2026 Military Pay Raise

The 2026 basic pay rates are set by Executive Order 14368, Schedule 8, effective January 1, 2026. The order states no military percentage increase, so this page does not show one.

Rates set by: Executive Order 14368, Schedule 8
Effective: January 1, 2026
Percentage stated in the order: None
Checked: 2026-11-01

What the order says

Section 4: the rates of monthly basic pay (37 U.S.C. 203(a)) are set on Schedule 8, "as adjusted under 37 U.S.C. 1009".
Section 7: Schedule 8 is effective January 1, 2026.
Section 8: it supersedes Executive Order 14132 as of those effective dates.

Source: Executive Order 14368, Adjustments of Certain Rates of Pay (Federal Register).

The statutory adjustment

37 U.S.C. 1009(a): rates of basic pay are increased each January 1, under section 1009.
37 U.S.C. 1009(c)(1): the default increase is the percentage change in the Employment Cost Index, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent.
37 U.S.C. 1009(e): the President may instead transmit an alternative pay plan to Congress, with reasons, before September 1 of the preceding year.

Source: 37 U.S.C. § 1009, Annual adjustment of pay. The statute does not give a 2026 figure; the order sets the rates.

Timeline for the 2026 rates

September 1, 2025. The deadline for the President to send Congress an alternative pay plan for the following year, if one is proposed. Under 37 U.S.C. 1009(e), the plan must include the reasons for it. If no alternative plan is sent, the statutory adjustment applies.
Before January 1, 2026. The basic pay schedule for 2026 is set by Executive Order 14368, Schedule 8. The order does not state a percentage for the military increase.
December 23, 2025. The order is published in the Federal Register, as the source link on this page shows.
January 1, 2026. Schedule 8 takes effect. The rates on the 2026 pay chart apply from this date.

The dates above are the ones this page relies on. Confirm the effective date and the rates against the order and DFAS before you use them for a pay decision.

What a basic pay raise covers

Basic pay is one schedule for every uniformed service, so the 2026 rates apply to all six branches.
Housing (BAH) is set by housing area, grade, and dependency status. It is not set by this order, and its rates change on their own schedule. See the BAH guide.
Special and incentive pays have their own statutory rates and qualification rules. The 2026 basic pay schedule does not change them.
Taxes and deductions are applied after basic pay is set. A raise changes the gross figure only.

Terms used on this page

Executive Order 14368, Schedule 8: The order and schedule that set the 2026 monthly basic pay rates. Schedule 8 is the table of rates by grade and years of service.
Employment Cost Index (ECI): A measure of the change in labor costs, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Under 37 U.S.C. 1009(c)(1), the default increase is based on its percentage change.
Alternative pay plan: A proposal the President may send to Congress in place of the statutory increase, with reasons, under 37 U.S.C. 1009(e).
Basic pay: The base monthly pay set by grade and years of service under 37 U.S.C. 203. It is the starting point for most other pay and allowances.

What this page does not show

A percentage for the 2026 increase, because the order does not state one.
Projected rates for 2027. No 2027 raise had been enacted when this page was last checked on 2026-11-01, and the site does not publish a 2027 chart.
Your own pay. The chart and the calculator show basic pay only, not take-home pay.

For the full picture of a month’s pay, see the 2026 pay dates and thebasic pay calculator.

Where the 2026 rates are

The monthly rates by grade and years of service are on the 2026 pay chart. The 2025 chart is a separate schedule.

Frequently asked questions

What is the 2026 military pay raise percentage?

The order sets the 2026 rates in Schedule 8 but does not state a military percentage, so this site does not show one. Compare the rates in the 2026 chart with the 2025 chart for the same grade and years of service.

Source: Executive Order 14368, Sections 4, 7, and 8 (Federal Register 2025-23844).

When do the 2026 rates take effect?

January 1, 2026, under Section 7 of Executive Order 14368.

Source: Executive Order 14368, Section 7.

Does the 2026 raise change BAH?

No. BAH is set by housing area, grade, and dependency status on its own annual schedule, so a basic pay change does not change the BAH rate.

Source: DTMO BAH program; the BAH guide on this site.

What would the statute use if the order did not set the rates?

Under 37 U.S.C. 1009, the default annual increase is based on the percentage change in the Employment Cost Index, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent, unless the President sends an alternative pay plan to Congress.

Source: 37 U.S.C. 1009(c)(1) and (e), as summarized on this page.