Military Pay Calculator
Calculate 2024 US military base pay by rank and years of service, plus BAS and estimated total compensation.
About the Military Pay Calculator
Military compensation in the United States consists of several distinct pay components. The most visible is basic pay, which is a tax-free monthly salary determined by the service member's pay grade (rank) and years of service. Pay grades run from E-1 (Private, Seaman Recruit, Airman Basic) through E-9 for enlisted, W-1 through W-5 for warrant officers, and O-1 through O-10 for commissioned officers. The Department of Defense publishes updated pay tables each January.
Beyond base pay, most service members receive the Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) to cover food costs and the Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) to cover housing costs when living off-base. BAH varies significantly by geographic duty station and dependency status (with or without dependents), which is why our calculator asks you to enter it manually. Together, these three components — base pay, BAS, and BAH — constitute the majority of military compensation for most service members.
Our 2024 military pay calculator provides the official DoD base pay table for all pay grades and service brackets. Enter your rank and years of service to get your exact monthly and annual base pay, then add your BAS and BAH to see estimated total compensation. This is useful for financial planning, comparing civilian vs military compensation, or simply understanding your payslip.
Understanding Military Pay Components
Basic pay is the foundation of military compensation and is the same across all branches for a given pay grade and years of service. It is taxable income, unlike allowances. Base pay increases with both time in service (at the 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16-year marks) and promotions to higher pay grades. The pay tables are established by Congress and adjusted each year — in 2024, military pay received a 5.2% across-the-board increase.
The Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) is a monthly allowance meant to offset the cost of meals. For 2024, the enlisted BAS rate is $460.81 per month and the officer rate is $316.98 per month. BAS is not subject to federal income tax. Service members who eat in a government dining facility (DFAC) typically pay for their meals from BAS; those living off-base keep the full amount. BAS rates adjust annually based on changes in the USDA food cost index.
The Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) is the largest allowance for most service members not living in government quarters. BAH is set by zip code at three tiers (with dependents, without dependents, and partial) based on local rental market data. It is designed to cover approximately median rental costs in each duty station area for appropriate housing. BAH is not taxable. Because it varies so widely — a junior enlisted service member in rural Kansas receives far less than the same rank in San Francisco — the calculator asks you to enter your specific BAH amount from your Leave and Earnings Statement.