Pay by grade / W-5
W-5 PAY IN 2026
Base pay, BAS and BAH for W-5, from the official 2026 tables. Every figure below is published, not estimated.
What an W-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, at over 20 years | $10,169.70 | Rises with years of service, see the ladder below |
| BAS | $476.95 | Enlisted rate, same nationwide, not taxed |
| BAH, typical duty station | $2,790.00 | Set entirely by duty station ZIP, not taxed |
| Roughly per month | $13,436.65 | Mid-range station, with dependents, base pay at over 20 years |
BAH is the swing factor. The same W-5 can receive $1,806.00 or $7,338.00 depending only on where they are stationed.
W-5 base pay by years of service
| Time in service | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Over 20 years | $10,169.70 | $122,036.40 |
| Over 22 years | $10,685.70 | $128,228.40 |
| Over 24 years | $11,070.30 | $132,843.60 |
| Over 26 years to 28+ years | $11,495.10 | $137,941.20 |
| Over 30 years to 32+ years | $12,070.80 | $144,849.60 |
| Over 34 years to 36+ years | $12,673.50 | $152,082.00 |
| Over 38 years to 40+ years | $13,308.30 | $159,699.60 |
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.
W-5 BAH across the country
Across all 338 military housing areas, the 2026 BAH rate for W-5 ranges this widely:
| Housing area | With dependents | Without |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest: YOUNGSTOWN, OH | $1,806.00 | $1,527.00 |
| Typical: JACKSON, MS | $2,790.00 | $2,439.00 |
| Highest: WESTCHESTER COUNTY, NY | $7,338.00 | $5,946.00 |
That is a spread of $5,532.00 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-4O-1EO-2EO-3EO-1O-2O-3O-4O-5O-6O-7O-8O-9O-10