Pay by grade / E-9
E-9 PAY IN 2026
Base pay, BAS and BAH for E-9, from the official 2026 tables. Every figure below is published, not estimated.
What an E-9 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, at over 10 years | $6,910.20 | Rises with years of service, see the ladder below |
| BAS | $476.95 | Enlisted rate, same nationwide, not taxed |
| BAH, typical duty station | $2,610.00 | Set entirely by duty station ZIP, not taxed |
| Roughly per month | $9,997.15 | Mid-range station, with dependents, base pay at over 10 years |
BAH is the swing factor. The same E-9 can receive $1,755.00 or $6,882.00 depending only on where they are stationed.
E-9 base pay by years of service
| Time in service | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Over 10 years | $6,910.20 | $82,922.40 |
| Over 12 years | $7,066.50 | $84,798.00 |
| Over 14 years | $7,263.60 | $87,163.20 |
| Over 16 years | $7,496.10 | $89,953.20 |
| Over 18 years | $7,730.70 | $92,768.40 |
| Over 20 years | $8,105.10 | $97,261.20 |
| Over 22 years | $8,423.10 | $101,077.20 |
| Over 24 years | $8,756.70 | $105,080.40 |
| Over 26 years to 28+ years | $9,267.90 | $111,214.80 |
| Over 30 years to 32+ years | $9,730.20 | $116,762.40 |
| Over 34 years to 36+ years | $10,217.40 | $122,608.80 |
| Over 38 years to 40+ years | $10,729.20 | $128,750.40 |
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-9 BAH across the country
Across all 338 military housing areas, the 2026 BAH rate for E-9 ranges this widely:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest: ANNISTON/FORT MCCLELLAN, AL | $1,755.00 | $1,335.00 |
| Typical: GRAND HAVEN, MI | $2,610.00 | $2,211.00 |
| Highest: WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY | $6,882.00 | $5,286.00 |
That is a spread of $5,127.00 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-6E-7E-8W-1W-2W-3W-4W-5O-1EO-2EO-3EO-1O-2O-3O-4O-5O-6O-7O-8O-9O-10