Pay by grade / O-5
O-5 PAY IN 2026
Base pay, BAS and BAH for O-5, from the official 2026 tables. Every figure below is published, not estimated.
What an O-5 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 | $7,295.40 | Rises with years of service, see the ladder below |
| BAS | $328.48 | Officer rate, same nationwide, not taxed |
| BAH, typical duty station | $3,027.00 | Set entirely by duty station ZIP, not taxed |
| Roughly per month | $10,650.88 | Mid-range station, with dependents, base pay entering the grade |
BAH is the swing factor. The same O-5 can receive $1,827.00 or $8,064.00 depending only on where they are stationed.
O-5 base pay by years of service
| Time in service | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | $7,295.40 | $87,544.80 |
| Over 2 years | $8,218.20 | $98,618.40 |
| Over 3 years | $8,787.00 | $105,444.00 |
| Over 4 years | $8,894.10 | $106,729.20 |
| Over 6 years | $9,249.60 | $110,995.20 |
| Over 8 years | $9,461.40 | $113,536.80 |
| Over 10 years | $9,928.50 | $119,142.00 |
| Over 12 years | $10,271.70 | $123,260.40 |
| Over 14 years | $10,715.10 | $128,581.20 |
| Over 16 years | $11,391.30 | $136,695.60 |
| Over 18 years | $11,713.80 | $140,565.60 |
| Over 20 years | $12,032.70 | $144,392.40 |
| Over 22 years to 40+ years | $12,394.80 | $148,737.60 |
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-5 BAH across the country
Across all 338 military housing areas, the 2026 BAH rate for O-5 ranges this widely:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest: YOUNGSTOWN, OH | $1,827.00 | $1,593.00 |
| Typical: EASTERN PANHANDLE, WV | $3,027.00 | $2,454.00 |
| Highest: WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY | $8,064.00 | $6,162.00 |
That is a spread of $6,237.00 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-4O-6O-7O-8O-9O-10