Pay by grade / W-3
W-3 PAY IN 2026
Base pay, BAS and BAH for W-3, from the official 2026 tables. Every figure below is published, not estimated.
What an W-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 | $5,223.30 | Rises with years of service, see the ladder below |
| BAS | $476.95 | Enlisted rate, same nationwide, not taxed |
| BAH, typical duty station | $2,553.00 | Set entirely by duty station ZIP, not taxed |
| Roughly per month | $8,253.25 | Mid-range station, with dependents, base pay entering the grade |
BAH is the swing factor. The same W-3 can receive $1,689.00 or $6,654.00 depending only on where they are stationed.
W-3 base pay by years of service
| Time in service | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | $5,223.30 | $62,679.60 |
| Over 2 years | $5,440.50 | $65,286.00 |
| Over 3 years | $5,664.30 | $67,971.60 |
| Over 4 years | $5,736.90 | $68,842.80 |
| Over 6 years | $5,970.90 | $71,650.80 |
| Over 8 years | $6,431.10 | $77,173.20 |
| Over 10 years | $6,910.50 | $82,926.00 |
| Over 12 years | $7,136.40 | $85,636.80 |
| Over 14 years | $7,397.70 | $88,772.40 |
| Over 16 years | $7,665.90 | $91,990.80 |
| Over 18 years | $8,150.40 | $97,804.80 |
| Over 20 years | $8,476.50 | $101,718.00 |
| Over 22 years | $8,671.80 | $104,061.60 |
| Over 24 years | $8,879.70 | $106,556.40 |
| Over 26 years to 40+ years | $9,162.60 | $109,951.20 |
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-3 BAH across the country
Across all 338 military housing areas, the 2026 BAH rate for W-3 ranges this widely:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest: ANNISTON/FORT MCCLELLAN, AL | $1,689.00 | $1,341.00 |
| Typical: DAHLONEGA, GA | $2,553.00 | $2,226.00 |
| Highest: WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY | $6,654.00 | $5,301.00 |
That is a spread of $4,965.00 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-4W-5O-1EO-2EO-3EO-1O-2O-3O-4O-5O-6O-7O-8O-9O-10