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 (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%.