Pay by grade / W-2
W-2 PAY IN 2026
Base pay, BAS and BAH for W-2, from the official 2026 tables. Every figure below is published, not estimated.
What an W-2 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 | $4,621.80 | Rises with years of service, see the ladder below |
| BAS | $476.95 | Enlisted rate, same nationwide, not taxed |
| BAH, typical duty station | $2,454.00 | Set entirely by duty station ZIP, not taxed |
| Roughly per month | $7,552.75 | Mid-range station, with dependents, base pay entering the grade |
BAH is the swing factor. The same W-2 can receive $1,560.00 or $6,036.00 depending only on where they are stationed.
W-2 base pay by years of service
| Time in service | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | $4,621.80 | $55,461.60 |
| Over 2 years | $5,058.90 | $60,706.80 |
| Over 3 years | $5,193.30 | $62,319.60 |
| Over 4 years | $5,286.00 | $63,432.00 |
| Over 6 years | $5,585.40 | $67,024.80 |
| Over 8 years | $6,051.00 | $72,612.00 |
| Over 10 years | $6,282.60 | $75,391.20 |
| Over 12 years | $6,509.40 | $78,112.80 |
| Over 14 years | $6,787.50 | $81,450.00 |
| Over 16 years | $7,005.00 | $84,060.00 |
| Over 18 years | $7,201.50 | $86,418.00 |
| Over 20 years | $7,437.00 | $89,244.00 |
| Over 22 years | $7,591.50 | $91,098.00 |
| Over 24 years to 40+ years | $7,714.20 | $92,570.40 |
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.
W-2 BAH across the country
Across all 338 military housing areas, the 2026 BAH rate for W-2 ranges this widely:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest: YOUNGSTOWN, OH | $1,560.00 | $1,224.00 |
| Typical: DURHAM/CHAPEL HILL, NC | $2,454.00 | $2,133.00 |
| Highest: WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY | $6,036.00 | $5,193.00 |
That is a spread of $4,476.00 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-3W-4W-5O-1EO-2EO-3EO-1O-2O-3O-4O-5O-6O-7O-8O-9O-10