Military pay charts are one of the most important in determining the pay of enlisted personnel. They are utilized by all the branches of service in the US military, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard. This is because each branch of military service has its own pay structure that is based on the needs of each of its forces. Pay grades are used equally by all the service branches as a means to determine monthly salaries and allowances for members of their forces.
In the US Army, the pay structure is determined by the pay grade of the officer assigned to a particular post. A pay grade is a number that indicates the level of pay that an officer is paid at the time of each pay period. The highest pay grade in the Army is the top pay grade (corporal). There are other pay grades in the Army, which include the pay grade of the warrant officer, the staff sergeant, and the paratrooper.
In the US Navy, the pay structure is also based on a pay grade system. Officers receive their pay at the beginning of each pay period. The lowest pay grade in the Navy is the master or quartermaster, while the highest is the admiral. Other pay grades in the Navy include the chief petty officer, first mate, deck chief, first officer, second officer, and gunner’s mate.
In the US Air force, similar pay structures are in place. The Air Force pays both flight personnel (pilots and aircraft maintenance crew members) and ground personnel (aircrews and aviation support staff). The highest level of pay in the Air Force is the major general. Other pay grades in the Air Force include the air commissary, wing officer, air transports, combatant aircrew member, and tactical air gunner. The Marine Corps has a slightly different pay structure than the Navy or the Air force.
When it comes to paying, both the US Air force and the US Navy use a two-tier pay structure. First, the parade is fixed, and then there are bonuses and promotions that occur throughout the course of each pay period. For example, when an airman receives an extra pay grade for a particular course they have already successfully completed, this will count as one of their grades on their record and thus earn them promotion to higher-paying positions.
As you can see, there are several differences between the types of military pay charts used by the US Military and the ones used elsewhere. The types of pay that different branches of the armed forces pay depend on their pay grade and the type of job they are performing. They are also structured differently depending on the branch they are serving in. Pay grades are also determined by the location of a servicemen’s base, as well as their primary job.
Military Pay Charts 2021
2021 Military Pay Grade Chart for Basic Duty Enlisted (less than 2 to over 40 years)
Pay Grade | (<4 months) | < 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 30 | 34 | 38 | Over 40 |
E-9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 5637 | 5765 | 5926 | 6115 | 6306 | 6612 | 6871 | 7144 | 7560 | 7938 | 8335 | 8752 | – |
E-8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 4615 | 4819 | 4945 | 5097 | 5261 | 5557 | 5706 | 5962 | 6103 | 6452 | 6582 | 6582 | 6582 | – |
E-7 | – | 3208 | 3501 | 3635 | 3813 | 3952 | 4190 | 4324 | 4562 | 4760 | 4895 | 5039 | 5095 | 5282 | 5383 | 5765 | – | – | – | – |
E-6 | – | 2775 | 3053 | 3188 | 3319 | 3455 | 3763 | 3883 | 4114 | 4185 | 4237 | 4297 | 4297 | 4297 | 4297 | 4297 | – | – | – | – |
E-5 | – | 2542 | 2713 | 2844 | 2978 | 3187 | 3406 | 3585 | 3607 | 3607 | 3607 | 3607 | 3607 | 3607 | 3607 | 3607 | – | – | – | – |
E-4 | – | 2330 | 2450 | 2583 | 2713 | 2829 | 2829 | 2829 | 2829 | 2829 | 2829 | 2829 | 2829 | 2829 | 2829 | 2829 | – | – | – | – |
E-3 | – | 2104 | 2236 | 2372 | 2372 | 2372 | 2372 | 2372 | 2372 | 2372 | 2372 | 2372 | 2372 | 2372 | 2372 | 2372 | – | – | – | – |
E-2 | – | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 | 2001 | – | – | – | – |
E-1 | 1652 | 1785 | 1785 | 1785 | 1785 | 1785 | 1785 | 1785 | 1785 | 1785 | 1785 | 1785 | 1785 | 1785 | 1785 | 1785 | – | – | – | – |
2021 Military Pay Grade Chart for Active Duty Officer (less than 2 to over 40 years)
Pay Grade | < 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 30 | 34 | 38 | Over 40 |
O-10 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 16506 | 16506 | 16506 | 16506 | 16506 | 16506 | 16506 | – |
O-9 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 15531 | 15755 | 16079 | 16506 | 16506 | 16506 | 16506 | – |
O-8 | 11330 | 11701 | 11947 | 12016 | 12324 | 12837 | 12957 | 13444 | 13583 | 14004 | 14612 | 15172 | 15546 | 15546 | 15546 | 15935 | 16333 | 16333 | – |
O-7 | 9414 | 9852 | 10054 | 10215 | 10506 | 10794 | 11127 | 11458 | 11791 | 12837 | 13720 | 13720 | 13720 | 13720 | 13789 | 14065 | 14065 | 14065 | – |
O-6 | 7139 | 7843 | 8358 | 8358 | 8390 | 8749 | 8797 | 8797 | 9297 | 10181 | 10699 | 11218 | 11513 | 11812 | 12391 | 12638 | 12638 | 12638 | – |
O-5 | 5951 | 6704 | 7168 | 7256 | 7546 | 7719 | 8100 | 8379 | 8740 | 9293 | 9556 | 9816 | 10111 | 10111 | 10111 | – | – | – | – |
O-4 | 5135 | 5944 | 6341 | 6429 | 6797 | 7192 | 7684 | 8067 | 8333 | 8485 | 8574 | 8574 | 8574 | 8574 | 8574 | – | – | – | – |
O-3 | 4515 | 5118 | 5524 | 6023 | 6311 | 6628 | 6833 | 7170 | 7345 | 7345 | 7345 | 7345 | 7345 | 7345 | 7345 | – | – | – | – |
O-2 | 3901 | 4443 | 5117 | 5290 | 5399 | 5399 | 5399 | 5399 | 5399 | 5399 | 5399 | 5399 | 5399 | 5399 | 5399 | – | – | – | – |
O-1 | 3386 | 3524 | 4260 | 4260 | 4260 | 4260 | 4260 | 4260 | 4260 | 4260 | 4260 | 4260 | 4260 | 4260 | 4260 | – | – | – | – |
Commissioned Officer With Over 4 Years of Active Service as an Enlisted Member or Warrant Officer | |||||||||||||||||||
O-3E | – | – | – | 6023 | 6311 | 6628 | 6833 | 7170 | 7454 | 7617 | 7839 | 7839 | 7839 | 7839 | 7839 | – | – | – | – |
O-2E | – | – | – | 5290 | 5399 | 5571 | 5861 | 6085 | 6252 | 6252 | 6252 | 6252 | 6252 | 6252 | 6252 | – | – | – | – |
O-1E | – | – | – | 4260 | 4549 | 4718 | 4890 | 5058 | 5290 | 5290 | 5290 | 5290 | 5290 | 5290 | 5290 | – | – | – | – |
Warrant Officers | |||||||||||||||||||
W-5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 8296 | 8717 | 9031 | 9377 | 9847 | 10339 | 10856 | – |
W-4 | 4666 | 5019 | 5163 | 5305 | 5549 | 5790 | 6035 | 6403 | 6726 | 7032 | 7283 | 7528 | 7888 | 8184 | 8521 | 8691 | 8691 | 8691 | – |
W-3 | 4260 | 4438 | 4620 | 4680 | 4871 | 5247 | 5637 | 5821 | 6034 | 6254 | 6648 | 6915 | 7074 | 7244 | 7474 | – | – | – | – |
W-2 | 3770 | 4127 | 4237 | 4312 | 4557 | 4937 | 5125 | 5311 | 5537 | 5714 | 5875 | 6067 | 6193 | 6293 | 6293 | – | – | – | – |
W-1 | 3309 | 3665 | 3761 | 3964 | 4203 | 4556 | 4721 | 4951 | 5177 | 5355 | 5520 | 5719 | 5719 | 5719 | 5719 | – | – | – | – |