Pay by grade / O-2E
O-2E PAY IN 2026
Base pay, BAS and BAH for O-2E, from the official 2026 tables. Every figure below is published, not estimated.
What an O-2E 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 4 years | $6,484.50 | Rises with years of service, see the ladder below |
| BAS | $328.48 | Officer rate, same nationwide, not taxed |
| BAH, typical duty station | $2,541.00 | Set entirely by duty station ZIP, not taxed |
| Roughly per month | $9,353.98 | Mid-range station, with dependents, base pay at over 4 years |
BAH is the swing factor. The same O-2E can receive $1,671.00 or $6,564.00 depending only on where they are stationed.
O-2E base pay by years of service
| Time in service | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Over 4 years | $6,484.50 | $77,814.00 |
| Over 6 years | $6,617.70 | $79,412.40 |
| Over 8 years | $6,828.00 | $81,936.00 |
| Over 10 years | $7,183.80 | $86,205.60 |
| Over 12 years | $7,458.90 | $89,506.80 |
| Over 14 years to 20+ years | $7,663.50 | $91,962.00 |
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-2E BAH across the country
Across all 338 military housing areas, the 2026 BAH rate for O-2E ranges this widely:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest: ANNISTON/FORT MCCLELLAN, AL | $1,671.00 | $1,305.00 |
| Typical: NEW ORLEANS, LA | $2,541.00 | $2,193.00 |
| Highest: WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY | $6,564.00 | $5,268.00 |
That is a spread of $4,893.00 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-3EO-1O-2O-3O-4O-5O-6O-7O-8O-9O-10