Military Calculators
Free tools for service members, veterans, and military families: 2026 basic pay, VA disability compensation, BRS vs. High-3 retirement, ACFT scoring, and Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits.
Last updated: October 2026
Military Pay Calculator
Look up 2026 monthly basic pay by pay grade and years of service, from E-1 through O-10, using the official DFAS pay table.
VA Disability Calculator
Estimate 2026 monthly tax-free VA disability compensation by rating and dependent status, using official VA rates.
BRS vs. High-3 Retirement
Compare monthly and lifetime pension under the Blended Retirement System versus the legacy High-3 system.
AFT Score Calculator
Score all five Army Fitness Test events, see your total out of 500, and check pass or fail under the general or combat MOS standard.
Post-9/11 GI Bill Calculator
See how many months of entitlement you have left and how your benefit tier, tuition coverage, and housing allowance work.
Planning your military financial life
Military compensation looks different from a civilian paycheck, and the differences matter when you plan. Basic pay is only the starting point: it is taxable, set by a single DoD-wide table by grade and years of service, and identical across every branch. But a large share of military compensation arrives as tax-free allowances, mainly Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS). Because those allowances are not taxed, a dollar of BAH is worth more than a dollar of salary, which is why comparing military and civilian offers on gross pay alone is misleading.
The calculators on this page cover the five questions service members and veterans ask most often. What is my basic pay? The pay calculator answers it from the 2026 table. What will the VA pay me? The disability calculator uses the 2026 VA compensation rates, which are tax-free and adjusted each year for inflation. Which retirement system is better for me? The BRS vs. High-3 comparison shows the pension math, though the full answer also involves TSP matching and continuation pay. Where do I stand on fitness? The ACFT calculator scores all six events. What education benefits remain? The GI Bill calculator tracks your 36 months of entitlement.
Basic pay is not total compensation
When service members compare military life to civilian jobs, the most common mistake is comparing basic pay to a civilian salary. The better comparison is Regular Military Compensation (RMC): basic pay plus BAH, BAS, and the federal tax advantage on the tax-free allowances. For many junior enlisted members, RMC is 40 to 60 percent higher than basic pay alone. Before you decide whether to stay in or get out, price the whole package, including no-cost health care (TRICARE), the GI Bill, and the pension you are building toward.
The Thrift Savings Plan deserves your attention early
The TSP is the military's 401(k)-style retirement account, and under the Blended Retirement System the government matches contributions up to 5 percent of basic pay (1 percent automatic plus up to 4 percent matching). That match is part of your compensation: contributing less than 5 percent leaves government money on the table every pay period. Starting early matters enormously because of compounding, so even small contributions in your first enlistment grow into serious money by retirement age.