Officers earn more than enlisted members at the same years of service, but the gap is not as simple as it seems. A senior enlisted member can earn more than a junior officer, and allowances narrow the difference. Here is how the 2026 pay table compares.
Basic pay side by side
| Grade | Under 2 years | Over 4 | Over 10 | Over 20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-4 | $3,142.20 | $3,658.50 | $3,815.40 | $3,815.40 |
| E-5 | $3,342.90 | $3,946.80 | $4,395.30 | $4,421.70 |
| E-6 | $3,401.10 | $4,068.90 | $4,759.50 | $5,267.70 |
| E-7 | $3,932.10 | $4,673.10 | $5,300.40 | $6,245.70 |
| E-9 | $6,910.20 | $8,105.10 | ||
| W-2 | $4,621.80 | $5,286.00 | $6,282.60 | $7,437.00 |
| O-1 | $4,150.20 | $5,222.40 | $5,222.40 | $5,222.40 |
| O-3 | $5,534.10 | $7,382.70 | $8,375.70 | $9,004.20 |
| O-4 | $6,294.60 | $7,881.00 | $9,420.00 | $10,509.90 |
| O-5 | $7,295.40 | $8,894.10 | $9,928.50 | $12,032.70 |
E-9 pay starts at 10 years of service, because members are not normally promoted that high earlier.
Where enlisted pay overtakes officer pay
A brand-new O-1 earns $4,150.20 a month. An E-5 with over 6 years earns $4,110.00, almost the same. An E-7 with 10 years earns $5,300.40, which is more than an O-1 at any point. In practice, officers rarely stay O-1 for long, but the comparison shows how much experience is worth in the enlisted table.
An E-9 at 20 years, at $8,105.10, earns nearly as much as an O-3 at 10 years, at $8,375.70.
The career gap
Over a full career, though, officers pull ahead. Compare a typical enlisted path with a typical officer path at the 20-year mark:
- An E-7 with over 20 years earns $6,245.70 a month.
- An O-5 with over 20 years earns $12,032.70 a month.
That is close to double. Officers are promoted faster in pay terms, and the officer table keeps rising through more grades.
Allowances narrow the difference
- BAS. Enlisted members receive $476.95 a month for food, and officers $328.48.
- BAH. It rises with grade, but more slowly than basic pay. The housing gap between an E-5 and an O-3 in the same area is much smaller than the basic pay gap.
Because allowances are a bigger share of enlisted pay, the tax-free part matters more. An E-5’s total pay is roughly a third tax-free, while a field-grade officer’s share is lower.
Warrant officers
Warrant officers sit between the two. A W-2 at 10 years earns $6,282.60, more than an E-7 or an O-1 at the same point. Most warrant officers come from the enlisted ranks, so they often already have years of service that count toward pay.
Officers with prior enlisted service
Officers with more than four years of enlisted or warrant service before commissioning have their own pay rates, O-1E, O-2E and O-3E. These match the standard rates at first and pay more as years of service grow, recognizing their experience. An O-1E with over 10 years earns $5,993.70 a month, against $5,222.40 for a standard O-1.
Common questions
Is retirement pay also higher for officers? Yes, because retirement is based on the average of your highest 36 months of basic pay. A higher basic pay means a higher pension.
Do officers pay more tax? They pay more in dollars, since more of their pay is taxable basic pay and they fall into higher brackets.
Is it worth commissioning from the enlisted ranks? Financially, usually yes over a long career, especially with the prior-service rates. Each case depends on time left to serve.
Compare any two grades on our 2026 pay charts, or see the full monthly total in the total pay calculator.