2027 Military Pay Chart: Projected Base Pay by Rank (E-1 to O-6)

Last Updated: October 22, 2026 Reading Time: 7 min

The 2027 military pay raise is shaping up as a fight between two very different plans: a tiered increase that hands junior enlisted up to 7%, and a flat 3.6% for everyone. Which one lands in your paycheck depends on a conference fight that is still unsettled. Here is exactly what each plan means in dollars, by grade.

Status update, October 14, 2026: still no final number. The House passed H.R. 8800 on July 22 by 216-212 with the tiered 7-6-5 raise, and dated reporting says the bill was received in the Senate on September 14. The Senate has not passed its own bill (S. 4784): per the Senate roll call, cloture on the motion to proceed failed 50-46 on July 14; reporting also cites a July 27 motion to proceed, which we could not confirm from a readable Congress.gov action list. FedTools has found no compromise text. MOAA (October 7) expects negotiations to begin in earnest after the November 3 election; completion timing remains unsettled. Separately, the President's August 26 alternative pay plan (House Document 119-189) sets the same 7-6-5 tiers under 37 U.S.C. 1009(e), effective January 1, 2027, subject to the pay caps in 37 U.S.C. 203; an enacted NDAA provision would control. The tables below compare the House-passed tiers against the Senate committee's flat 3.6% and were recomputed on October 14, 2026.

2027 Military Pay Chart (Projected): Every Enlisted and Officer Grade

This is the full chart: projected 2027 monthly basic pay by grade and years of service, built from the President's August 26 plan (7% for E-1 to E-5, 6% for E-6 to O-3, 5% for O-4 and above). That plan takes effect January 1 unless an enacted defense bill sets a different raise, so treat these as projections until DFAS posts the official 2027 table. We'll swap in the official numbers the day DFAS publishes them.

FedTools projection, updated October 22, 2026: each DFAS 2026 cell × the tier shown, rounded to the dollar (cents are on each rank pay page). Columns are years of service; "—" means the grade has no rate at that service length. A new E-1 with under 4 months of service would get about $2,382. *O-6 cells are held at the 2026 Executive Schedule Level V cap ($15,408.30 a month) because the 2027 cap isn't set yet. Warrant officers and O-7 to O-10 aren't projected: the plan doesn't name warrant grades, and general and flag officer pay is capped at a 2027 Executive Schedule rate that isn't set. Under the Senate's flat 3.6%, every cell would be lower; the dollar comparison by grade is below.

The 3.6% is not a random number. It is the default adjustment tied to the Employment Cost Index under 37 U.S.C. 1009. Congress can set another rate, and the President can transmit an alternative adjustment plan before September 1 under the conditions in that law, so it should not be described as an unconditional floor.

2027 Military Pay Raise: Dollar Impact by Grade

This is the part the news summaries skip. The table below applies both plans to 2026 base pay and shows what each grade actually gains, monthly and annually. These are FedTools calculations from DFAS 2026 pay data.

FedTools calculation, recomputed 2026-10-14 from the unrounded DFAS 2026 base-pay cents in our data file at the years-of-service bracket shown in parentheses; the base column is rounded for display. Both columns compare legislative proposals, not an enacted rate.

The pattern is clear: the tiered plan front-loads the gain toward junior enlisted. An E-5 (over 4 years) gains about $1,610 more per year under the tiered plan than the flat one. The gap is real money for a young family, which is exactly why this is contested.

Why the Senate Pushed Back

The tiered idea follows the 2025 NDAA, which gave junior enlisted a targeted 14.5% boost (E-1 through E-4 got 10.5% total). The goal then was recruiting and retention during a tough hiring stretch.

Then the 14th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation found that, after those increases, junior enlisted pay already sat above the 90th percentile of comparable civilian pay. The Senate used that finding to argue against another tiered bump, and raised a second concern: pay compression. If E-4 and E-5 pay climbs too close to E-6 and E-7 pay, the financial reason to seek promotion weakens.

Instead of more basic pay, the Senate moved about $2.3 billion into:

• $1.77 billion for military healthcare
• $38.7 million for childcare and $10 million for suicide prevention
• Hostile fire pay raised from $450 to $600 a month; imminent danger pay from $275 to $400 a month
• Aviator bonuses raised to $60,000 a year

The House and administration counter that junior enlisted still feel real economic pressure and that civilian pay competition remains a recruiting problem.

What the Final Number Might Be

When the House and Senate diverge on pay, the conference committee usually lands between them. Treat these as the range, not a prediction:

• Statutory default: flat 3.6% (also the Senate committee's position), subject to congressional action or a timely presidential alternative plan
• Compromise: a reduced tier (for example ~5% junior, ~4% mid, ~3.6-4% senior) or a flat rate around 4.5-5%
• Ceiling: the full tiered 7%/6%/5% (less likely given the 18-9 Senate vote)

The official 2027 rate is the one DFAS publishes in its 2027 pay tables, whether that comes from an enacted NDAA provision or the President's alternative plan; check your LES for the first 2027 pay period against those tables once they are posted.

See Your Current Military Pay

While the 2027 number gets sorted out, it helps to know your real total compensation today, not just base pay. Use our free Military Pay (RMC) Calculator to see your base pay plus BAH, BAS, and the tax advantage in one figure. Try it now.

Curious how your raise compares to what federal civilians are getting in 2027? See Civilian vs Military Pay in 2027.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 2027 military pay raise proposal?

The House passed its NDAA (H.R. 8800) on July 22, 2026, 216-212, with a tiered raise: 7% for E-5 and below, 6% for E-6 through O-3, and 5% for O-4 and above, effective January 1, 2027. The Senate Armed Services Committee's bill carries a flat 3.6% for all ranks, but the Senate has not passed it after a failed cloture vote on July 14, and FedTools has found no compromise text as of October 2026. Neither NDAA bill is enacted. Separately, the President's transmitted alternative plan sets the same 7-6-5 tiers effective January 1, 2027 unless superseded by legislation.

Is the 2027 military pay raise guaranteed?

No enacted NDAA rate is final yet, but the baseline moved on August 26, 2026: the President transmitted an alternative plan under 37 U.S.C. 1009(e) (House Document 119-189) setting the 2027 basic pay increase at 7% for E-1 to E-5, 6% for E-6 to O-3, and 5% for O-4 and above, subject to the pay caps in 37 U.S.C. 203, effective January 1, 2027. An enacted NDAA pay provision would still control; the 3.6% Employment Cost Index figure is the statutory default beneath both, not a guaranteed floor.

How much more is the tiered plan worth versus the Senate's flat 3.6%?

For a Sergeant (E-5, 4+ years), the House tiered plan adds about $276 a month versus $142 under the Senate plan, a $1,610 a year difference. An E-1 sees about a $982 a year gap. An O-3 (Captain, 4+ years) sees roughly $443 a month versus $266, a $2,126 a year gap.

Why does the Senate oppose the bigger junior-enlisted raise?

The Senate cited the 14th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation, which found junior enlisted pay already exceeds the 90th percentile of comparable civilian pay, even before the 2025 targeted boost. It also flagged pay compression and redirected about $2.3 billion to healthcare, childcare, and special pays instead.

Does the 2027 raise affect military retirees or VA disability?

No. The basic pay raise applies to active-duty, Guard, and Reserve members only. Military retirees get a separate COLA tied to the Consumer Price Index, and VA disability compensation is adjusted by its own COLA, not the NDAA pay raise.

Related Resources

• E-5 pay by years of service (2026 table)
• E-7 pay by years of service (2026 table)
• O-3 pay by years of service (2026 table)
• Military Pay & Benefits Hub: Every FedTools military tool and guide in one place
• Military Pay (RMC) Calculator: Your base pay plus BAH, BAS, and the tax advantage
• Civilian vs Military Pay in 2027: How the federal and military raises compare
• BRS vs High-3: Optimize Your Military Retirement: What your pay raise means for your pension

Sources: 37 U.S.C. 1009, Senate NDAA 3.6% proposal (Military Times), Senate rejects tiered raise (Military.com), House NDAA draft (MyMilitaryBenefits), 2026 Military Pay Tables (DFAS), Senate panel bill (Stars and Stripes). The House and Senate figures are legislative proposals; the President's alternative plan sets the same tiers as the House bill unless an enacted NDAA provision supersedes it. Verify final rates against the 2027 tables DFAS publishes.