Military Pay Guides
Free, plain-English guides to how U.S. military pay works in 2026 — for active duty and Reserve/National Guard. 79 guides, organized by topic.
Pay Charts & Rank Pay · Allowances, BAH & Family · Home Buying & VA Loans · Special & Incentive Pays · Reserve & National Guard · Taxes · Retirement, Benefits & Total Comp · Paychecks, Moves & Money Moves · Policy News (2027 & Reform)
Pay Charts & Rank Pay (24)
- 2026 Military Pay Chart: Basic Pay for Every Rank (E-1 to O-10)
The full 2026 basic pay chart (3.8% raise) for every enlisted, warrant, and officer rank. - How Much Does an E-5 Make in 2026? (Pay + BAH + Take-Home)
A 2026 E-5 makes $3,343–$4,422/mo basic pay — plus BAH & BAS. - How Much Does an E-4 Make in 2026? (Pay + BAH + Take-Home)
A 2026 E-4 makes $3,142–$3,815/mo basic pay — plus BAH & BAS. - How Much Does a Private / Airman Basic / Seaman Recruit (E-1) Make in 2026?
A 2026 E-1 (a Private) makes $2,407–$2,407/mo basic pay, plus BAH & BAS. - How Much Does a Private First Class / Lance Corporal / Airman First Class (E-3) Make in 2026?
A 2026 E-3 (a Private First Class) makes $2,837–$3,198/mo basic pay, plus BAH & BAS. - How Much Does a Staff Sergeant / Petty Officer First Class (E-6) Make in 2026?
A 2026 E-6 (a Staff Sergeant) makes $3,401–$5,268/mo basic pay, plus BAH & BAS. - How Much Does a Sergeant First Class / Gunnery Sergeant / Chief Petty Officer (E-7) Make in 2026?
A 2026 E-7 (a Sergeant First Class) makes $3,932–$6,598/mo basic pay, plus BAH & BAS. - How Much Does a Second Lieutenant / Ensign (O-1) Make in 2026?
A 2026 O-1 (a Second Lieutenant) makes $4,150–$5,222/mo basic pay, plus BAH & BAS. - How Much Does a Captain / Lieutenant (O-3) Make in 2026?
A 2026 O-3 (a Captain) makes $5,535–$9,004/mo basic pay, plus BAH & BAS. - How Much Does a Private / Seaman Apprentice / Airman (E-2) Make in 2026?
A 2026 E-2 (a Private) makes $2,698–$2,698/mo basic pay, plus BAH & BAS. - How Much Does a Master Sergeant / First Sergeant / Senior Chief Petty Officer (E-8) Make in 2026?
A 2026 E-8 (a Master Sergeant) makes $5,657–$7,909/mo basic pay, plus BAH & BAS. - How Much Does a Sergeant Major / Master Chief / Chief Master Sergeant (E-9) Make in 2026?
A 2026 E-9 (a Sergeant Major) makes $6,910–$9,268/mo basic pay, plus BAH & BAS. - How Much Does a First Lieutenant / Lieutenant Junior Grade (O-2) Make in 2026?
A 2026 O-2 (a First Lieutenant) makes $4,782–$6,618/mo basic pay, plus BAH & BAS. - How Much Does a Major / Lieutenant Commander (O-4) Make in 2026?
A 2026 O-4 (a Major) makes $6,294–$10,510/mo basic pay, plus BAH & BAS. - How Much Does a Lieutenant Colonel / Commander (O-5) Make in 2026?
A 2026 O-5 (a Lieutenant Colonel) makes $7,295–$12,394/mo basic pay, plus BAH & BAS. - Basic Training Pay 2026: What Recruits Earn (and When It Arrives)
Recruits earn $2,226/mo at E-1 — when the first deposit lands and what's deducted. - Warrant Officer Pay 2026: W-1 to W-5 Charts & Comparisons
W-1 starts at $4,057/mo; W-5 tops $13,308 — full tables. - O-1E / O-2E / O-3E: Prior-Enlisted Officer Pay Explained (2026)
Prior-enlisted officers earn the E-scales: O-1E over 8 yrs = $5,783 (+$561 vs O-1). - What a Promotion Is Worth: E-5 to E-6 in Real Dollars
E-5→E-6 = +$720/mo (incl. BAH bump) — and a steeper curve for 12 more years. - Officer vs Enlisted Pay: 20-Year Career Earnings Compared (2026)
20 years: enlisted ~$1,103,688 vs officer ~$2,061,144 in basic pay — and what closes the gap. - Does Military Pay Differ by Branch? Army vs Navy vs Air Force vs Marines
Pay is identical across branches — what really differs is job, deployments, and bonuses. - How Much Does a General Make? 2026 Flag Officer Pay (O-7 to O-10)
A 4-star (O-10) earns $18,808/mo — capped; O-9 and O-10 make the same. - Military Academy & ROTC Pay: What Cadets and Midshipmen Earn
Academy cadets earn ~$1,200+/mo + full tuition; ROTC $300–$500/mo — then commission as O-1. - How Much Does a Navy SEAL Make? Special Operations Pay (2026)
SEALs earn standard rank pay + stacked special pays (+$1,000–$1,800/mo) — tax-free when deployed.
Allowances, BAH & Family (10)
- 2026 BAH Rates Explained: Basic Allowance for Housing by ZIP
How 2026 BAH works — tax-free, set by ZIP, grade, and dependents. - 2026 BAS Rates: Basic Allowance for Subsistence ($476.95 / $328.48)
2026 BAS: $476.95 enlisted, $328.48 officer — tax-free. - BAH With vs Without Dependents: What's the Difference?
With-dependents BAH is higher — but doesn't scale with number of dependents. - Dislocation Allowance (DLA) 2026: The Tax-Free PCS Payment Explained
The tax-free PCS payment: $3,548 for an E-5 family in 2026 — and when it's NOT paid. - Dual-Military Couples & BAH: Two Allowances, One Rent
Two BAHs, one rent: a SD E-5+E-6 couple banks $6,504/mo tax-free. - Military COLA Explained: CONUS vs Overseas Rules (and Taxes)
Overseas COLA is tax-free; CONUS COLA is taxable — the rules in plain English. - BAH-Diff and Partial BAH Explained (2025 Rates)
Partial BAH and BAH-Diff: the two housing allowances almost nobody explains, with 2025 rates. - Military Family Money: Allowances & Programs Beyond BAH (2026)
FSA, child-care fee assistance, EFMP, MyCAA — the family money beyond BAH and BAS. - On-Base vs Off-Base Housing: The BAH Decision That Pays You
Live on base = forfeit BAH; off base = keep what's left of it, tax-free. The full trade-off. - Military Clothing Allowance: Uniform Money Explained (2026)
Enlisted get ~$400–$650/yr to replace uniforms; officers a one-time ~$400 — tax-free.
Home Buying & VA Loans (6)
- VA Home Loan & BAH: How Your Housing Allowance Buys a House
Lenders count BAH/BAS as income — $0 down, no PMI, and the BAH house-hack. - First-Time Military Homebuyer Guide: Buying with a VA Loan (2026)
VA loan step-by-step: COE, pre-approval (BAH counts), appraisal, funding fee, $0-down close. - VA Loan Funding Fee 2026: Rates, Exemptions & How to Avoid It
2.15% first use ($0 down), waived for disability/Purple Heart/surviving spouses. - VA Loan vs Conventional vs FHA: Best Mortgage for Military
VA usually wins ($0 down, no PMI) — when conventional or FHA make sense instead. - Buy or Rent at Your Next Duty Station? The PCS Decision
$0-down VA loan vs 8–10% transaction costs on a 3-year tour — a clear buy-vs-rent framework. - VA Loan Requirements 2026: Credit Score, DTI & Residual Income
No VA minimum score (lenders ~580–620) + the residual-income test BAH helps you pass.
Special & Incentive Pays (5)
- Military Special & Incentive Pays: 2026 Amounts (FSA, Jump, Sea, Flight…)
FSA $300, jump $150, flight up to $1,000 — every common special pay with 2026 amounts. - How Deployment Changes Your Paycheck: Real E-5 Example (2026)
A deployed E-5 nets +$753/mo — the full before/after LES math. - Military Bonuses & Taxes: The 22% Withholding and the Combat-Zone Play
22% withholding, installment rules, clawbacks — and the deployed-reenlistment tax play. - Military Flight Pay: ACIP, Aviation Bonus & What Pilots Make (2026)
ACIP up to $1,000/mo + a $15k–$35k/yr Aviation Bonus — what pilots really make. - Career Sea Pay & Submarine Duty Pay: The Navy's Extra Money (2026)
Career Sea Pay (up to ~$800/mo) and Sub Duty Pay ($75–$600+) — the Navy's extra money.
Reserve & National Guard (2)
- Reserve & National Guard Drill Pay Explained (2026)
How Reserve/Guard drill pay works — 1/30 of basic pay per period, plus retirement points. - National Guard Pay: Drill, Title 32 vs Title 10, and Activations
Guard drill = Reserve (~$132/period), but Title 32/10/SAD change everything when activated.
Taxes (3)
- States That Don't Tax Military Pay (2026)
The 9 no-income-tax states + how military state residence (SCRA) works. - Combat Zone Tax Exclusion (CZTE): How Combat Pay Becomes Tax-Free
One day in a combat zone = the whole month federally tax-free (officers capped). - Military Tax Filing 2026: Free MilTax, Combat-Zone Extensions & MSRRA
Free MilTax filing, automatic combat-zone extensions, and the MSRRA spouse-residency tax break.
Retirement, Benefits & Total Comp (15)
- Military TSP Explained: BRS Matching, 2026 Limits, Roth vs Traditional
BRS matches up to 5% of basic pay — how TSP works and the 2026 limit. - Military Retirement: BRS vs High-3 — What 20 Years Is Worth
20 years = 40–50% of your High-3 basic pay. BRS vs legacy, explained. - SGLI in 2026: $500k Coverage for $26/Month — Rates by Coverage Level
SGLI: $26/mo for $500k — 2026 premium table by coverage level. - What's Military Pay Worth in Civilian Salary? RMC Explained
E-5 in San Diego = $100,931/yr cash — what that's really worth in civilian salary. - What Military Health Care Is Worth: Tricare's Hidden Paycheck
Tricare is worth $18k–$25k/yr to a family — the paycheck that never hits your LES. - The GI Bill Is a Six-Figure Benefit: The Real Math
The Post-9/11 GI Bill is worth $100k–$160k+ — tuition + E-5 housing stipend + transfer. - Military Total Compensation vs Civilian Salary: Full-Stack Math
A mid-career E-5 family's full package ≈ $129,036/yr — the honest civilian comparison. - 2026 VA Disability Compensation Rates: Complete Tax-Free Pay Chart
2026 VA disability: $180/mo (10%) to $3,939/mo (100%), tax-free — plus the combined-ratings catch. - Military Separation & Severance Pay: Amounts, Taxes & Recoupment
Involuntary Separation Pay ≈ $29,592 for an E-5/6yr — and the VA recoupment trap. - Roth IRA vs TSP for Military: The Right Funding Order
Fund order: TSP to the 5% match → Roth IRA → back to TSP. Plus the deployed-Roth trick. - BRS Continuation Pay: The Mid-Career Bonus Explained (2026)
A BRS bonus at ~12 yrs: 2.5x–13x monthly basic pay (≥$12,610 for an E-6). - TSP Funds Explained: G, F, C, S, I & Lifecycle (L) Funds
G/F/C/S/I and the Lifecycle funds — what each holds and the young-member G-Fund trap. - Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP): Protect Your Military Pension After Death
SBP continues up to 55% of your pension to survivors for life (6.5% premium). - CRDP & CRSC: Get Both Military Retirement and VA Disability
CRDP & CRSC let retirees collect retired pay + VA disability — one taxable, one tax-free. - Military Divorce & Retirement Pay: The 10/10 Rule and USFSPA
Dividing a military pension: USFSPA + the 10/10 rule (who DFAS pays) explained.
Paychecks, Moves & Money Moves (11)
- 2026 Military Pay Raise: 3.8% Increase Explained
The 2026 raise is 3.8% — see the dollar increase by rank. - 2026 Military Pay Dates: Full Payday Calendar (1st & 15th Rules)
The full 2026 payday calendar — and why some deposits arrive early. - How to Read Your LES: Every Section of the Military Pay Stub
Every LES section decoded — and the 5 things to verify monthly. - Basic Needs Allowance (BNA): Who Qualifies and the BAH Fix Coming
The food-security top-up most families can't get yet — and the FY2027 fix. - Military Pay Raise History 2017–2027: Every Year's Increase
2.1% (2017) → 5.2% (2024) → tiered 7/6/5 proposal (2027) — the full decade. - PPM (DITY) Moves: How to Make Money on a Military PCS
A PPM pays 95% of the government move cost — do it cheap and pocket thousands. - Selling Military Leave vs Terminal Leave: What 30 Days Is Worth
Selling leave = 1 day basic pay/day ($4,110 for 30 days) — but terminal leave usually wins. - Why Is My Military Paycheck Different This Month? 9 Reasons
9 predictable reasons your deposit changed — and how to diagnose it from your LES. - SCRA Explained: The 6% Interest Cap & Military Financial Protections
The SCRA 6% cap forgives interest on pre-service debt — plus lease and foreclosure protections. - 2025 vs 2026 Military Pay: What Changed (Raise, BAH, BAS)
2026 vs 2025: +3.8% basic, +2.4% BAS, +4.2% BAH — the increase by rank. - Military Per Diem & TDY Pay: How Travel Reimbursement Works
TDY per diem: lodging up to a cap + a flat M&IE you keep — tax-free, on top of normal pay.
Policy News (2027 & Reform) (3)
- 2027 Military Pay Raise: 7%/6%/5% Tiered Proposal (Tracker & Charts)
Proposed: 7% (E-5 & below), 6% (E-6–O-3), 5% (O-4+) — tracker with estimated 2027 pay. - FY2027 NDAA: Every Pay & Benefits Change for Service Members
Plain-English breakdown of the June 5, 2026 House bill: raise, BNA fix, leave, health care. - BAH Reform: From 95% Back to 100% — What's Actually Changing
BAH has covered 95% since 2019 ($93–$212/mo out of pocket) — the push to restore 100%.
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