2026 military pay chart: basic pay by rank after the 3.8% raise

The 2026 military pay chart started on January 1, 2026, with a 3.8% raise in basic pay. That's the number the federal pay formula produced. The Congressional Research Service says this year's defense bill didn't change it, so the formula raise took effect on its own.

If you just want your number, the military pay calculator looks it up by grade and years of service. The rest of this page explains how the chart works and where people get tripped up.

How does the military pay chart work?

Two things set your basic pay: your pay grade and your years of service. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) publishes one table for enlisted members, one for warrant officers and one for commissioned officers.

Years of service move in steps. The columns go "2 or less," "over 2," "over 3," "over 4," and then every two years after that, all the way to "over 40." So an E-5 with four years and one month of service is paid in the "over 4" column until they pass six years.

Some boxes are blank on purpose. DFAS doesn't list E-9 pay below 10 years of service, for example, because nobody normally makes E-9 that fast.

2026 basic pay at common points

Here's what the 2026 chart pays per month at a few typical spots, with BAS added. Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) is the monthly food allowance. Enlisted members get $476.95 and officers get $328.48.

Grade and years of service	Monthly basic pay	Basic pay + BAS
E-1, 2 or less (after 4 months)	$2,407.20	$2,884.15
E-4, over 2	$3,303.00	$3,779.95
E-5, over 4	$3,946.80	$4,423.75
E-6, over 8	$4,612.80	$5,089.75
E-7, over 12	$5,591.70	$6,068.65
O-1, 2 or less	$4,150.20	$4,478.68
O-3, over 4	$7,382.70	$7,711.18

These numbers don't include BAH, special pays or deductions. Your Leave and Earnings Statement shows what you actually take home.

Why is my E-1 pay lower than the chart?

New recruits are paid less at first. DFAS sets E-1 pay at $2,225.70 a month until you have 4 months of active duty. After that you move to the regular E-1 rate of $2,407.20.

What are O-1E, O-2E and O-3E?

They're separate, higher rates for officers who served more than 4 years (at least 4 years and 1 day) as enlisted members, warrant officers or both before commissioning. The gap shows up quickly. At over 6 years of service, an O-1E earns $5,576.70 a month and a regular O-1 earns $5,222.40. That's $354.30 more a month for the prior service.

If you came up through the ranks, check that your LES shows the E rate.

Is there a cap on military pay?

Yes, two of them. DFAS notes that basic pay for O-7 through O-10 is limited to $18,999.90 a month in 2026, the rate for level II of the federal Executive Schedule. Pay for O-6 and below can't go over $15,408.30, the level V rate.

A few top enlisted leaders get a flat $11,166.90 a month, however long they've served. The Sergeant Major of the Army and the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy are two of them.

Which parts of military pay are taxed?

Basic pay is taxable. IRS Publication 3, the Armed Forces' Tax Guide, lists it as income you report, unless it's earned in a combat zone. BAS and BAH appear on the IRS list of allowances excluded from income.

That's why a BAH increase helps more than the same dollar amount added to basic pay. To see what housing adds for your duty station, use the BAH calculator or look up your area in BAH rates by location.

What changes next?

New pay tables come out every January. Military retirees and veterans have their own raise coming: the 2027 cost-of-living adjustment is 3.6%, which we covered in our article on the 2027 COLA. We'll load the 2027 basic pay chart into the calculator once DFAS publishes it.