Branch chart · 2026
Air Force Pay Chart, 2026
Basic pay for Air Force members is the same national schedule as every other branch. Use the 2026 table for the rates.
- Rates
- EO 14368, Schedule 8
- Effective
- January 1, 2026
- Basic pay table
- Open the 2026 chart
- Checked
- 2026-11-01
Basic pay: the same for every branch
Monthly basic pay is one schedule for all uniformed services, set by grade and years of service (37 U.S.C. § 203(a)(1)). The 2026 rates are in Executive Order 14368, Schedule 8, effective January 1, 2026. The Air Force chart uses that same table.
Not on this page
Special and incentive pays, promotion timelines, and service-specific pay rules. This site does not publish these for Air Force yet. Basic allowance for housing depends on the housing area and is not a branch rate. For housing, use the BAH calculator.
Air Force rank titles
The table lists the Air Force title for each enlisted and officer grade in the DoD comparable-grades table. The source prints two E-9 rows: the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, and the general E-9 title, Chief Master Sergeant.
| Grade | Air Force title |
|---|---|
| O-10 | General |
| O-9 | Lieutenant General |
| O-8 | Major General |
| O-7 | Brigadier General |
| O-6 | Colonel |
| O-5 | Lieutenant Colonel |
| O-4 | Major |
| O-3 | Captain |
| O-2 | 1st Lieutenant |
| O-1 | 2nd Lieutenant |
| E-9 | Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force |
| E-9 | Chief Master Sergeant |
| E-8 | Senior Master Sergeant |
| E-7 | Master Sergeant |
| E-6 | Technical Sergeant |
| E-5 | Staff Sergeant |
| E-4 | Senior Airman |
| E-3 | Airman, First Class |
| E-2 | Airman |
| E-1 | Airman, Basic |
Senior positions with a fixed or capped basic pay rule
The DFAS notes name senior positions that have their own basic pay rule. Two of the listed positions are Air Force positions.
- Enlisted, E-9. For the positions listed in the notes, including the Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, basic pay is one amount regardless of years of service.
- Officer, O-7 to O-10. For the positions listed in the notes, including the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, basic pay is limited to the Executive Schedule level II rate for the calendar year.
Sources: DFAS: Basic Pay, Enlistedand DFAS: Basic Pay, Commissioned Officers, notes as published.
Aviation career incentive pay
Aviation career incentive pay (ACIP) is a monthly pay for rated aviators under 37 U.S.C. 301a. It is set by years of aviation service in ten bands, from $125 to $250 a month. For officers at O-7, the monthly amount is capped at $200. At O-8 and above, it is capped at $206 until 25 years of aviation service. The pay depends on entitlement and flying-duty rules, which the aviation pay calculator explains.
Source: 37 U.S.C. 301a. ACIP is not an Air Force-only rate. It applies to qualifying aviators in any service.
Housing allowances
BAH does not depend on the branch. It depends on grade, dependency status, and housing area. The BAH guideexplains how the rate is set, and the BAH calculator shows the 2025 DTMO rates by housing area.
Overseas housing allowance (OHA) is not published on this site. OHA applies to overseas assignments and is set separately from BAH. The site has no verified OHA rate table, so no OHA figure is shown.
Pay dates
Active-duty Air Force members are paid on the DFAS active-duty calendar, which also covers the other services. For January 2026, the first pay date is Jan. 15 and the second is Jan. 30. The 2026 pay dates page lists the full year.
Air Force rank pages
Each rank page shows 2026 basic pay by years of service for that grade.
Not published on this site
- Air Force promotion criteria. The site has no verified Air Force promotion table yet.
- Overseas housing allowance (OHA) rates.
- Air Force-only special and incentive pays beyond the service-wide pays listed on the Marine Corps page.
Sources
- Executive Order 14368, Schedule 8
- 37 U.S.C. § 203, Basic pay
- DoD FMR Volume 7A, Comparable Grades (June 2026)
- 37 U.S.C. 301a, Incentive pay: aviation career
Checked 2026-11-01.
Frequently asked questions
Is basic pay different for Air Force members?
No. Basic pay is one national schedule for every uniformed service, set by grade and years of service. The table on this page is the same table as the national 2026 chart.
Source: 37 U.S.C. 203(a)(1); Executive Order 14368, Schedule 8.
What is the Air Force title for E-5 and O-3?
For Air Force, E-5 is Staff Sergeant and O-3 is Captain. Titles do not change basic pay; the pay grade does.
Source: DoD FMR Vol. 7A, Comparable Grades (June 2026).
Does BAH depend on my branch?
No. BAH depends on your grade, dependency status, and housing area. Use the BAH calculator on this site for the 2025 DTMO estimate, and DTMO’s lookup for the current year.
Source: DTMO, Basic Allowance for Housing; this site’s BAH calculator.
Are special pays included in the basic pay table?
No. Special and incentive pays, such as hazardous duty incentive pay or aviation career incentive pay, are separate pays with their own eligibility rules. This page lists only the service-wide pays it verifies.
Source: 37 U.S.C. 301a and 310; DFAS hazardous duty incentive pay table (as cited on this page).
Is aviation career incentive pay part of basic pay?
No. Aviation career incentive pay is a separate monthly pay for rated officers under 37 U.S.C. 301a, set by years of aviation service. Its eligibility rules are separate from the basic pay table.
Source: 37 U.S.C. 301a(a)(1)–(2).
Does overseas housing change the chart?
Overseas housing allowance (OHA) applies only to overseas assignments and is set separately from BAH. This site does not publish OHA, so no OHA figure appears on this page.
Source: DTMO OHA Rate Lookup (linked from DTMO); this page’s scope note.