Calculator · basic pay only
Military Basic Pay Calculator
Monthly, semi-monthly, and annual basic pay for grades E-1 to E-9, W-1 to W-5, and O-1 to O-10, by years of service.
- Rates
- 2026, Executive Order 14368, Schedule 8
- Effective
- January 1, 2026
- Covers
- Basic pay only, not take-home pay
- Checked
- 2026-11-01
Independent site. Not affiliated with the Department of Defense, the Department of War, DFAS, or any military service.
Service parameters
Choose a grade and creditable years of service. Basic pay is uniform across branches.
DFAS column for 0 years: “2 years or less”.
Milestone at 20 years: generally the retirement-eligibility point (at least 20 years of service for retired pay, with separate rules for officers and for Navy and Marine Corps enlisted members). Source: DoD FMR Volume 7B, Chapter 1 (August 2025), paragraphs 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.1.2, and 3.1.1.
Allowances
BAS is applied to enlisted, warrant, and commissioned officer grades. Warrant officers are officers under 37 U.S.C. 101(11). BAH is not included.
Compensation summary
Basic pay onlyE-1, 2 years or less years
Monthly basic pay
$2,407.20
Semi-monthly (1st and 15th)
$1,203.60
Annual basic pay
$28,886.40
| Entitlement | Monthly | Taxable income? |
|---|---|---|
| Basic pay | $2,407.20 | Yes (IRS Publication 3, Table 1) |
| BAS (not included) | — | No, excluded (IRS Publication 3, Table 2) |
| BAH (not included) | — | No, excluded (IRS Publication 3, Table 2) |
Basic pay is taxable income. This summary does not include BAH, special pays, taxes, or deductions, and it is not take-home pay.
All longevity brackets for E-1(22 brackets, 2026 rates)Show bracketsHide brackets
| Longevity milestone | Monthly base pay | Semi-monthly | Annual base | Step change | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 years or less | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | — | Active selection |
| Over 2 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 3 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 4 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 6 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 8 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 10 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 12 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 14 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 16 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 18 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 20 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 22 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 24 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 26 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 28 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 30 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 32 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 34 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 36 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 38 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
| Over 40 years | $2,407.20 | $1,203.60 | $28,886.40 | No step | — |
Semi-monthly is monthly ÷ 2, rounded to the cent. Step change compares each bracket with the previous one. Dashes mark cells DFAS does not show. View the full 2026 pay chart
How the calculator works
Each card states one rule and its source. The figures on this calculator are basic pay only.
DFAS formula and proration
- Find your grade row and years-of-service column in the DFAS table. That cell is your monthly basic pay.
- Semi-monthly pay is monthly basic pay divided by two.
- Basic pay steps up as creditable years of service increase, which is called longevity. The FAQ below explains which service counts.
- Pay for lost time that has not been made good is prorated on a 30-day month (DoD FMR Vol. 7A, Ch. 1, paragraph 2.4.1.3.1, PDF page 14).
Tax treatment of allowances
Basic pay is taxable income. Basic allowance for housing (BAH) and basic allowance for subsistence (BAS) are excluded from gross income, so they are not taxed as income (IRS Publication 3, Armed Forces’ Tax Guide, 2025, Tables 1 and 2). This calculator does not compute allowance amounts, so it does not compute their tax either.Source: IRS Publication 3 (2025), Tables 1 and 2.Statutory authority
Basic pay rates are set under 37 U.S.C. 203(a)(1). The annual adjustment comes from 37 U.S.C. 1009 unless another law sets the rates. Executive Order 14368, Schedule 8, sets the 2026 rates, effective January 1, 2026.Sources: 37 U.S.C. 203 and 1009 (Cornell LII); Executive Order 14368 (Federal Register 2025-23844).Not shown
Some planning notes describe a 360-day pay year, with semi-monthly payments on the 1st and 15th. DoD FMR Volume 7A, Chapter 1 does not state that rule. The 30-day basis appears only for lost time, so this calculator does not use a 360-day year, and it does not pay on fixed calendar dates. Semi-monthly amounts are half of monthly basic pay.The DFAS table only shows monthly basic pay by bracket. DFAS groups pay by cumulative years of service: “Over 4” applies to more than 4 years up to the next column, so 6 years falls in “Over 4”. See the 2026 chart for every column.