Pay by grade / E-6
E-6 PAY IN 2026
Base pay, BAS and BAH for E-6, from the official 2026 tables. Every figure below is published, not estimated.
What an E-6 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 | $3,401.10 | Rises with years of service, see the ladder below |
| BAS | $476.95 | Enlisted rate, same nationwide, not taxed |
| BAH, typical duty station | $2,376.00 | Set entirely by duty station ZIP, not taxed |
| Roughly per month | $6,254.05 | Mid-range station, with dependents, base pay entering the grade |
BAH is the swing factor. The same E-6 can receive $1,335.00 or $5,454.00 depending only on where they are stationed.
E-6 base pay by years of service
| Time in service | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | $3,401.10 | $40,813.20 |
| Over 2 years | $3,743.10 | $44,917.20 |
| Over 3 years | $3,908.10 | $46,897.20 |
| Over 4 years | $4,068.90 | $48,826.80 |
| Over 6 years | $4,235.70 | $50,828.40 |
| Over 8 years | $4,612.80 | $55,353.60 |
| Over 10 years | $4,759.50 | $57,114.00 |
| Over 12 years | $5,043.30 | $60,519.60 |
| Over 14 years | $5,130.30 | $61,563.60 |
| Over 16 years | $5,193.60 | $62,323.20 |
| Over 18 years to 40+ years | $5,267.70 | $63,212.40 |
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-6 BAH across the country
Across all 338 military housing areas, the 2026 BAH rate for E-6 ranges this widely:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest: YOUNGSTOWN, OH | $1,335.00 | $1,077.00 |
| Typical: OMAHA/OFFUTT AFB, NE | $2,376.00 | $1,812.00 |
| Highest: SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,454.00 | $5,070.00 |
That is a spread of $4,119.00 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-5E-7E-8E-9W-1W-2W-3W-4W-5O-1EO-2EO-3EO-1O-2O-3O-4O-5O-6O-7O-8O-9O-10