2026 Military Pay Chart: Basic Pay Tables
Military basic pay for 2026 rose 3.8 percent effective January 1, 2026, the raise signed into law with the FY2026 NDAA. Basic pay is identical across every branch for a given pay grade and years of service. Pick your grade and years of service below for your exact monthly and annual basic pay, or browse the full DFAS table and download it as CSV.
Basic Pay Lookup
Full 2026 Basic Pay Table (Monthly)
Scroll sideways to see every years of service bracket. A blank cell means DFAS publishes no rate for that combination (for example, E-9 below 10 years of service).
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Source: Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), Military Pay Tables, Basic Pay effective January 1, 2026 (posted January 2026). E-1 with less than 4 months of service: $2,225.70/month.
2026 Pay Raise in Context
The 3.8 percent raise for 2026 follows the statutory formula tied to private sector wage growth (the Employment Cost Index). It is smaller than the 4.5 percent raise of 2025, which also included targeted pay table reform for junior enlisted, but it continues an unbroken streak of annual military pay raises going back decades. For an E-5 with 6 years of service, 3.8 percent on the 2025 base lifted monthly basic pay to $4,110.00.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the 2026 military pay raise?
3.8 percent across the board, effective January 1, 2026. It was set by the statutory formula in 37 U.S.C. 1009 (tied to the Employment Cost Index) and enacted through the FY2026 NDAA signed December 18, 2025.
Is military pay the same in every branch?
Yes. Basic pay depends only on pay grade and years of service. An E-5 with 6 years earns $4,110.00 a month whether Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, or Coast Guard. Only the rank titles differ.
What is the difference between basic pay and total compensation?
Basic pay is taxable salary. Total cash compensation also includes tax free BAH and BAS plus a tax advantage, a combination DFAS calls Regular Military Compensation (RMC). Basic pay is usually a little over half of RMC for members with dependents.
Why are some table cells blank?
DFAS publishes no rate for grade and service combinations that cannot exist, like E-9 under 10 years of service or W-5 under 20 years. Prior enlisted officer grades (O-1E through O-3E) start at 4 years of service.
Why is senior officer pay capped?
By law, basic pay for O-7 through O-10 cannot exceed Level II of the Executive Schedule, which is $18,999.90 per month ($227,998.80 per year) in calendar year 2026. O-6 and below are capped at Level V ($15,408.30/month).
Where does this data come from?
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service publishes the official pay tables at dfas.mil under Military Members, Pay Tables. This page transcribes the January 2026 basic pay tables for enlisted, warrant officer, and commissioned officer grades.
Guides
How Much Does an E-5 Make in 2026?
Basic pay, BAH, and BAS added up with real numbers: what an E-5 actually takes home.
Military Pay Raise History: Where the 2026 3.8% Raise Fits
Every annual raise from 2014 to 2026, how the ECI formula works, and what came before.
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