Military Retirement Pay Chart 2026
Estimated monthly retired pay at 20 to 30 years of service for enlisted, warrant and officer grades, under both the legacy High-36 plan and the Blended Retirement System.
UpdatedWant a figure for your exact years, months and plan, or your own High-36? Use the military retirement calculator.
How this chart is calculated
Regular military retired pay is your retired pay base times a multiplier, per the DoD military retirement page. For members who first entered service on or after September 8, 1980, the base is the High-36: the average of the highest 36 months of basic pay. The multiplier is 2.5% per year of service under High-36 and 2.0% per year under BRS, so 20 years equals 50% or 40%.
Each cell assumes the member held the listed grade for the final 36 months before retiring at exactly that many years, and prices those months with the DFAS basic pay table effective January 1, 2026. Because the 36 months straddle pay-table columns, the result is slightly below 50% (or 40%) of the pay shown for your final column. Amounts are gross monthly pay in 2026 dollars.
Enlisted retirement pay chart 2026
| Grade | 20 years | 22 years | 24 years | 26 years | 28 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-5 | $2,210.85 | $2,431.94 | $2,653.02 | $2,874.11 | $3,095.19 | $3,316.28 |
| E-6 | $2,621.50 | $2,897.24 | $3,160.62 | $3,424.01 | $3,687.39 | $3,950.78 |
| E-7 | $3,059.25 | $3,422.60 | $3,839.22 | $4,262.18 | $4,837.70 | $5,300.55 |
| E-8 | $3,345.10 | $3,813.70 | $4,322.40 | $4,825.54 | $5,436.55 | $5,931.68 |
| E-9 | $3,826.25 | $4,389.17 | $4,990.26 | $5,619.58 | $6,368.25 | $6,950.93 |
| Grade | 20 years | 22 years | 24 years | 26 years | 28 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-5 | $1,768.68 | $1,945.55 | $2,122.42 | $2,299.28 | $2,476.15 | $2,653.02 |
| E-6 | $2,097.20 | $2,317.79 | $2,528.50 | $2,739.20 | $2,949.91 | $3,160.62 |
| E-7 | $2,447.40 | $2,738.08 | $3,071.38 | $3,409.74 | $3,870.16 | $4,240.44 |
| E-8 | $2,676.08 | $3,050.96 | $3,457.92 | $3,860.43 | $4,349.24 | $4,745.34 |
| E-9 | $3,061.00 | $3,511.33 | $3,992.21 | $4,495.66 | $5,094.60 | $5,560.74 |
Warrant officer retirement pay chart 2026
| Grade | 20 years | 22 years | 24 years | 26 years | 28 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W-2 | $3,568.00 | $4,047.18 | $4,524.00 | $4,987.65 | $5,399.94 | $5,785.65 |
| W-3 | $3,994.45 | $4,602.29 | $5,164.02 | $5,726.76 | $6,347.81 | $6,871.95 |
| W-4 | $4,412.85 | $5,020.84 | $5,713.62 | $6,442.28 | $7,215.32 | $7,834.05 |
| W-5 | – | – | $6,308.22 | $7,112.37 | $7,947.45 | $8,621.33 |
| Grade | 20 years | 22 years | 24 years | 26 years | 28 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W-2 | $2,854.40 | $3,237.74 | $3,619.20 | $3,990.12 | $4,319.95 | $4,628.52 |
| W-3 | $3,195.56 | $3,681.83 | $4,131.22 | $4,581.41 | $5,078.25 | $5,497.56 |
| W-4 | $3,530.28 | $4,016.67 | $4,570.90 | $5,153.82 | $5,772.26 | $6,267.24 |
| W-5 | – | – | $5,046.58 | $5,689.89 | $6,357.96 | $6,897.06 |
Officer retirement pay chart 2026
| Grade | 20 years | 22 years | 24 years | 26 years | 28 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-3 | $4,502.10 | $4,952.31 | $5,402.52 | $5,852.73 | $6,302.94 | $6,753.15 |
| O-4 | $5,236.90 | $5,780.45 | $6,305.94 | $6,831.44 | $7,356.93 | $7,882.43 |
| O-5 | $5,803.15 | $6,559.52 | $7,364.46 | $8,056.62 | $8,676.36 | $9,296.10 |
| O-6 | $6,451.75 | $7,446.56 | $8,395.38 | $9,332.12 | $10,466.54 | $11,391.53 |
| Grade | 20 years | 22 years | 24 years | 26 years | 28 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-3 | $3,601.68 | $3,961.85 | $4,322.02 | $4,682.18 | $5,042.35 | $5,402.52 |
| O-4 | $4,189.52 | $4,624.36 | $5,044.75 | $5,465.15 | $5,885.54 | $6,305.94 |
| O-5 | $4,642.52 | $5,247.62 | $5,891.57 | $6,445.30 | $6,941.09 | $7,436.88 |
| O-6 | $5,161.40 | $5,957.25 | $6,716.30 | $7,465.69 | $8,373.23 | $9,113.22 |
- A dash means the 2026 pay table has no rate for part of that 36-month window (W-5 pay starts at Over 20 years).
- O-7 and above, and O-1 and O-2, are left out because few members retire in those grades at these lengths of service, and general and flag officer pay is subject to caps.
- REDUX retirees get 40% at 20 years, rising 3.5 points a year to 75% at 30, with a recomputation at age 62.
Which plan applies to you
- High-36 (legacy): First entered service on or after Sept 8, 1980 and before Jan 1, 2018, and did not opt into BRS or take the Career Status Bonus.
- Blended Retirement System (BRS): Everyone who first entered service on or after Jan 1, 2018, plus members who opted in during the 2018 opt-in period.
- CSB/REDUX: Entered on or after Aug 1, 1986 and before Jan 1, 2003, and elected the $30,000 Career Status Bonus. The election closed Dec 31, 2017.
What the chart leaves out
The figures are before federal income tax, Survivor Benefit Plan premiums and any allotments. They do not include future cost-of-living adjustments, BRS Thrift Savings Plan balances, continuation pay or the BRS lump-sum option. Reserve and National Guard retirement uses retirement points instead of years of active service, and disability retirement follows separate rules, so neither is shown here. Your retired pay center makes the official calculation.
Benefits that come with retirement
A military retirement also brings benefits beyond the monthly check, from TRICARE and base access to state tax breaks. See the veteran benefits guide, compare active-duty rates in the military pay chart 2026, and, if you have a VA rating, check the VA disability rates for 2026.
Sources: DoD Military Compensation and Financial Readiness and DFAS pay tables, checked October 19, 2026. Basepass is independent and not affiliated with DFAS, the Department of Defense or any military branch. These are estimates for planning, not financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
How much is E-7 retirement pay after 20 years in 2026?
About $3,059.25 a month under the legacy High-36 plan or $2,447.40 under BRS, assuming the last three years were served as an E-7 and using the 2026 pay table. That is gross pay before taxes, Survivor Benefit Plan premiums or other deductions.
How much does an E-8 get in retirement?
Using 2026 rates, an E-8 retiring at 22 years would get about $3,813.70 a month under High-36 or $3,050.96 under BRS. At 24 years it is about $4,322.40 (High-36) or $3,457.92 (BRS).
What is the retirement pay of an O-5 with 20 years?
About $5,803.15 a month under High-36 or $4,642.52 under BRS, with 2026 pay rates and the last three years served as an O-5.
Why is BRS retirement pay lower in the chart?
BRS uses a 2.0% multiplier per year of service instead of 2.5%, so the pension is 20% lower for the same High-36. BRS members also get government Thrift Savings Plan contributions and matching, which this chart does not include.
Is this the official DFAS retirement pay chart?
No. DFAS publishes active-duty basic pay tables, not a retirement pay chart. Basepass applies the DoD retirement formula to the 2026 DFAS pay table to estimate typical amounts. Your actual retired pay depends on your own pay history and is set by your service's retired pay center.
Does military retirement pay increase every year?
Yes. Retired pay under High-36 and BRS gets an annual cost-of-living adjustment tied to the Consumer Price Index, according to the DoD retirement page. The figures in this chart are in 2026 dollars and do not include future adjustments.
Plan for more than the pension
The free Basepass benefits check matches retirees to federal, VA, state and local benefits and nearby discounts, with the official source for each.
Run my free benefits check Basepass is independent and not affiliated with the VA, DoD, or any government agency.