Military compensation
This pay-grade table shows official monthly base pay by years of service. If you are comparing offers, the key is total compensation: base pay plus BAS and location-adjusted housing value can materially shift what a civilian salary must replace.
Data vintage: DFAS basic pay (2025) and DTMO BAH averages (2026).
| Years of service | Monthly base pay | Annual base pay |
|---|---|---|
| 2 years or less | $5,332 | $63,979 |
| 2+ years | $6,044 | $72,529 |
| 3+ years | $6,523 | $78,271 |
| 4+ years | $7,112 | $85,349 |
| 6+ years | $7,454 | $89,446 |
| 8+ years | $7,828 | $93,935 |
| 10+ years | $8,069 | $96,829 |
| 12+ years | $8,467 | $101,599 |
| 14+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
| 16+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
| 18+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
| 20+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
| 22+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
| 24+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
| 26+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
| 28+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
| 30+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
| 32+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
| 34+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
| 36+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
| 38+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
| 40+ years | $8,675 | $104,094 |
For a typical O-3 member (using the 6+ years row), estimated monthly military compensation is $10,579 when you include BAS and the national average BAH-with-dependents benchmark.
That is roughly $126,948/yearbefore adding healthcare and retirement advantages.
Use the Pay Translator to model housing, tax treatment, and benefits gaps so you negotiate with a complete compensation target instead of salary alone.
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