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Military Pay Calculator
Estimate 2026 basic pay, BAH, BAS, and military cash compensation by grade, service, and duty ZIP.
Service and pay details
Branch provides profile context; the same federal basic-pay table applies across branches.
Other pay is a manual adjustment. This calculator does not determine eligibility for special or incentive pay. “Generally non-taxable” is not individualized tax advice.
What military cash compensation includes
Basic pay is taxable monthly pay tied to grade and creditable service. BAH is a location-based housing allowance, and BAS helps offset food costs for the service member—it does not increase for dependents. This estimate adds those components and an optional manual special-pay amount.
Military compensation differs from civilian salary because significant allowances are generally non-taxable. The cash total shown here is not take-home pay: it excludes withholding, deductions, TSP, SGLI, allotments, bonuses, and most special or incentive pays. Reserve and National Guard selections retain profile context but still use the active-service monthly table, not drill pay.
Methodology and limitations
- Select the exact published DFAS 2026 basic-pay longevity bracket; no rates are interpolated.
- Apply the 2026 enlisted or officer BAS rate.
- When a ZIP is provided, call the same local 2026 BAH engine and dataset used by the standalone BAH Calculator.
- Add user-entered other pay to the chosen taxable or generally non-taxable subtotal.
DoD Regular Military Compensation adds an estimated federal tax advantage to cash compensation. That estimate is deferred because accurate treatment requires filing status, other household income, deductions, and potentially state and local rules. No invented “after-tax” amount is shown.
Authoritative sources
Rate year 2026; effective January 1, 2026; last verified August 25, 2026. Local version 2026.1. Production calculations have no runtime dependency on DFAS or DoD.
Continue your planning
Save the component values intentionally to your local Financial Profile, then use the VA Affordability Calculator. No financial values are placed in the URL.
Frequently asked questions
How is military pay calculated?
This estimate adds DFAS basic pay for grade and years of service, DoD BAH for duty ZIP and dependency status, BAS, and any manual other-pay adjustment.
Does military pay include BAH?
BAH is an allowance separate from basic pay. This calculator includes it when a supported duty-station ZIP is entered.
Are BAH and BAS taxable?
DoD describes BAH and BAS as tax-exempt allowances. Individual circumstances can differ, so results use the wording generally non-taxable rather than providing tax advice.
Does military pay increase with years of service?
Basic pay uses published longevity brackets. Some grades plateau, and promotion eligibility is outside this calculator.
Does pay differ by branch?
Federal basic-pay rates are based on pay grade and creditable service, not branch. Branch is retained as useful profile context.
Does having dependents change basic pay or BAS?
No. Dependency status can change BAH, but basic pay does not change and BAS is intended for the service member rather than family meals.
Why is my LES different?
An LES can include special pays, deductions, allotments, taxes, leave, partial-month effects, housing eligibility rules, and other items this regular cash-compensation estimate does not model.