Last Updated: October 26, 2026 Reading Time: 8 min

Military pay after taxes starts from basic pay. Of basic pay and the housing and food allowances (BAH and BAS), only basic pay is taxed. An E-5 with six years has $4,110.00 of basic pay in 2026 and keeps about $3,754 a month after federal tax, Social Security, Medicare, a 5% TSP contribution and full SGLI, before any housing allowance. The table below runs every enlisted grade and O-1 to O-6 the same way.

Military Take-Home Pay by Rank: The 2026 Table

Each row uses the 2026 DFAS basic pay rate for that grade and years of service. Deductions are federal income tax withholding, Social Security, Medicare, a 5% traditional TSP contribution and $500,000 SGLI ($26 a month). BAS is added untaxed: $476.95 a month for enlisted members and $328.48 for officers. BAH is left out because it depends on your duty station.

Grade Years of service Basic pay Federal tax (single) Social Security + Medicare Net per month, single Net per month, married filing jointly Net per paycheck, single
E-1 Over 4 months $2,407.20 $94.52 $184.15 $2,459.12 $2,553.64 $1,229.56
E-2 Over 2 $2,697.90 $125.89 $206.39 $2,681.67 $2,807.56 $1,340.84
E-3 Over 2 $3,015.00 $162.04 $230.65 $2,922.51 $3,066.46 $1,461.26
E-4 Over 4 $3,658.50 $235.40 $279.88 $3,411.24 $3,567.42 $1,705.62
E-5 Over 6 $4,110.00 $286.87 $314.42 $3,754.16 $3,918.91 $1,877.08
E-6 Over 10 $4,759.50 $360.92 $364.10 $4,247.45 $4,424.55 $2,123.73
E-7 Over 16 $6,000.90 $518.36 $459.07 $5,174.38 $5,371.97 $2,587.19
E-8 Over 20 $6,995.40 $726.21 $535.14 $5,835.23 $6,127.30 $2,917.62
E-9 Over 22 $8,423.10 $1,024.59 $644.36 $6,783.94 $7,211.63 $3,391.97
O-1 Under 2 $4,150.20 $291.46 $317.49 $3,636.22 $3,801.74 $1,818.11
O-2 Over 2 $5,446.20 $439.20 $416.63 $4,620.54 $4,802.21 $2,310.27
O-3 Over 6 $7,737.00 $881.20 $591.88 $6,179.55 $6,542.07 $3,089.78
O-4 Over 12 $9,888.30 $1,330.82 $756.45 $7,609.09 $8,175.98 $3,804.55
O-5 Over 18 $11,713.80 $1,731.91 $896.11 $8,802.57 $9,557.96 $4,401.29
O-6 Over 22 $14,112.90 $2,278.91 $1,079.64 $10,351.18 $11,152.16 $5,175.59

How this table was computed: 2026 DFAS basic pay (effective January 1, 2026) from FedTools' verified pay table. Federal withholding uses the IRS Publication 15-T (2026) annual percentage method for a 2020-or-later W-4 with no Step 2, 3 or 4 entries, annualized over 24 semimonthly paydays. Taxable wage = basic pay minus traditional TSP. Social Security and Medicare are figured on full basic pay. Each deduction is rounded to the cent, as on an LES, and net pay is basic pay plus BAS minus the rounded deductions. Per-paycheck = half the monthly net. Dollar figures are withholding estimates, not your final tax bill.

Add your BAH on top. An E-5 who receives $1,105 a month of BAH takes home about $4,859 a month, because the full $1,105 comes through untaxed.

Why Your Take-Home Is Higher Than a Civilian's at the Same Gross

A civilian paid $5,692 a month is taxed on all of it, apart from any pre-tax deductions. An E-5 over 6 receiving $4,110.00 of basic pay, $476.95 of BAS and $1,105 of BAH has the same $5,692 total, but only the $4,110.00 is taxed. Two rules explain the gap.

  • Allowances are excluded from income. Publication 3, Table 2 lists BAH, BAS, overseas housing allowance (OHA), family separation allowance and uniform, moving and per diem allowances as excluded from gross income.
  • FICA counts basic pay only. Under 26 U.S.C. § 3121(i)(2), a service member's FICA wages are only basic pay. Social Security is 6.2% and Medicare 1.45% in 2026 (IRS Publication 15), with Social Security stopping at the $184,500 wage base. Of the grades in this table, only an O-6 with more than 30 years has enough basic pay to reach it, and only in December.

The same rules explain why the Regular Military Compensation figure includes a "tax advantage" line. A civilian would need a higher salary to clear the same amount after tax.

What Comes Out of Each Military Paycheck

Federal income tax withholding

DFAS figures withholding from the W-4 you file. For a single filer in 2026, the IRS percentage method first subtracts $8,600 from your annual taxable wage, then withholds nothing on the next $7,500, 10% up to $19,900, 12% up to $57,900 and 22% up to $113,200. For married filing jointly, the subtraction is $12,900, the 0% band runs to $19,300 and the 12% bracket runs to $120,100.

That's why the married column is higher. The same basic pay sits in lower brackets.

Social Security and Medicare

6.2% plus 1.45% of basic pay, every month. TSP contributions do not reduce this. An E-7 who puts 10% into traditional TSP still pays FICA on the full basic pay.

TSP

If you entered service on or after January 1, 2018, you're in the Blended Retirement System, and the TSP defaults you to 5% of basic pay, traditional, starting the first full pay period after 60 days from your pay entry base date (5 C.F.R. § 1600.34(b)). You can change the percentage or elect Roth instead. The default used to be 3%. It has been 5% since 2020.

Traditional contributions lower your federal taxable wage. Roth contributions do not, so a Roth election cuts take-home slightly more today. See why the BRS match always lands in traditional and how junior officers use the Roth window.

SGLI

VA charges 5 cents per $1,000 of coverage a month plus $1 for TSGLI. At the $500,000 maximum that's $26 a month. Coverage comes in $50,000 steps, so dropping to $250,000 cuts the premium to $13.50 including TSGLI.

The table assumes no state income tax. Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. § 4001), you don't gain or lose a tax home because military orders moved you, and your military pay isn't income from the state where you're stationed. Only your state of legal residence can tax it.

Whether that state does depends on its own law. Arizona, for example, exempts active-duty pay under A.R.S. § 43-1022(11). Check your home state's revenue department before you assume either way, then enter its rate in the calculator.

Military spouses have separate residence protections in the same section of the law.

What This Table Leaves Out

Your actual LES can differ because of:

  • Special and incentive pays. Publication 3 counts special pays such as hostile fire, imminent danger and hardship duty pay as taxable outside a combat zone. The table leaves them out.
  • Combat zone months. Enlisted members and warrant officers exclude all pay for months in a combat zone. Officers exclude up to the highest enlisted pay plus imminent danger pay (Publication 3). This table covers stateside months.
  • Allotments, dental premiums and debts. These come out of net pay.
  • Your W-4. Extra withholding, dependents or a second job change the federal line.
  • How DFAS splits the month. Most active-duty members are paid twice a month, and some deductions may land on one payday instead of being split evenly.

Calculate Your Exact Military Take-Home Pay

The Military Take-Home Pay Calculator takes your grade, years of service, BAH, filing status, TSP percentages, SGLI coverage and a state rate, and shows net pay per month, per paycheck and per year. If you only need gross pay and allowances, use the Military Pay Calculator. For next year's basic pay, see the 2027 military pay chart by grade.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is BAH taxed?

No. IRS Publication 3 lists BAH, BAS and OHA among the allowances excluded from gross income, and Social Security and Medicare apply only to basic pay. BAH lands in your account in full.

Why is Social Security only taken out of base pay?

Federal law (26 U.S.C. § 3121(i)(2)) counts only basic pay as a service member's FICA wages. You pay 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare on basic pay, and nothing on BAH or BAS.

How much does SGLI take out of my check?

SGLI costs 5 cents per $1,000 of coverage a month plus $1 for TSGLI. At the $500,000 maximum that's $26 a month.

Do I pay state tax where I'm stationed?

Not because of military orders. Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, your military pay can be taxed only by your state of legal residence, and whether it is depends on that state's law.

Am I automatically in the TSP, and is it Roth?

If you're under the Blended Retirement System, the TSP enrolls you at 5% of basic pay, traditional, unless you change it within 60 days of your pay entry base date. You can switch to Roth or change the amount at any time after that.

Why doesn't my LES match this table?

Withholding depends on your W-4, special pays, allotments and state tax, and some deductions may land on one payday. Your LES on myPay lists each deduction, so compare it line by line with the calculator.

Sources: IRS Publication 3, Armed Forces' Tax Guide · IRS Publication 15-T (2026) · IRS Publication 15 (2026) · 26 U.S.C. § 3121 · 5 C.F.R. § 1600.34 · VA SGLI premiums · 50 U.S.C. § 4001 (SCRA) · IRS: 2026 401(k) and TSP limit · DFAS military pay tables