Military pay, benefits &
retirement, made simple.

More military tools are in active development. Browse by topic below.

Most pay comparisons between military and civilian careers use base pay — and that comparison misleads. A sergeant with dependents stationed in San Diego draws base pay plus BAH (a locality-adjusted housing allowance) plus BAS (subsistence), and none of those allowances are federally taxed. Regular Military Compensation captures all three components and adds back the tax advantage as a dollar equivalent, producing a number that can be set next to a civilian salary on even footing. The two calculators here build RMC from your pay grade, years of service, and duty station. Use them before accepting or comparing any job offer that quotes a civilian salary against your base pay alone.

• 01Military Pay (RMC) CalculatorPayCalculate your Regular Military Compensation: base pay + BAH + BAS + the tax advantage, plus a civilian-equivalent gross salary readout.Launch→
• 02BAH & RMC CalculatorPayLook up your 2026 housing allowance by duty station, pay grade, and dependency status, then see your total Regular Military Compensation.Launch→

• 01GI Bill Housing Allowance Reset August 1: Your New 2026 RateGuideThe GI Bill MHA reset to 2026 BAH rates on August 1. What changed, the online-only rate, rate protection if your ZIP dropped, and why your first check is short.Read→
• 02BRS TSP Match: Why BAH Doesn't Count and Front-Loading Burns YouGuideThe BRS match rides on basic pay only, never BAH or BAS, and stops cold if you max the TSP early. The exact dollar cost for an O-4 and E-6, plus the fix.Read→
• 03How an O-3 Making $142K Pays Under 3% Federal TaxGuideMilitary pay gives officers a Roth window civilians can't match: 2.9% effective tax stateside, 0.2% with combat months, and $39,500 of annual Roth room.Read→

Service members who entered on or after January 1, 2018 are automatically enrolled in the Blended Retirement System: a smaller pension (40% of High-3 at 20 years, versus 50% under legacy) paired with a government TSP match of up to 5% of base pay. Whether the TSP match closes that pension gap depends on your pay grade, contribution rate, and investment return over a full career — the BRS vs High-3 calculator runs that comparison. Guard and Reserve members retire under a separate points-based formula: good years and retirement points determine the multiplier, and the age-60 draw date can drop to 50 for qualifying mobilizations. The Reserve Retirement Points calculator handles that math, including the two multipliers for BRS and legacy members.

• 01BRS vs High-3 CalculatorRetirementCompare the Blended Retirement System (40% + TSP match) against legacy High-3 (50%) over your career. See whether the TSP match covers the pension gap at your pay grade and return assumption.Launch→
• 02Reserve Retirement Points CalculatorFor: Guard/ReserveEstimate your Guard or Reserve pension from retirement points and good years. Covers High-3 (2.5%) and BRS (2.0%) systems, with optional age-reduction for qualifying mobilizations.Launch→
• 03Military Retirement Income CalculatorRetirementModel the combined income picture when a military retiree takes a federal civilian job: retired pay, VA disability offset, and the GS salary stacked together.Launch→

• 01CRDP vs CRSC: Who Still Loses Retired Pay in 2026GuideChapter 61 retirees still trade retired pay dollar-for-dollar against VA compensation. The eligibility table, the Star Act's 79 cosponsors, and the GS crossover.Read→
• 02Remarry at 54 vs. 55: The $1.3 Million Survivor Benefit LineGuideMilitary surviving spouses who remarry before 55 lose both SBP and DIC, over $1.3 million lifetime for an E-7 family. The age-55 rules and the Love Lives On Act.Read→
• 03One CPI Number, Five Different Raises: 2027 COLA by SystemGuideThe same CPI-W drives the 2027 COLA for Social Security, CSRS, FERS, military retired pay, REDUX, and VA disability. Five formulas, three outcomes, one dollar matrix.Read→

The military-to-federal path typically moves in three steps. First, understand salary equivalence: your rank, time in service, and education map to a GS grade range, and the translator puts your full RMC next to that GS pay so the comparison is honest. Second, decide on buyback: purchasing your active-duty years into FERS adds them to creditable service, raising your eventual pension — but it usually requires waiving military retired pay, so the calculator walks through the lifetime payoff. Third, understand veterans preference: your preference type (5-point, 10-point CPS, CP, XP, or TP) raises your competitive-examination score by a fixed amount and creates procedural rights that remain in effect throughout federal hiring. The three tools here map that sequence.

• 01Military-to-GS Salary TranslatorFederal bridgeMap your rank and time in service to the equivalent GS grade, then compare military RMC (pay + BAH + BAS + tax advantage) against the GS salary.Launch→
• 02Military Service Buyback CalculatorFederal bridgeEstimate the deposit to buy back active-duty service toward your FERS pension, plus the lifetime annuity payoff.Launch→
• 03Veterans Preference CalculatorFederal bridgeDetermine your preference type — 5-point, 10-point, CPS, CP, XP, TP — and see how it changes your standing in federal hiring.Launch→

• 01Veterans Data Order: What Changes for Your VA Claim and WhenGuideEO 14426 gives DoD 30 days to share records with VA and 180 days for AI claim tools. It does not speed up a claim filed today. What to do before you separate.Read→
• 02GI Bill Years: The Cheapest Roth Conversion WindowGuideGI Bill income is tax-free, so your bracket hits near zero in school. Converting Traditional TSP then can cost 3.56% instead of 22%, saving one E-5 $13,830.Read→
• 03GI Bill Housing Allowance Reset August 1: Your New 2026 RateGuideThe GI Bill MHA reset to 2026 BAH rates on August 1. What changed, the online-only rate, rate protection if your ZIP dropped, and why your first check is short.Read→

Military retirees entering federal civilian employment face a benefits decision that compounds over time. TRICARE remains available to retirees and dependents, but federal employment opens access to FEHB — and FEHB can be suspended rather than cancelled, preserving the right to re-enroll at a later Open Season. Many retirees carry TRICARE as primary with FEHB suspended, while others value FEHB's broader provider network or want the ability to coordinate both for catastrophic costs. The TRICARE vs FEHB calculator prices that trade-off against your specific plan and family size. Separately, the Survivor Benefit Plan commits 6.5% of your elected base amount in exchange for a 55% survivor annuity — a decision that locks in outside narrow exit windows (months 25–36 of retired pay, or anytime for insurable-interest elections). The SBP calculator runs break-even ages against the term-life alternative so you can stress-test the coverage.

• 01TRICARE vs. FEHB CalculatorBenefitsCompare premiums, coverage, and out-of-pocket costs for military retirees choosing between TRICARE and FEHB in a federal civilian job.Launch→
• 02SBP CalculatorBenefitsPrice Survivor Benefit Plan coverage against your retired pay: the 6.5% premium, the 55% annuity, break-even ages, and the term-life alternative.Launch→

• 012027 VA Disability Rates: Projected Pay by RatingGuideProjected 2027 VA disability rates at the current 3.6% COLA estimate: rating-by-rating tables, the October 14 announcement date, and CRDP/CRSC impact.Read→
• 02TRICARE Open Season 2027: Should You Switch Plans?GuideThe 2027 TRICARE Open Season dates, the one-day FEHB deadline mismatch that bites dual-eligible families, Prime vs Select switch math, and the suspend-vs-cancel trap.Read→
• 03TAMP Rule Change: Reservists Owed 180 Days of TRICAREGuideDoD dropped the contingency-orders requirement for TAMP after a lawsuit. Who newly qualifies, the 2020 retroactive reimbursement window, and the FEHB catch.Read→

• 012027 Military Pay Raise by GradeProjected 2027 monthly pay chart under the tiered 5-7% plan vs the flat 3.6% floor, E-1 through O-6.Read→
• 022027 Pay Gap: Feds 0%, Military 5-7%The proposed civilian-vs-military raise gap, the year-by-year data, and the pension impact.Read→
• 03Military Buyback GuideHow buying back military service works, deadlines, and whether it pays off for your situation.Read→
• 04Navy DRP 2026: Civilian Employee GuideDRP eligibility, the $46,800 severance gap vs. VERA, and the financial decision Navy civilians face before the September deadline.Read→
• 05Navy Civilian Reduction 2026: 10/15/20% GuideWhat the 10–20% civilian workforce review means for each command, who is protected, and what every Navy civilian should do now.Read→

• 01Veterans Data Order: What Changes for Your VA Claim and WhenEO 14426 gives DoD 30 days to share records with VA and 180 days for AI claim tools. It does not speed up a claim filed today. What to do before you separate.Read→
• 02VA Cut Your Disability Rating? A Third of 2024 Reductions Had ErrorsVA's watchdog found errors in a third of 2024 rating reductions. The five rules VA must follow before cutting a rating, and the 30-day request that freezes your pay.Read→
• 03Does a September 30 Deadline Apply to You? 5 Real, 4 RumorsNine September 30 deadlines feds are hearing about, checked against the source: five real (CR, OPM breach protection, Navy review, DRP leave cap, appraisals), four rumors.Read→
• 04Guard/Reserve Military Deposit: What Counts, What Doesn'tDrill weekends don't count, annual training does, Title 32 usually doesn't: the OPM Handbook rules for a Guard or Reserve FERS deposit and which form proves it.Read→
• 05Does 'Not a Declared War' Cost Families Death Benefits?A viral thread says troops killed in the Iran operation lose death benefits because Congress never declared war. Every claim checked against the statute.Read→
• 06DD-214 Correction: Fix Missing Deployments and AwardsDD-214 correction guide: which form fixes a missing deployment or award, where it goes, the 3-year and 15-year clocks, and what a wrong record costs a fed.Read→
• 07Congressional Inquiry: How to Unstick OPM, DFAS, or the VAA congressional inquiry puts a person and a deadline on a stalled OPM, DFAS, or VA case. What it can and cannot do, how to file, and agency response windows.Read→
• 08Agency HQ Relocations 2026: Agency-by-Agency TrackerEvery 2026 federal HQ move and directed reassignment in one table: USDA hubs, HUD, CFPB, Army Corps NY, the blocked FBI move. Headcounts, deadlines, decline rules.Read→

Should I buy back my military service time for FERS?

Buying back active-duty service adds that time to your FERS creditable service, which raises your pension and can move up your retirement eligibility. The trade-off: you generally must waive military retired pay, with disability retirements and most Reserve/Guard retirements as exceptions. For employees who will spend years in federal service, the buyback usually pays off — run your own numbers with the Military Service Buyback Calculator.

Can I collect military retirement and a FERS pension at the same time?

Often yes. If you do not buy back your active-duty time, military retirees can keep their retired pay and separately earn a FERS annuity for their civilian years. If you buy the time back into FERS, you typically waive military retired pay (disability and Reserve/Guard retirements are treated differently). The right choice depends on your years of service in each system.

How does my military rank translate to a GS grade?

There is no official one-to-one rank-to-GS chart, but your rank, years of service, and education map to a GS grade and step range. The Military-to-GS Salary Translator estimates the equivalent grade and compares your military Regular Military Compensation against the GS salary.

As a military retiree taking a federal job, should I keep TRICARE or FEHB?

You can be eligible for both. Many retirees keep TRICARE and suspend FEHB, while others carry FEHB for broader provider access or to coordinate the two. The best fit depends on cost, your providers, and family coverage — our TRICARE vs FEHB comparison walks through the trade-offs.

Is military pay really lower than civilian pay?

A fair comparison uses Regular Military Compensation — base pay plus BAH, BAS, and the federal tax advantage on allowances — not base pay alone. Once those are included, the gap is usually much smaller than the base-pay figures suggest.