Military pay
Military pay raise 2027: where it stands
Two proposals and a formula, no law yet. What each would pay by grade, and why no 2027 pay table exists before an NDAA is signed.
2026 basic pay and what each 2027 proposal would give
E-4, over 3 years of service, from January 1, 2026
$3,482.40 / month
| Over 12 months | $41,789 |
| Next increase | $3,658.50 at over 4 (4 yrs) |
| 2027 if 3.6% passes | about $3,607.77 |
| 2027 if the 7% plan passes | about $3,726.17 |
DFAS table effective January 1, 2026. 2027 lines are estimates from proposals that Congress has not passed. Basic pay only.
Columns of the table: 2 or less, Over 2, Over 3, Over 4, Over 6 … Over 40. 24 pay grades.
The 2027 military pay raise was not settled when this page was checked on November 1, 2026. Three figures are on the table, according to the Congressional Research Service. The statutory formula of 37 U.S.C. 1009, tied to the Employment Cost Index for private industry wages and salaries from the third quarter of 2025 to the third quarter of 2026, gives 3.6% for every grade. The President's budget for fiscal year 2027 asks instead for a "7-6-5 percent targeted military pay raise effective on January 1, 2027": 7% for E-1 to E-5, 6% for E-6 to O-3 and 5% for O-4 and above. The House bill, H.R. 8800, passed on July 22, 2026, backs the tiered plan; the Senate Armed Services Committee bill, S. 4784, keeps 3.6%. A raise becomes law only when one National Defense Authorization Act passes both chambers and is signed, or, failing any action, the formula applies on January 1. DFAS publishes the new table after that.
What would each 2027 proposal pay you?
O-4 in 2026, over 12 years
$9,888.30 / mo
| 3.6% plan (Senate, formula) | about $10,244.28 |
| Tiered plan (5% for O-4) | about $10,382.72 |
Estimates only: Congress had not settled the 2027 raise when this page was checked.
Ranks and pay tables read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
The three figures
| Pay grade | Formula (37 U.S.C. 1009) | President's budget | House bill (H.R. 8800) | Senate committee bill (S. 4784) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 to E-4 | 3.6% | 7% | 7% | 3.6% |
| E-5 | 3.6% | 7% | 7% | 3.6% |
| E-6 to O-3 | 3.6% | 6% | 6% | 3.6% |
| O-4 and above | 3.6% | 5% | 5% | 3.6% |
The House passed H.R. 8800 on July 22, 2026, 216 to 212, and the Senate received it on September 14. The Senate Armed Services Committee reported S. 4784 on June 15, 2026; it had not passed the Senate floor in the reports we read. Status as reported up to early October 2026.
What would each 2027 proposal pay you?
E-5 in 2026, over 4 years
$3,946.80 / mo
| 3.6% plan (Senate, formula) | about $4,088.88 |
| Tiered plan (7% for E-5) | about $4,223.08 |
Estimates only: Congress had not settled the 2027 raise when this page was checked.
How the formula works
Section 1009 raises basic pay each January 1 by the increase in the Employment Cost Index for private industry wages and salaries between the third quarter of the third preceding year and the third quarter of the second preceding year. Under subsection (e) the President may propose an alternative adjustment, and Congress may set its own figure by law. For 2026, Congress passed nothing different and the formula's 3.8% applied. The history page shows each year since 2004.
How the estimates are made
The calculator multiplies the 2026 DFAS rate of the chosen line by 1.036 or by the tier rate of the grade, rounded to the cent. It gives no estimate when the 2026 rate sits at an Executive Schedule cap, since the 2027 cap is not yet known, and none for warrant grades under the tiered plan. When DFAS publishes the 2027 tables, they replace these estimates on every page of this site.