Pay & Entitlements
Basic Pay Calculator
FY20262026 military base pay — official DFAS rates. Same for all branches, determined by pay grade and years of service.
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Pick your pay grade, years of service, and component below.
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Full-time active duty monthly base pay.
Longevity increases
- • Base pay increases at 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, and 40 years of service
- • Not every pay grade has increases at every longevity step — check your specific rank
- • YOS includes all creditable military service, including prior enlisted time for officers
2026 pay raise
The 2026 military pay raise is 3.8%, effective January 1, 2026. The raise applies equally to all ranks and years of service. Base pay is the same regardless of duty station (unlike BAH).
Pay caps (Executive Schedule limits)
O-7 and above
$18,999.90/mo
Capped at Level II of the Executive Schedule. Applies to general and flag officers (O-7 through O-10).
O-6 and below
$15,408.30/mo
Capped at Level V. Applies to all ranks O-6 and below, including enlisted and warrant officers.
These caps limit the maximum base pay a member can receive, regardless of longevity. In practice, only the most senior officers with 30+ years approach these limits.
About military base pay
What is base pay? The fundamental component of military compensation. Determined by pay grade and years of service. Same for all branches. Does NOT include allowances (BAH, BAS) or special/incentive pays.
When is it paid? Active duty receives two paychecks per month: a mid-month payment (around the 15th) and an end-of-month payment (around the 30th/31st, sometimes earlier or as late as the 1st of the following month due to banking institution processing). Each paycheck is half the monthly base pay. If the scheduled payday falls on a weekend or federal holiday, pay typically deposits on the preceding business day. Exact dates published in the DFAS DJMS schedule.
Taxability: Fully subject to federal and state income tax (unlike BAH and BAS which are tax-free). Important when comparing military comp to civilian salaries.
Reserve/Guard: Earns 1/30 of monthly base pay per drill period. A typical drill weekend is 4 periods (2 per day). AT days are paid at the active-duty daily rate.
About this entitlement
What you need to know — straight from the regulation
What basic pay is
Basic pay is the monthly salary component of military compensation, set by 37 U.S.C. § 203 and administered under the DoD Financial Management Regulation (FMR), Volume 7A, Chapter 1. Basic pay is taxable income and is subject to federal income-tax withholding, FICA (Social Security and Medicare), and state income tax where applicable.
Each service member's rate is determined by pay grade (E-1 through E-9, W-1 through W-5, O-1 through O-10, and the O-1E / O-2E / O-3E "prior-enlisted" rates) and years of service (YOS). DFAS publishes the official rate tables each January.
37 U.S.C. § 203 · DoD FMR Vol. 7A, Chapter 1
How the 2026 tables were set
The CY2026 military basic pay raise reflects the Employment Cost Index (ECI) adjustment authorized by the annual National Defense Authorization Act, effective January 1, 2026. The official tables are published by DFAS and mirrored in this calculator's server data.
DFAS 2026 Military Pay Tables · National Defense Authorization Act for FY2026
How Reserve / Guard drill pay is derived
One drill period equals 1/30 of the monthly basic pay at the same grade and YOS. A standard drill weekend (2 days, 4 drill periods) pays 4/30 of the monthly rate. Annual Training (AT) pays the full daily basic-pay rate for each day on active-duty orders. Reserve component pay is administered under DoD FMR Vol. 7A, Chapter 58.
DoD FMR Vol. 7A, Chapter 58 · 37 U.S.C. § 206
Source & references
- Primary source
- DFAS 2026 Military Pay Tables — Basic Pay (Enlisted, Warrant, Officer, O-1E/O-2E/O-3E) — view official publication
- Regulatory reference
- DoD FMR Vol. 7A, Chapter 1 · 37 U.S.C. § 203 · Chapter 58 for RC
- Effective date
- January 1, 2026
- DFAS military pay tables
- https://www.dfas.mil/MilitaryMembers/payentitlements/Pay-Tables/
Military Toolkit is not affiliated with the Department of Defense, DFAS, DTMO, the Department of Veterans Affairs, or any government agency. Rates and rules on this page are pulled directly from the publications cited above. Always verify with your finance office, TMO, or the official rate page before making financial or planning decisions.
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REF: 37 U.S.C. § 203, effective 01 JAN 2026 · 3.8% pay raise
DoD FMR, Vol. 7A, Chapter 1 — DFAS Official Tables
Results are estimates. Always verify with your finance office.