2026 Military Pay Charts

The White House and Department of Defense continue to shed more light on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2026, which incluess a proposed 3.8% pay increase across the board for all servicemembers. 

What’s Next: Right now both the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives have passed their versions of the NDAA through committee, and are now awaiting a full vote. 

2026 Military Pay Charts

The following tables reflect the proposed 3.8% in military pay bay ranks. 

Enlisted Pay Chart (Less than 2 Years to Over 6 Years of Service)

Enlisted Pay Chart (8 Years to Over 16 Years of Service)

Enlisted Pay Chart (18 Years to Over 26 Years of Service)

Enlisted Pay Chart (30 Years of Service)

Enlisted Notes:

According to the Allowances of the Uniformed Services, noncommissioned officers holding positions such as the following receive a fixed basic pay, no matter the number of years of service. 

• Sergeant Major of the Army
• Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy\Coast Guard
• Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force
• Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps
• Senior Enlisted Advisor of the Space Force
• Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
• Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau

Officer Pay Chart (Less than 2 Years to Over 6 Years of Service)

Officer Pay Chart (8 Years to Over 16 Years of Service)

Officer Pay Chart (18 Years to Over 26 Years of Service)

Officer Pay Chart (Over 28 Years of Service)

NOTE 1. Military basic pay for O-7 through O-10 is limited by the Level II of the Executive Schedule. The actual figures will be released at a later date.

NOTE 2. Basic pay for pay grades O-6 and below is limited to the rate of basic pay for Level V of the Executive Schedule. The actual figures will be released at a later date.

2026 Military Pay and Allowances

The pay increase is part of a record-setting $1.01 trillion defense budget proposal. One thing missing in the DoD proposal is a specific percentage increase request to the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) or Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS).

House Armed Services Committee (HASC) Proposal

While there is no listing for BAH or BAS increase, as part of an amendment, the House’s version of the NDAA calls for a study to improve accuracy for both allowances. 

Additionally, the HASC version included a three-year extension of the In-Home Child Care Pilot Program. That program offers financial assistance for military families who need or want in-home care.  

Timeline for Approval

• Spring: The DOD submits its proposed budget to Congress.
• Summer: Congress reviews and passes the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
• Fall/Winter: The President signs the NDAA into law, finalizing the pay raise.

Final Thoughts

Well we’ve eclipsed the trillion dollar mark for defense spending, which was inevitable, and 2026 looks poised to add another solid miliary pay raise. An increase of 3.8% is nice, despite not increasing as much as previous years, but that’s because inflation isn’t nearly as prevalent as it was a few years ago. The defense spending bill also hopes to tackle some things that won’t necessarily show up in your wallet, but may still benefit you like focusing on a backlog of facilities updates for barracks and dormitories at certain installations. 

Plus, unlike last year, where there was a disagreement between what the White House and what lawmakers wanted for spending, this year everyone seems to be in-step with main pieces of the legislation. The NDAA is usually the easiest spending bill to receive bipartisan support, so I suspect it will pass. It always helps when the White House and Congress are both under the same-party control. 

Stay tuned to Veteran.com for any updates on military pay increases. We’re also keeping an eye out for any possible news for BAH or BAS percentage increases for 2026.