Pay by grade / O-1
O-1 PAY IN 2026
Base pay, BAS and BAH for O-1, from the official 2026 tables. Every figure below is published, not estimated.
What an O-1 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 | $4,150.20 | Rises with years of service, see the ladder below |
| BAS | $328.48 | Officer rate, same nationwide, not taxed |
| BAH, typical duty station | $2,106.00 | Set entirely by duty station ZIP, not taxed |
| Roughly per month | $6,584.68 | Mid-range station, with dependents, base pay entering the grade |
BAH is the swing factor. The same O-1 can receive $1,218.00 or $5,172.00 depending only on where they are stationed.
O-1 base pay by years of service
| Time in service | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | $4,150.20 | $49,802.40 |
| Over 2 years | $4,320.00 | $51,840.00 |
| Over 3 years to 40+ years | $5,222.40 | $62,668.80 |
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.
O-1 BAH across the country
Across all 338 military housing areas, the 2026 BAH rate for O-1 ranges this widely:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest: YOUNGSTOWN, OH | $1,218.00 | $1,074.00 |
| Typical: DULUTH, MN | $2,106.00 | $1,752.00 |
| Highest: SAN FRANCISCO, CA | $5,172.00 | $5,067.00 |
That is a spread of $3,954.00 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-8E-9W-1W-2W-3W-4W-5O-1EO-2EO-3EO-2O-3O-4O-5O-6O-7O-8O-9O-10