Congress voted in a 3.1% pay raise for the 2020 calendar year. The 3.1 percent cost-of-living pay increase for military members is the largest increase in 10 years. This pay raise also applies to members of the Reserves and National Guard. You should see this pay raise in the first paycheck of the year, which should arrive in the January 15th paycheck.
You can compare this to the 2019 military pay charts to see how much of a raise you received from last year, or compare it to the proposed 2021 military pay charts.
Military pay dates:
Military paychecks go out on the 1st and 15th of the month with the exception of weekends and holidays. Paychecks are sent on the prior business day if the payday falls on a weekend or holiday. Here are links to the current military pay dates:
Table of Contents
2020 Military Pay Scale – Officers, Prior Enlisted Officers, & Warrant Officers
Here are the proposed pay scales listed in dollars per month for enlistees, officers, and warrant officers. Keep in mind, these charts only include basic military pay, and do not include non-taxable allowances such as BAH or BAS.
Commissioned officers are on the pay grades from O-1 through O-10, Prior-Enlisted Officers are O-1E through O-3E, and Warrant Officers are W-1 through W-5.
2020 Officer & Warrant Officer Pay Charts – 0 Years – 10 Years
| Pay Grade | <2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-8 | 10999.50 | 11360.40 | 11599.50 | 11666.10 | 11964.60 | 12462.90 | 12579.00 |
| O-7 | 9140.10 | 9564.60 | 9761.10 | 9917.40 | 10200.00 | 10479.60 | 10802.70 |
| O-6 (note 2) | 6931.20 | 7614.60 | 8114.40 | 8114.40 | 8145.30 | 8494.50 | 8540.70 |
| O-5 | 5778.00 | 6509.10 | 6959.40 | 7044.30 | 7325.70 | 7493.70 | 7863.60 |
| O-4 | 4985.40 | 5770.80 | 6156.30 | 6241.80 | 6599.10 | 6982.80 | 7460.40 |
| O-3 | 4383.30 | 4968.60 | 5362.50 | 5847.30 | 6127.80 | 6435.00 | 6633.90 |
| O-2 | 3787.50 | 4313.40 | 4967.70 | 5135.70 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 |
| O-1 | 3287.10 | 3421.80 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 |
| Prior Enlisted Officers | |||||||
| Pay Grade | <2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| O-3E | - | - | - | 5847.30 | 6127.80 | 6435.00 | 6633.90 |
| O-2E | - | - | - | 5135.70 | 5241.30 | 5408.10 | 5689.80 |
| O-1E | - | - | - | 4136.40 | 4416.90 | 4580.10 | 4747.20 |
| Warrant Officers | |||||||
| Pay Grade | <2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
| W-5 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| W-4 | 4530.00 | 4872.60 | 5012.40 | 5150.10 | 5387.10 | 5621.70 | 5859.30 |
| W-3 | 4137.00 | 4309.20 | 4486.20 | 4544.10 | 4728.90 | 5093.70 | 5473.20 |
| W-2 | 3660.60 | 4006.80 | 4113.30 | 4186.50 | 4423.80 | 4792.80 | 4975.80 |
| W-1 | 3213.00 | 3559.20 | 3651.90 | 3848.40 | 4080.60 | 4423.20 | 4582.80 |
2020 Officer & Warrant Officer Pay Charts – 12 Years – 26 Years
| Pay Grade | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-10 | - | - | - | - | 16441.80 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 |
| O-9 | - | - | - | - | 15546.00 | 15770.70 | 16094.10 | 16441.80 |
| O-8 | 13052.10 | 13188.30 | 13596.00 | 14186.10 | 14730.00 | 15093.30 | 15093.30 | 15093.30 |
| O-7 | 11124.60 | 11447.70 | 12462.90 | 13319.70 | 13319.70 | 13319.70 | 13319.70 | 13388.10 |
| O-6 | 8540.70 | 9025.80 | 9884.10 | 10387.50 | 10890.90 | 11177.40 | 11467.80 | 12030.00 |
| O-5 | 8135.40 | 8486.10 | 9022.50 | 9277.50 | 9530.10 | 9816.60 | 9816.60 | 9816.60 |
| O-4 | 7831.80 | 8089.80 | 8238.30 | 8324.10 | 8324.10 | 8324.10 | 8324.10 | 8324.10 |
| O-3 | 6960.60 | 7131.30 | 7131.30 | 7131.30 | 7131.30 | 7131.30 | 7131.30 | 7131.30 |
| O-2 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 |
| O-1 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 |
| Prior Enlisted Officers | ||||||||
| Pay Grade | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 |
| O-3E | 6960.60 | 7236.30 | 7395.00 | 7610.70 | 7610.70 | 7610.70 | 7610.70 | 7610.70 |
| O-2E | 5907.60 | 6069.60 | 6069.60 | 6069.60 | 6069.60 | 6069.60 | 6069.60 | 6069.60 |
| O-1E | 4911.00 | 5135.70 | 5135.70 | 5135.70 | 5135.70 | 5135.70 | 5135.70 | 5135.70 |
| Warrant Officers | ||||||||
| Pay Grade | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 |
| W-5 | - | - | - | - | 8054.70 | 8463.00 | 8767.50 | 9104.10 |
| W-4 | 6216.00 | 6529.20 | 6827.10 | 7071.30 | 7309.20 | 7658.40 | 7945.20 | 8272.80 |
| W-3 | 5652.00 | 5859.00 | 6071.70 | 6455.10 | 6713.70 | 6868.20 | 7032.60 | 7256.70 |
| W-2 | 5155.50 | 5375.70 | 5547.90 | 5703.60 | 5890.20 | 6012.90 | 6109.80 | 6109.80 |
| W-1 | 4806.60 | 5026.50 | 5199.60 | 5358.60 | 5552.10 | 5552.10 | 5552.10 | 5552.10 |
2020 Officer & Warrant Officer Pay Charts – 28 Years – 40 Years
| Pay Grade | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-10 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 |
| O-9 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 | 16441.80 |
| O-8 | 15093.30 | 15471.30 | 15471.30 | 15857.40 | 15857.40 | 15857.40 | 15857.40 |
| O-7 | 13388.10 | 13656.00 | 13656.00 | 13656.00 | 13656.00 | 13656.00 | 13656.00 |
| O-6 | 12030.00 | 12270.30 | 12270.30 | 12270.30 | 12270.30 | 12270.30 | 12270.30 |
| O-5 | 9816.60 | 9816.60 | 9816.60 | 9816.60 | 9816.60 | 9816.60 | 9816.60 |
| O-4 | 8324.10 | 8324.10 | 8324.10 | 8324.10 | 8324.10 | 8324.10 | 8324.10 |
| O-3 | 7131.30 | 7131.30 | 7131.30 | 7131.30 | 7131.30 | 7131.30 | 7131.30 |
| O-2 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 | 5241.30 |
| O-1 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 | 4136.40 |
| Prior Enlisted Officers | |||||||
| Pay Grade | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 |
| O-3E | 7610.70 | 7610.70 | 7610.70 | 7610.70 | 7610.70 | 7610.70 | 7610.70 |
| O-2E | 6069.60 | 6069.60 | 6069.60 | 6069.60 | 6069.60 | 6069.60 | 6069.60 |
| O-1E | 5135.70 | 5135.70 | 5135.70 | 5135.70 | 5135.70 | 5135.70 | 5135.70 |
| Warrant Officers | |||||||
| Pay Grade | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 |
| W-5 | 9104.10 | 9560.10 | 9560.10 | 10037.40 | 10037.40 | 10540.20 | 10540.20 |
| W-4 | 8272.80 | 8437.80 | 8437.80 | 8437.80 | 8437.80 | 8437.80 | 8437.80 |
| W-3 | 7256.70 | 7256.70 | 7256.70 | 7256.70 | 7256.70 | 7256.70 | 7256.70 |
| W-2 | 6109.80 | 6109.80 | 6109.80 | 6109.80 | 6109.80 | 6109.80 | 6109.80 |
| W-1 | 5552.10 | 5552.10 | 5552.10 | 5552.10 | 5552.10 | 5552.10 | 5552.10 |
Officer Pay Notes
1. Basic pay is limited to the rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule in effect during calendar year 2020, which is $16,441.80 per month for officers at pay grades O-7 through O-10. This includes officers serving as Chairman or Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Chief of Staff of the Army, Chief of Naval Operations, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Commandant of the Marine Corps, Commandant of the Coast Guard, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, or commander of a unified or specified combatant command (as defined in 10 U.S.C. 161(c)).
2. Basic pay for O-6 and below is limited by Level V of the Executive Schedule in effect during Calendar Year 2020 which is: $13,341.60.
3. Creditable service to be taken into account for purposes of this table is active service as an enlisted member or as a warrant officer or as both an enlisted member and a warrant officer, in the case of a commissioned officer on active duty who is paid from funds appropriated for active-duty personnel; or a commissioned officer on active Guard and Reserve duty. Effective November 24, 2003, creditable service to be taken into account for purposes of this table in the case of a commissioned officer is service as an enlisted member or as a warrant officer, or as both an enlisted member and a warrant officer, for which more than 1,460 points have been credited to the officer for the purposes of title 10, U.S.C. § 12732(a)(2). a commissioned officer on active Guard and Reserve duty. Effective November 24, 2003, creditable service to be taken into account for purposes of this table in the case of a commissioned officer.
Prior enlisted officers may be eligible for a higher pay rate based on time in service and other criteria. The pay scale offers the following note:
*Applicable to O-1 to O-3 with at least four years & one day of active duty or more than 1460 points as a warrant and/or enlisted member. See Department of Defense Financial Management Regulations (DoDFMR) for more detailed explanation on who is eligible for this special basic pay rate.
2020 Pay Scale – Enlisted Members
Enlisted members are in the pay grades from E-1 through E-9.
2020 Enlisted Pay Charts – 0 Years – 10 Years
| Pay Grade | <2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-9 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 5472.90 |
| E-8 | - | - | - | - | - | 4480.20 | 4678.20 |
| E-7 | 3114.30 | 3399.00 | 3529.50 | 3701.40 | 3836.10 | 4067.40 | 4197.90 |
| E-6 | 2693.70 | 2964.30 | 3095.10 | 3222.30 | 3354.90 | 3653.10 | 3769.80 |
| E-5 | 2467.50 | 2634.00 | 2761.20 | 2891.40 | 3094.50 | 3306.30 | 3480.90 |
| E-4 | 2262.60 | 2378.40 | 2507.10 | 2634.60 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 |
| E-3 | 2042.70 | 2171.10 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 |
| E-2 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 |
| E-1 >4 Mon | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 |
2020 Enlisted Pay Charts – 12 Years – 26 Years
| Pay Grade | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-9 | 5596.80 | 5753.40 | 5936.70 | 6123.00 | 6419.40 | 6671.40 | 6935.10 | 7340.10 |
| E-8 | 4800.90 | 4947.60 | 5107.20 | 5394.60 | 5540.10 | 5787.90 | 5925.60 | 6264.00 |
| E-7 | 4428.90 | 4621.50 | 4752.60 | 4892.40 | 4946.40 | 5128.50 | 5226.00 | 5597.40 |
| E-6 | 3994.80 | 4063.50 | 4113.60 | 4172.10 | 4172.10 | 4172.10 | 4172.10 | 4172.10 |
| E-5 | 3501.90 | 3501.90 | 3501.90 | 3501.90 | 3501.90 | 3501.90 | 3501.90 | 3501.90 |
| E-4 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 |
| E-3 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 |
| E-2 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 |
| E-1 >4 Mon | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 |
2020 Enlisted Pay Charts – 28 Years – 40 Years
| Pay Grade | 28 | 30 | 32 | 34 | 36 | 38 | 40 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-9 | 7340.10 | 7706.40 | 7706.40 | 8092.20 | 8092.20 | 8497.50 | 8497.50 |
| E-8 | 6264.00 | 6389.70 | 6389.70 | 6389.70 | 6389.70 | 6389.70 | 6389.70 |
| E-7 | 5597.40 | 5597.40 | 5597.40 | 5597.40 | 5597.40 | 5597.40 | 5597.40 |
| E-6 | 4172.10 | 4172.10 | 4172.10 | 4172.10 | 4172.10 | 4172.10 | 4172.10 |
| E-5 | 3501.90 | 3501.90 | 3501.90 | 3501.90 | 3501.90 | 3501.90 | 3501.90 |
| E-4 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 | 2746.50 |
| E-3 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 | 2302.80 |
| E-2 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 | 1942.50 |
| E-1 >4 Mon | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 | 1733.10 |
Enlisted Pay Notes
The senior enlisted advisors for each branch of the service may be eligible for a higher pay rating than the E-9 scale for their respective years in service. These positions include, the Sergeant Major of the Army Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard, Senior Enlisted Advisor of the JCS, or Senior Enlisted Advisor Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Chief of the National Guard Bureau.
Basic pay for these roles is $8,844.30.
Comments:
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Jerry Puente Gonzales says
Hey Ryan, how are you? We really enjoy receiving these emails! We were wondering if you happen to have the Retired Officer pay as you do these Active Duty ones. I have 20 years AD and left in 1998.
At any rate, we hope you and your family have a great Merry Christmas (or Hanukah, if applicable) and a fantastic New Year. And again, thanks for all you do for all of us Ryan! San Antonio is not only the Alamo City but Military City USA and I’ll bet many here see your emails. FYI, both the city and county (Bexar) have Veteran Affairs Councils if you don’t already know about these. It’s great living here Ryan because we not only get so many discounts throughout the city but we have SAMMC which is the largest Army Medical Center in the world. Come see it and I’ll take you on a tour of it. Take Care! Jerry Gonzales, RN, BSN, MS, LTC (Ret Army)
Ryan Guina says
Hello Jerry, unfortunately, it is not possible to create a military retiree pay table because each retiree’s pay varies based on his or her individual situation (number of years and months served, pay grade at retirement, the average of their High 3 pay if they fall under the High-3 retirement plan, the year they retired, and the annual COLA amounts that occurred each year). In other words, it’s simply not possible. It may be possible for someone to create a calculator to process this information. But the easiest way to do it is to simply take your retirement pay this year, and add the annual COLA adjustment to it. That should get you within striking distance of what your retirement pay will be.
I hope this is helpful!
Bridget Benoit says
will this be for disabled veterans pay as well?
Ryan Guina says
Hello Bridget, Great question. No, this does not apply to VA disability compensation. VA disability compensation and military retirement pay are adjusted each year based on the same rates used for Social Security COLA. This is typically announced toward the end of the year. I will make updates when we have more information.
Thank you for the question, and thank you for your service!