Branch chart · 2026
Army Pay Chart, 2026
Basic pay for Army 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 Army 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 Army yet. Basic allowance for housing depends on the housing area and is not a branch rate. For housing, use the BAH calculator.
Enlisted promotion criteria (AR 600-8-19)
Army Regulation 600-8-19 sets the time-in-grade (TIG) and time-in-service (TIS) criteria for promotion recommendations. The table below lists the criteria for SGT and SSG as published. These are minimum criteria for a recommendation. They are not a promotion guarantee, and this site does not publish selection rates.
| Grade | Zone | Time in service | Time in grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| SGT | Secondary zone | 16 months | 4 months |
| SGT | Primary zone | 34 months | 10 months |
| SSG | Secondary zone | 46 months | 6 months |
| SSG | Primary zone | 70 months | 16 months |
| SSG | Mandatory list integration | 82 months | 22 months |
Source: AR 600-8-19, Table 3-1 (page 35), effective 6 April 2026.
Board eligibility and pin-on requirements
AR 600-8-19 Table 6-1 lists the time-in-grade, time-in-service, cumulative enlisted service (CES), and professional military education (PME) that apply to board eligibility and pin-on. A dash means the table does not list a requirement for that item.
| Grade | Time in grade | Time in service | Cumulative enlisted service | PME (board / pin-on) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SGT | 12 months | – | – | – |
| SSG | 18 months | – | – | BLC / BLC |
| SFC | 36 months | 8 years | 6 years | ALC / ALC |
| MSG | 36 months | 12 years | 8 years | SLC / SLC |
| SGM | 36 months | 16 years | 10 years | MLC / SGM-A |
Source: AR 600-8-19, Table 6-1 (page 77). Abbreviations are as the regulation defines them.
What the Sergeant (E-5) does
The SGT leads teams as part of a squad, crew or section and is the first line of the NCO Support Channel. As a first line supervisor, SGTs have the most direct impact on Soldiers.
Source: TC 7-22.7, The Noncommissioned Officer Guide (August 2025), paragraph 2-39.
Army special pay: static-line parachute duty
Hazardous duty incentive pay (HDIP) for parachute duty is paid at $150 a month for static-line duty. For Army static-line duty during the period October 1, 2025 to May 20, 2029, the rate is $200 a month. These rates apply only to members who meet the qualification rules, and they are not based on grade.
Source: DFAS: Hazardous duty incentive pay, page updated March 5, 2026. Special duty assignment pay is not published on this site, because no public Army rate table was available when this page was checked.
Army rank pages
Each rank page shows 2026 basic pay by years of service for that grade.
Sources
- Executive Order 14368, Schedule 8
- 37 U.S.C. § 203, Basic pay
- AR 600-8-19, Enlisted Promotions and Demotions (6 March 2026; effective 6 April 2026)
- TC 7-22.7, The Noncommissioned Officer Guide (August 2025)
- DFAS: Hazardous duty incentive pay (HDIP)
Checked 2026-11-01.
Frequently asked questions
Is basic pay different for Army 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 Army title for E-5 and O-3?
For Army, E-5 is 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 Army Special Duty Assignment Pay on this page?
No. SDAP is capped at $750 a month under DoD FMR Vol. 7A, Chapter 8, paragraph 2.4.2, and the Army sets its own levels. This site does not publish Army SDAP levels.
Source: DoD FMR Vol. 7A, Ch. 8, paragraph 2.4.2 (August 2025).