Special pay · commissioned officers
Aviation Career Incentive Pay
Monthly pay for commissioned officers who fly on a career basis, by years of aviation service. The amounts are the statutory rates.
- Authority
- 37 U.S.C. § 301a
- Monthly rates
- $125 to $840 by years band
- Grade caps
- O-7 $200; O-8 and above $206, to 25 years
- Checked
- 2026-11-01
Estimated monthly aviation career incentive pay
- Per month
- $206.00
- Per year
- $2,472.00
- Years band
- Over 4
- Statutory table amount
- $206.00
Not included
The flying-duty requirement (8 of the first 12 or 12 of the first 18 years of aviation service, § 301a(a)(4)), reserve drill-period pay, warrant officers, and the separate officer aviation incentive pay under 37 U.S.C. § 334. Estimates are not guaranteed. Your pay record is the official figure.
Rates by years of aviation service
| Years of aviation service | Monthly rate |
|---|---|
| 2 or less | $125.00 |
| Over 2 | $156.00 |
| Over 3 | $188.00 |
| Over 4 | $206.00 |
| Over 6 | $650.00 |
| Over 14 | $840.00 |
| Over 22 | $585.00 |
| Over 23 | $495.00 |
| Over 24 | $385.00 |
| Over 25 | $250.00 |
Years are cumulative, including flight training. "Over 6" covers 7 to 14 years and "Over 14" covers 15 to 22 years. Each band is a range of whole years.
Grade caps and entitlement
- An O-7 is limited to $200 a month, and an O-8 or above to $206 a month, until 25 years of aviation service (§ 301a(b)(2)).
- Entitlement to continuous monthly pay requires flying duty for 8 of the first 12 years, or 12 of the first 18 years, of aviation service (§ 301a(a)(4)).
- Warrant officers use a separate rule in § 301a(b)(3), which this page does not compute.
Not the same as officer aviation incentive pay
Aviation incentive pay for officers under 37 U.S.C. § 334 is a separate pay with a $1,500 monthly statutory maximum. DFAS publishes a table of officer aviation incentive pay rates effective October 1, 2017, which is not the table on this page.
Sources: 37 U.S.C. § 301a, Incentive pay: aviation career; 37 U.S.C. § 334, Special aviation incentive pay and bonus authorities for officers. Checked 2026-11-01.
Frequently asked questions
Who is eligible for aviation career incentive pay?
Regular and reserve officers who hold, or are training for, an aeronautical rating or designation, and who engage and remain in aviation service on a career basis. Enlisted members are not covered by this statute.
Source: 37 U.S.C. 301a(a)(2).
Is the pay the same for every officer?
No. The monthly rate depends on years of aviation service. Commissioned officers at O-7 are capped at $200 per month, and O-8 and above are capped at $206 per month, until 25 years of aviation service.
Source: 37 U.S.C. 301a(b); the rate table on this page.
What service must I complete to keep receiving it?
The statute requires flying duty for 8 of the first 12 years, or 12 of the first 18 years, of aviation service, as summarized on this page. Confirm your own status with your unit or pay office.
Source: 37 U.S.C. 301a(a)(4), as summarized on this page.
Is this the same as aviation incentive pay for officers?
No. Aviation incentive pay under 37 U.S.C. 334 is a separate pay with its own rules and maximum, and it is not the table on this page.
Source: 37 U.S.C. 334 and this page's note on the separate pay.