Pay by grade / W-4
W-4 PAY IN 2026
Base pay, BAS and BAH for W-4, from the official 2026 tables. Every figure below is published, not estimated.
What an W-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 | $5,719.80 | Rises with years of service, see the ladder below |
| BAS | $476.95 | Enlisted rate, same nationwide, not taxed |
| BAH, typical duty station | $2,640.00 | Set entirely by duty station ZIP, not taxed |
| Roughly per month | $8,836.75 | Mid-range station, with dependents, base pay entering the grade |
BAH is the swing factor. The same W-4 can receive $1,779.00 or $6,963.00 depending only on where they are stationed.
W-4 base pay by years of service
| Time in service | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Under 2 years | $5,719.80 | $68,637.60 |
| Over 2 years | $6,152.10 | $73,825.20 |
| Over 3 years | $6,328.50 | $75,942.00 |
| Over 4 years | $6,502.20 | $78,026.40 |
| Over 6 years | $6,801.90 | $81,622.80 |
| Over 8 years | $7,098.00 | $85,176.00 |
| Over 10 years | $7,398.00 | $88,776.00 |
| Over 12 years | $7,848.30 | $94,179.60 |
| Over 14 years | $8,243.70 | $98,924.40 |
| Over 16 years | $8,619.90 | $103,438.80 |
| Over 18 years | $8,928.60 | $107,143.20 |
| Over 20 years | $9,228.90 | $110,746.80 |
| Over 22 years | $9,669.60 | $116,035.20 |
| Over 24 years | $10,032.00 | $120,384.00 |
| Over 26 years to 28+ years | $10,445.40 | $125,344.80 |
| Over 30 years to 40+ years | $10,653.60 | $127,843.20 |
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-4 BAH across the country
Across all 338 military housing areas, the 2026 BAH rate for W-4 ranges this widely:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest: STEVENS POINT, WI | $1,779.00 | $1,362.00 |
| Typical: BLOOMINGTON, IN | $2,640.00 | $2,385.00 |
| Highest: WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY | $6,963.00 | $5,478.00 |
That is a spread of $5,184.00 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-5O-1EO-2EO-3EO-1O-2O-3O-4O-5O-6O-7O-8O-9O-10