Military Basic Pay Charts 2026
How much is military basic pay in 2026?
Basic pay is the foundation of military compensation: one national table, set by pay grade and years of service, shared by every branch. Below are the official 2026 monthly rates for every grade from E-1 to O-10, including the prior-enlisted officer grades O-1E to O-3E, after the 3.8% raise that took effect on January 1, 2026. Pick any grade for its full years-of-service table and annual amounts.
Basic pay is the foundation of military compensation: one national table, set by pay grade and years of service, shared by every branch. Below are the official 2026 monthly rates for every grade from E-1 to O-10, including the prior-enlisted officer grades O-1E to O-3E, after the 3.8% raise that took effect on January 1, 2026. Pick any grade for its full years-of-service table and annual amounts.
Last updated: October 2026
What is basic pay?
Basic pay is the regular taxable salary of a service member. It is the largest single piece of most military paychecks, it is the figure that retirement pay is calculated from, and it is identical across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard for the same pay grade and time in service. Two inputs set it, and only two: your pay grade (E-1 through E-9, W-1 through W-5, O-1 through O-10) and your cumulative years of service.
Basic pay is not the whole paycheck. Most members also receive BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) and BAS (Basic Allowance for Subsistence), both tax-free, plus any special and incentive pays for their job and assignment. Because the allowances are tax-free, total military compensation is worth more than the basic pay figure alone suggests. To see the full picture, use the military pay calculator or look up housing rates on the 2026 BAH rates by location pages.
The 2026 raise: 3.8%
Every rate in the 2026 table is 3.8 percent higher than the corresponding 2025 rate. The raise took effect on January 1, 2026. It was authorized by the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 119-60) under the long-standing formula in 37 U.S.C. 1009, which ties the default annual raise to the Employment Cost Index, and the new monthly rates were published in Schedule 8 of Executive Order 14368, signed December 18, 2025.
In practice, the raise is worth about $88.20 a month to a brand-new E-1 (now $2,407.20 per month) and about $151.80 a month to a new O-1 (now $4,150.20 per month), with larger dollar increases at higher grades. It normally appears in the mid-January paycheck, retroactive to January 1.
How basic pay is calculated
Step 1: find your pay grade. Your grade is your rank mapped to the pay table: a Sergeant in the Army is an E-5, a Captain in the Air Force is an O-3, and so on. Step 2: find your years-of-service step. Years of service are counted from your Pay Entry Base Date (PEBD), which your Leave and Earnings Statement shows. The table columns are headed "Over N": the Over 4 column pays once you have passed 4 years of service, so at exactly 4.0 years you are still paid at the Over 3 rate. That one-day distinction is the most common mistake people make reading a pay chart.
Two things move your basic pay during a career: the annual raise set by Congress, and your own progression, meaning longevity steps as you cross each service threshold and a new row of the table when you are promoted. Promotion is by far the bigger lever: moving from E-6 to E-7 at the same years of service is worth several hundred dollars a month, while a longevity step is usually worth $100 to $300.
Caps and special rates
Two statutory caps sit on top of the table. Basic pay for pay grades O-7 through O-10 cannot exceed the rate for Level II of the Executive Schedule, $18,999.90 per month in 2026, and basic pay for O-6 and below cannot exceed the Level V rate of $15,408.30 per month. The caps are why O-9 and O-10 pay one flat amount, and why the O-6 table stops rising at the Over 30 step. Three special rates in the same official table are worth knowing:
- E-1 with less than 4 months of service: $2,225.70 per month, before moving to the standard E-1 rate of $2,407.20.
- Senior enlisted member of a service: a flat $11,166.90 per month for an E-9 serving as, for example, Sergeant Major of the Army or Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, regardless of years of service.
- Cadets and midshipmen: $1,452.90 per month under 37 U.S.C. 203(c).
2026 basic pay at a glance
Monthly basic pay in US dollars: the first rate the table publishes for the grade, the Over 10 and Over 20 steps, and the grade's top rate. Each grade page carries the complete table at all 22 steps.
Enlisted
| Pay grade | Starting rate | Over 10 years | Over 20 years | Top rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $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 |
| E-3 | $2,836.80 | $3,198.00 | $3,198.00 | $3,198.00 |
| E-4 | $3,142.20 | $3,815.40 | $3,815.40 | $3,815.40 |
| E-5 | $3,342.90 | $4,395.30 | $4,421.70 | $4,421.70 |
| E-6 | $3,401.10 | $4,759.50 | $5,267.70 | $5,267.70 |
| E-7 | $3,932.10 | $5,300.40 | $6,245.70 | $7,067.40 |
| E-8 | $5,656.50 | $5,907.00 | $6,995.40 | $8,067.30 |
| E-9 | $6,910.20 | $6,910.20 | $8,105.10 | $10,729.20 |
Warrant officers
| Pay grade | Starting rate | Over 10 years | Over 20 years | Top rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W-1 | $4,056.60 | $5,786.10 | $7,010.10 | $7,010.10 |
| W-2 | $4,621.80 | $6,282.60 | $7,437.00 | $7,714.20 |
| W-3 | $5,223.30 | $6,910.50 | $8,476.50 | $9,162.60 |
| W-4 | $5,719.80 | $7,398.00 | $9,228.90 | $10,653.60 |
| W-5 | $10,169.70 | n/a | $10,169.70 | $13,308.30 |
Commissioned officers
| Pay grade | Starting rate | Over 10 years | Over 20 years | Top rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-1 | $4,150.20 | $5,222.40 | $5,222.40 | $5,222.40 |
| O-2 | $4,782.00 | $6,617.70 | $6,617.70 | $6,617.70 |
| O-3 | $5,534.10 | $8,375.70 | $9,004.20 | $9,004.20 |
| O-4 | $6,294.60 | $9,420.00 | $10,509.90 | $10,509.90 |
| O-5 | $7,295.40 | $9,928.50 | $12,032.70 | $12,394.80 |
| O-6 | $8,751.30 | $10,783.50 | $13,751.10 | $15,408.30 |
| O-7 | $11,540.10 | $13,639.20 | $16,817.70 | $17,242.20 |
| O-8 | $13,888.50 | $15,882.00 | $18,598.20 | $18,999.90 |
| O-9 | $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 |
Prior-enlisted officers
| Pay grade | Starting rate | Over 10 years | Over 20 years | Top rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-1E | $5,222.40 | $5,993.70 | $6,484.50 | $6,484.50 |
| O-2E | $6,484.50 | $7,183.80 | $7,663.50 | $7,663.50 |
| O-3E | $7,382.70 | $8,375.70 | $9,609.60 | $9,609.60 |
Pay charts by grade
Enlisted
- E-1 basic pay (Private: starts at $2,407.20 per month, top rate $2,407.20)
- E-2 basic pay (Private: starts at $2,697.90 per month, top rate $2,697.90)
- E-3 basic pay (Private First Class: starts at $2,836.80 per month, top rate $3,198.00)
- E-4 basic pay (Specialist: starts at $3,142.20 per month, top rate $3,815.40)
- E-5 basic pay (Sergeant: starts at $3,342.90 per month, top rate $4,421.70)
- E-6 basic pay (Staff Sergeant: starts at $3,401.10 per month, top rate $5,267.70)
- E-7 basic pay (Sergeant First Class: starts at $3,932.10 per month, top rate $7,067.40)
- E-8 basic pay (Master Sergeant: starts at $5,656.50 per month, top rate $8,067.30)
- E-9 basic pay (Sergeant Major: starts at $6,910.20 per month, top rate $10,729.20)
Warrant officers
- W-1 basic pay (Warrant Officer 1: starts at $4,056.60 per month, top rate $7,010.10)
- W-2 basic pay (Chief Warrant Officer 2: starts at $4,621.80 per month, top rate $7,714.20)
- W-3 basic pay (Chief Warrant Officer 3: starts at $5,223.30 per month, top rate $9,162.60)
- W-4 basic pay (Chief Warrant Officer 4: starts at $5,719.80 per month, top rate $10,653.60)
- W-5 basic pay (Chief Warrant Officer 5: starts at $10,169.70 per month, top rate $13,308.30)
Commissioned officers
- O-1 basic pay (Second Lieutenant: starts at $4,150.20 per month, top rate $5,222.40)
- O-2 basic pay (First Lieutenant: starts at $4,782.00 per month, top rate $6,617.70)
- O-3 basic pay (Captain: starts at $5,534.10 per month, top rate $9,004.20)
- O-4 basic pay (Major: starts at $6,294.60 per month, top rate $10,509.90)
- O-5 basic pay (Lieutenant Colonel: starts at $7,295.40 per month, top rate $12,394.80)
- O-6 basic pay (Colonel: starts at $8,751.30 per month, top rate $15,408.30)
- O-7 basic pay (Brigadier General: starts at $11,540.10 per month, top rate $17,242.20)
- O-8 basic pay (Major General: starts at $13,888.50 per month, top rate $18,999.90)
- O-9 basic pay (Lieutenant General: starts at $18,999.90 per month, top rate $18,999.90)
- O-10 basic pay (General: starts at $18,999.90 per month, top rate $18,999.90)
Prior-enlisted officers
- O-1E basic pay (Second Lieutenant, prior enlisted: starts at $5,222.40 per month, top rate $6,484.50)
- O-2E basic pay (First Lieutenant, prior enlisted: starts at $6,484.50 per month, top rate $7,663.50)
- O-3E basic pay (Captain, prior enlisted: starts at $7,382.70 per month, top rate $9,609.60)
Related military pay pages
- 2026 BAH rates by location: official housing allowance tables for all 338 Military Housing Areas.
- 2026 VA disability rates by rating: tax-free compensation tables from 10% to 100%.
- Military pay calculator: basic pay plus BAH and BAS in one estimate.
- BAH calculator 2026: housing allowance by grade and dependent status.
Military basic pay FAQs
What is military basic pay?
Basic pay is the main taxable salary paid to every member of the uniformed services. It is set by two things only: your pay grade and your cumulative years of service. It does not include the housing allowance (BAH), the food allowance (BAS), or any special and incentive pays, which are added on top.
How much did military basic pay go up in 2026?
Basic pay rose 3.8 percent on January 1, 2026, for every pay grade and every years-of-service step. The raise was authorized by the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act and the new rates were published in Schedule 8 of Executive Order 14368.
How is basic pay calculated?
Find your pay grade row and the years-of-service step that matches your cumulative service (computed from your Pay Entry Base Date). The table headings read "Over N": the Over 4 rate, for example, applies once you have passed 4 years of service. At exactly 4.0 years you are still paid at the Over 3 step.
Is basic pay the same in every branch?
Yes. The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard all pay basic pay from this single table. Rank titles differ by branch, but a given pay grade and years of service pay the same dollar amount everywhere.
What is the highest basic pay in 2026?
The highest payable basic pay is $18,999.90 per month, the statutory cap tied to Level II of the Executive Schedule, which is the rate paid to O-9 and O-10 officers and reached by O-8 officers at the Over 22 step. The highest enlisted table rate is $10,729.20 per month for an E-9 over 38 years, and the senior enlisted member of a service is paid a flat $11,166.90 per month.
Does basic pay include housing and food allowances?
No. BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) and BAS (Basic Allowance for Subsistence) are separate allowances paid on top of basic pay, and both are tax-free. In 2026, BAS is $476.95 per month for enlisted members and $328.48 per month for officers. BAH depends on your duty station, pay grade, and dependent status.