Military pay
Military pay raises since 2004
Each January raise in basic pay since 2004, set against what the Employment Cost Index formula would have given, with the targeted increases on top.
How much was the military pay raise in a given year?
Raise on January 1, 2026
3.8%
| ECI formula that year | 3.8% |
| Comment | none |
Congressional Research Service, IF10260, Table 1.
Military basic pay rises each January by an amount the law ties to the Employment Cost Index, unless the President or Congress sets another figure. Since 2004 the raise has ranged from 1.0% in 2014 and 2015 to 5.2% in 2024, according to the Congressional Research Service. From 2004 to 2006 the formula itself added half a point to the ECI; from 2008 to 2010 Congress enacted half a point more than the formula; from 2014 to 2016 it gave less, 1.0% to 1.3%, with no increase for O-7 and above in 2015 and 2016. Targeted increases, called pay table reform, came on top in 2004 and 2007 for midgrade and senior enlisted and some warrant officers, and in April 2025 for junior enlisted members. The 2026 raise, 3.8%, followed the formula. Over the 23 years, the raise matched the formula in seventeen.
Quick check: 2026 basic pay
E-6, over 10 years
$4,759.50 / mo
| Over a year | $57,114 |
| Lowest rate of the grade | $3,401.10 |
| Highest rate of the grade | $5,267.70 |
DFAS table effective January 1, 2026; basic pay only.
Ranks and pay tables read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Year by year
| Year | ECI formula | Raise in basic pay | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3.8% | 3.8% | |
| 2025 | 4.5% | 4.5% + PTR | Additional increases for junior enlisted from April 1, 2025 |
| 2024 | 5.2% | 5.2% | |
| 2023 | 4.6% | 4.6% | |
| 2022 | 2.7% | 2.7% | |
| 2021 | 3.0% | 3.0% | |
| 2020 | 3.1% | 3.1% | |
| 2019 | 2.6% | 2.6% | |
| 2018 | 2.4% | 2.4% | |
| 2017 | 2.1% | 2.1% | |
| 2016 | 2.3% | 1.3% | No increase for O-7 and above |
| 2015 | 1.8% | 1.0% | No increase for O-7 and above |
| 2014 | 1.8% | 1.0% | |
| 2013 | 1.7% | 1.7% | |
| 2012 | 1.6% | 1.6% | |
| 2011 | 1.4% | 1.4% | |
| 2010 | 2.9% | 3.4% | |
| 2009 | 3.4% | 3.9% | |
| 2008 | 3.0% | 3.5% | |
| 2007 | 2.2% | 2.2% + PTR | Additional increases for midgrade enlisted and some warrant officers; table extended to 40 years of service |
| 2006 | 2.6% | 3.1% | |
| 2005 | 3.0% | 3.5% | |
| 2004 | 3.2% | 3.7% + PTR | Additional increases for midgrade and senior enlisted, and some warrant officers |
The April 2025 increase
The FY2025 NDAA added a second raise in 2025, on top of the 4.5% of January: an additional 10% for E-1 to E-4 and an average additional 7% for E-5s with fewer than ten years of service, effective April 1, 2025, as the Congressional Research Service summarizes it. That is why junior enlisted rates rose more than others between 2024 and 2026: an E-1 over four months drew $2,319.00 a month after April 2025 and $2,407.20 in 2026.
What would each 2027 proposal pay you?
E-3 in 2026, over 2 years
$3,015.00 / mo
| 3.6% plan (Senate, formula) | about $3,123.54 |
| Tiered plan (7% for E-3) | about $3,226.05 |
Estimates only: Congress had not settled the 2027 raise when this page was checked.
What comes next
For 2027 the formula gives 3.6%, while the President and the House back a tiered 7-6-5 plan. The 2027 page follows the bill until it is law.