Pay by grade / O-4
O-4 PAY IN 2026
Base pay, BAS and BAH for O-4, from the official 2026 tables. Every figure below is published, not estimated.
What an O-4 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 | $6,294.60 | Rises with years of service, see the ladder below |
| BAS | $328.48 | Officer rate, same nationwide, not taxed |
| BAH, typical duty station | $2,835.00 | Set entirely by duty station ZIP, not taxed |
| Roughly per month | $9,458.08 | Mid-range station, with dependents, base pay entering the grade |
BAH is the swing factor. The same O-4 can receive $1,809.00 or $7,470.00 depending only on where they are stationed.
O-4 base pay by years of service
| Time in service | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | $6,294.60 | $75,535.20 |
| Over 2 years | $7,286.40 | $87,436.80 |
| Over 3 years | $7,773.60 | $93,283.20 |
| Over 4 years | $7,881.00 | $94,572.00 |
| Over 6 years | $8,332.20 | $99,986.40 |
| Over 8 years | $8,816.40 | $105,796.80 |
| Over 10 years | $9,420.00 | $113,040.00 |
| Over 12 years | $9,888.30 | $118,659.60 |
| Over 14 years | $10,214.40 | $122,572.80 |
| Over 16 years | $10,401.60 | $124,819.20 |
| Over 18 years to 40+ years | $10,509.90 | $126,118.80 |
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-4 BAH across the country
Across all 338 military housing areas, the 2026 BAH rate for O-4 ranges this widely:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest: YOUNGSTOWN, OH | $1,809.00 | $1,497.00 |
| Typical: HAMPTON/NEWPORT NEWS, VA | $2,835.00 | $2,427.00 |
| Highest: WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY | $7,470.00 | $5,874.00 |
That is a spread of $5,661.00 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-3O-5O-6O-7O-8O-9O-10