Calculator
2027 raise for your grade
Your 2026 basic pay and the projected January 1, 2027 rate.
E-5 basic pay, 4 years
$3,946.80
a month in 2026 · $47,362 a year
- Per paycheck (twice a month)
- $1,973.40
- Per hour (2,080-hour year)
- $22.77
- 2027 with a 7% raise (projected)
- $4,223.08
- Monthly increase
- $276.28
Basic pay only: BAH, BAS and special pays are on top. 2027 figures apply the January 1, 2027 raise in the President’s alternative pay plan; DFAS publishes the final table in December.
Independent estimate tool. Not affiliated with DoD, DFAS or VA. Your LES, finance office or VA decision letter is the official amount.
Where the 2027 military pay raise stands
The raise most service members will see on January 1, 2027 is the tiered plan, but Congress can still change it. Three numbers are in play:
- 3.6%: the automatic formula. By law, basic pay rises by the 12-month increase in the Employment Cost Index for private-industry wages and salaries, for the 12 months ending September 30 of the year before last[usc1009]. For 2027 that is 3.6%[crs27].
- 7% / 6% / 5%: the President’s plan. The FY2027 budget proposed a targeted “7-6-5” raise. On August 26, 2026 the President used his authority under 37 U.S.C. 1009(e) to set it: 7.0% for grades E-1 to E-5, 6.0% for E-6 to O-3 and 5.0% for O-4 and above, effective January 1, 2027 and subject to the pay caps[plan27]. Members of the Public Health Service and NOAA Corps get 3.6%.
- The FY2027 NDAA. The House Armed Services Committee version backs 7-6-5; the Senate Armed Services Committee version has 3.6%[crs27]. As of November 14, 2026 no FY2027 defense authorization had become law. A final bill could confirm, raise or lower the January rates.
DFAS publishes the official 2027 pay tables in December. Until then, the 2027 numbers on this site are projections: the 2026 rate times the tier, rounded to the cent and held at the 2026 Executive Schedule caps.
Military pay chart 2027: projected basic pay by grade
| Grade | Years | 2026 | Raise | 2027 projected | Per month |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | Under 2 | $2,407.20 | 7% | $2,575.70 | +$168.50 |
| E-3 | Over 2 | $3,015.00 | 7% | $3,226.05 | +$211.05 |
| E-4 | Over 4 | $3,658.50 | 7% | $3,914.60 | +$256.10 |
| E-5 | Over 6 | $4,110.00 | 7% | $4,397.70 | +$287.70 |
| E-6 | Over 10 | $4,759.50 | 6% | $5,045.07 | +$285.57 |
| E-7 | Over 16 | $6,000.90 | 6% | $6,360.95 | +$360.05 |
| E-8 | Over 20 | $6,995.40 | 6% | $7,415.12 | +$419.72 |
| W-2 | Over 8 | $6,051.00 | 6% | $6,414.06 | +$363.06 |
| O-1 | Under 2 | $4,150.20 | 6% | $4,399.21 | +$249.01 |
| O-3 | Over 6 | $7,737.00 | 6% | $8,201.22 | +$464.22 |
| O-4 | Over 12 | $9,888.30 | 5% | $10,382.72 | +$494.42 |
| O-5 | Over 20 | $12,032.70 | 5% | $12,634.34 | +$601.64 |
| O-6 | Over 26 | $15,188.70 | 5% | $15,408.30 | +$219.60 |
For every cell of the current table, see the military pay chart 2026. BAH for 2027 is set separately and is usually released in mid-December; your current rate is in the BAH calculator.
How to raise military pay: who decides
Raising military pay works in three ways. The default is automatic: the ECI formula applies unless someone acts. The President can submit an alternative plan by September 1 if he considers the formula “inappropriate” because of a national emergency or serious economic conditions[usc1009]. And Congress can set any rate in law, usually in the annual National Defense Authorization Act, as it did for the junior enlisted increases of April 2025[crs27].
Military pay raises since 2007
| Year | Raise |
|---|---|
| 2026 | 3.8% |
| 2025 | 4.5% (Jan); +10% E-1–E-4 and avg. +7% E-5 under 10 yrs (Apr) |
| 2024 | 5.2% |
| 2023 | 4.6% |
| 2022 | 2.7% |
| 2021 | 3.0% |
| 2020 | 3.1% |
| 2019 | 2.6% |
| 2018 | 2.4% |
| 2017 | 2.1% |
| 2016 | 1.3% |
| 2015 | 1.0% |
| 2014 | 1.0% |
| 2013 | 1.7% |
| 2012 | 1.6% |
| 2011 | 1.4% |
| 2010 | 3.4% |
| 2009 | 3.9% |
| 2008 | 3.5% |
| 2007 | 2.2% (Jan) + 0.5% (Apr) |
Raises averaged about 2.8% over these 20 years, with the largest across-the-board increase (5.2%) in 2024[raisehist][crsraise].
The 2027 COLA for retirees and veterans
The 2026 military pay raise was 3.8%. The cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) is a separate number that applies to people who are already retired or receiving VA compensation:
- Military retired pay rises by the Social Security COLA, which is 3.6% for 2027, effective December 1, 2026 and first paid January 1, 2027[ssacola][usc1401a]. Run your numbers in the military retirement calculator.
- VA disability compensation also follows the Social Security COLA: 3.6% from December 1, 2026. Estimated new amounts are on the VA disability pay chart.
- The previous COLA, paid in 2026, was 2.8%.
Frequently asked questions
What is the military pay raise for 2027?
7% for E-1 to E-5, 6% for E-6 to O-3 (including warrant officers) and 5% for O-4 and above, effective January 1, 2027, under the President’s August 26, 2026 alternative pay plan. Congress may still change it in the FY2027 NDAA.
Why is the formula raise 3.6%?
37 U.S.C. 1009 ties the raise to the 12-month increase in the Employment Cost Index for private-industry wages and salaries ending in the third quarter of 2025, which was 3.6%.
When will the 2027 military pay charts be published?
DFAS normally posts the new tables in December or early January, once the rate is final. The first paycheck with the raise is the January 15, 2027 mid-month pay.
Do retirees get the military pay raise?
No. Retirees and VA recipients get the cost-of-living adjustment instead, 3.6% from December 1, 2026. The pay raise only changes basic pay for people serving.
Sources
- H. Doc. 119-189, Alternative Plan for Pay Adjustments … for Members of the Armed Forces in January 2027
- FY2027 NDAA: Military Basic Pay Raise Proposal (IN12706)
- 37 U.S.C. § 1009, Adjustments of monthly basic pay
- Defense Primer: Military Pay Raise (IF10260)
- Annual Pay Raise
- Social Security Announces 3.6 Percent Benefit Increase for 2027
- 10 U.S.C. § 1401a, Adjustment of retired pay and retainer pay to reflect changes in Consumer Price Index
- Basic Pay – Enlisted, effective January 1, 2026