2024 Military Pay Chart: Rates by Rank
The official 2024 military pay chart sets monthly basic pay for every active-duty rank, from E-1 through O-10, and ties raises to years of service. The 5.2% across-the-board raise took effect January 1, 2024, the largest in more than a decade. Basic pay is only one piece of total military compensation. Most service members also receive tax-free allowances for housing and food, plus special pays for things like flight duty, sea service, or hazardous work. This guide breaks down the 2024 basic pay table, explains the allowances layered on top, and walks through how to estimate your real take-home pay.
2024 Military Basic Pay Chart
Basic pay is the foundation of military compensation. The Department of Defense publishes a single table each year, indexed by rank and years of service. The numbers below reflect the 5.2% raise that took effect on January 1, 2024.
Enlisted Basic Pay (E-1 to E-9)
- E-1 (less than 4 months): $1,917.60 / month
- E-1 (4+ months): $1,917.60 / month
- E-2: $2,149.20 / month
- E-3: $2,259.90 / month
- E-4 (less than 2 years): $2,503.80 / month
- E-4 (2+ years): $2,710.80 / month
- E-5 (less than 2 years): $2,730.00 / month
- E-6: starts at $2,980.50 / month
- E-7: starts at $3,445.20 / month
- E-8: starts at $4,386.00 / month
- E-9: starts at $5,432.40 / month
Senior NCO pay caps higher than these minimums apply after 8, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30 years of service. A 20-year E-8, for example, earns roughly $6,516.00 / month, while a 30-year E-9 tops out around $9,056.40 / month.
Warrant Officer Basic Pay (W-1 to W-5)
- W-1 (less than 2 years): $3,399.00 / month
- W-2: starts at $3,915.30 / month
- W-3: starts at $4,652.70 / month
- W-4: starts at $5,372.40 / month
- W-5: starts at $6,335.10 / month
Warrant officers reach their maximum basic pay after roughly 30 years of service. A W-5 with 20 years of service earns about $8,615.70 / month; with 30 years, the cap is around $9,395.40 / month.
Commissioned Officer Basic Pay (O-1 to O-10)
- O-1 (less than 2 years): $3,826.20 / month
- O-2: starts at $4,422.00 / month
- O-3: starts at $5,062.80 / month
- O-4: starts at $5,803.20 / month
- O-5: starts at $6,738.00 / month
- O-6: starts at $7,801.20 / month
- O-7: starts at $9,572.40 / month
- O-8: starts at $11,824.80 / month
- O-9: starts at $14,769.30 / month
- O-10: $16,974.60 / month (statutory cap)
O-7 through O-10 use a separate, higher cap structure. Senior officers with 20+ years typically reach or approach the maximum rate for their rank; the O-10 figure of $16,974.60 is the absolute ceiling for basic pay across all services.
Cadet, Midshipman, and Academy Pay
West Point, Annapolis, and the Air Force Academy cadets and midshipmen earn a flat $1,347.30 / month in 2024, regardless of class year.
How the 2024 Raise Was Calculated
Each year the President sets the military pay raise under the Employment Cost Index (ECI) formula established by law. Congress can approve a larger raise but cannot approve a smaller one. The 5.2% figure for 2024 matched the ECI precisely, which was the largest automatic adjustment since 2009 and outpaced private-sector wage growth.
The raise applies only to basic pay. Allowances such as Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) are recalculated separately each year, and special pays are tied to statute rather than the ECI.
Allowances That Boost Take-Home Pay
Basic pay is taxable. Most allowances are not, which makes a significant difference in real income. The two largest are housing and food.
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH)
BAH is a tax-free monthly payment meant to cover off-base rent or mortgage costs where you are stationed. The amount depends on rank, dependency status, and local cost of living. Rates update every January based on a DoD survey of local rental markets. As of 2024:
- An E-4 with dependents in San Diego receives more than BHA.
- An O-4 with dependents in the same area receives more than BHA.
- An E-1 without dependents anywhere in the country receives more than BHA.
BAH is paid only to service members who do not live in government-provided housing. On-base housing is provided in kind rather than in cash.
Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS)
BAS is a flat, tax-free monthly stipend intended to offset food costs. There are two rates in 2024:
- Enlisted BAS: $460.25 / month
- Officer BAS: $311.68 / month
All service members receive BAS, even if they eat in a government dining facility, and the rates are identical across the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Space Force.
Special and Incentive Pays
Most service members qualify for at least one additional pay category. Common 2024 examples include:
- Hostile Fire / Imminent Danger Pay: $225 / month while deployed to a qualifying area
- Hazard Duty Pay (various types): $150 / month per category
- Aviation Career Incentive Pay (officers): $150 to $1,000 / month depending on years of service
- Career Enlisted Flyer Pay: $150 to $800 / month
- Sea Pay (enlisted): $50 to $820 / month based on years at sea
- Diving Pay (Officer): $150 to $300 / month
- Foreign Language Proficiency Bonus: up to $1,000 / month
Special pays stack with every category, so a service member can receive multiple incentive pays at once if they qualify.
How to Estimate Your 2024 Take-Home Pay
A simple three-step calculation works for most service members:
- Look up your rank and years of service on the basic pay chart.
- Add BAH for your duty station plus BAS.
- Add any qualifying special or incentive pays.
For example, an E-5 with 4 years of service stationed at Fort Cavazos, Texas, with dependents, receives approximately:
- Basic pay: $3,107.70 / month
- BAH: roughly $1,800 / month (tax-free)
- BAS: $460.25 / month (tax-free)
- Gross taxable income: $3,107.70 / month
The BAH and BAS portions are not subject to federal income tax, which means the effective value of those allowances is higher than their face amount for most service members.
Reserves and Guard Pay Rates
Reservists and National Guard members use the same basic pay chart, but only earn basic pay during drill weekends, annual training, and active-duty orders. One drill day typically pays one-thirtieth of monthly basic pay, and a standard drill weekend pays four one-thirtyths, or roughly $160 to $700 depending on rank.
Reservists do not receive BAH or BAS during routine drills, but they do receive both when activated for 30+ days under federal orders.
Where the Numbers Come From
The 2024 basic pay rates were published in the December 2023 Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) military pay tables and remain in force through December 31, 2024, unless Congress authorizes a mid-year change, as it did in 2003 and 2006.
For exact figures, including every step within each rank band, the DFAS pay tables are the authoritative source. The BAH rates are published separately by the Defense Travel System.
Key Takeaways
- The 2024 military pay chart reflects a 5.2% raise, the largest automatic adjustment since 2009.
- Basic pay ranges from $1,917.60 / month for an E-1 to $16,974.60 / month for an O-10.
- Tax-free BAH and BAS typically add 25% to 60% on top of basic pay for mid-career service members.
- Special pays stack with allowances, so many service members earn well above the basic pay chart rate.
- Reservists use the same chart but receive basic pay only during qualifying duty periods.
If you want the precise numbers for your specific rank and zip code, pull the current DFAS pay table and BAH calculator side by side and add them together. That total is the closest estimate to your real monthly military income.