Pay by grade / O-3
O-3 PAY IN 2026
Base pay, BAS and BAH for O-3, from the official 2026 tables. Every figure below is published, not estimated.
What an O-3 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 | $5,534.10 | Rises with years of service, see the ladder below |
| BAS | $328.48 | Officer rate, same nationwide, not taxed |
| BAH, typical duty station | $2,550.00 | Set entirely by duty station ZIP, not taxed |
| Roughly per month | $8,412.58 | Mid-range station, with dependents, base pay entering the grade |
BAH is the swing factor. The same O-3 can receive $1,686.00 or $6,633.00 depending only on where they are stationed.
O-3 base pay by years of service
| Time in service | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | $5,534.10 | $66,409.20 |
| Over 2 years | $6,273.90 | $75,286.80 |
| Over 3 years | $6,770.40 | $81,244.80 |
| Over 4 years | $7,382.70 | $88,592.40 |
| Over 6 years | $7,737.00 | $92,844.00 |
| Over 8 years | $8,125.50 | $97,506.00 |
| Over 10 years | $8,375.70 | $100,508.40 |
| Over 12 years | $8,788.20 | $105,458.40 |
| Over 14 years to 40+ years | $9,004.20 | $108,050.40 |
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.
O-3 BAH across the country
Across all 338 military housing areas, the 2026 BAH rate for O-3 ranges this widely:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest: ANNISTON/FORT MCCLELLAN, AL | $1,686.00 | $1,344.00 |
| Typical: DAHLONEGA, GA | $2,550.00 | $2,253.00 |
| Highest: WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY | $6,633.00 | $5,331.00 |
That is a spread of $4,947.00 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-1O-2O-4O-5O-6O-7O-8O-9O-10