Pay by grade / E-5
E-5 PAY IN 2026
Base pay, BAS and BAH for E-5, from the official 2026 tables. Every figure below is published, not estimated.
What an E-5 actually receives each month
Three things make up most military pay, and only one of them shows up in the headline number.
| Component | Monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base pay, entering the grade | $3,342.90 | Rises with years of service, see the ladder below |
| BAS | $476.95 | Enlisted rate, same nationwide, not taxed |
| BAH, typical duty station | $2,064.00 | Set entirely by duty station ZIP, not taxed |
| Roughly per month | $5,883.85 | Mid-range station, with dependents, base pay entering the grade |
BAH is the swing factor. The same E-5 can receive $1,185.00 or $5,127.00 depending only on where they are stationed.
E-5 base pay by years of service
| Time in service | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | $3,342.90 | $40,114.80 |
| Over 2 years | $3,598.20 | $43,178.40 |
| Over 3 years | $3,775.80 | $45,309.60 |
| Over 4 years | $3,946.80 | $47,361.60 |
| Over 6 years | $4,110.00 | $49,320.00 |
| Over 8 years | $4,299.90 | $51,598.80 |
| Over 10 years | $4,395.30 | $52,743.60 |
| Over 12 years to 40+ years | $4,421.70 | $53,060.40 |
Longevity raises are automatic on the anniversary of your pay entry base date. If yours did not move when it should have, that is a checkable error.
E-5 BAH across the country
Across all 338 military housing areas, the 2026 BAH rate for E-5 ranges this widely:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest: ANNISTON/FORT MCCLELLAN, AL | $1,185.00 | $996.00 |
| Typical: DULUTH, MN | $2,064.00 | $1,671.00 |
| Highest: SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,127.00 | $4,980.00 |
That is a spread of $3,942.00 a month between the cheapest and most expensive assignment at the same grade. It is also why a stale ZIP after a PCS costs so much.
Other pay grades
E-1E-2E-3E-4E-6E-7E-8E-9W-1W-2W-3W-4W-5O-1EO-2EO-3EO-1O-2O-3O-4O-5O-6O-7O-8O-9O-10