

Serve 20 years and half of your High-3 average follows you for life (40% under BRS), plus a COLA raise every year. For most people leaving the service, that pension is the anchor the whole plan hangs on. See your number, after taxes and with your VA rating, in about 30 seconds.

This chart is today's paycheck. The worksheet prices the pension it builds: 30-year value with COLA, federal tax through the real 2026 brackets, and your number ranked across all 50 states. One-time $4.99, or see a sample first.

2026 Military Pay FAQ

How much did military pay go up in 2026?

The FY2026 NDAA set a 3.8% raise effective January 1, 2026. Junior and mid-grade enlisted rates also reflect the pay reform that took effect in 2025, so year-over-year jumps are larger for some enlisted cells than the headline raise.

How much does an E-5 make in 2026?

An E-5 earns between $3,342.90 and $4,421.70 per month in base pay depending on years of service, plus BAH and BAS on top.

Does this chart include BAH or BAS?

No. The chart shows basic pay only. BAH and BAS are separate, tax-free, and for most members add well over a thousand dollars per month.

How much of this do I keep at retirement?

Under High-3 you keep 50% of your highest 36-month average at 20 years, plus 2.5% for each additional year, up to 75% at 30. Under BRS the multiplier is 2.0% per year. The retirement pay chart runs the math for every rank.

Share this guide: Facebook X LinkedIn

Get the 2027 pay chart the day it drops

One email when the 2027 raise is signed and the new tables publish. Pay chart updates only, nothing else.

Monthly updates only. No spam.

Related Articles

← Back to Blog