A promotion raises your basic pay at once, and often your housing allowance too. Some promotions are worth much more than others, depending on where they fall in the pay table. Here are the increases in basic pay for common promotions, using the 2026 table.
Enlisted promotions
| Promotion | Years of service | Before | After | Extra per month | Extra per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-3 to E-4 | over 2 | $3,015.00 | $3,303.00 | $288.00 | $3,456 |
| E-4 to E-5 | over 4 | $3,658.50 | $3,946.80 | $288.30 | $3,460 |
| E-5 to E-6 | over 6 | $4,110.00 | $4,235.70 | $125.70 | $1,508 |
| E-6 to E-7 | over 10 | $4,759.50 | $5,300.40 | $540.90 | $6,491 |
The E-5 to E-6 jump looks small at 6 years, but the gap grows later. E-5 pay tops out at $4,421.70 a month at 10 years, while E-6 keeps rising to $5,267.70 at 20 years. Over a career, making E-6 is worth far more than the first-year bump suggests.
The E-6 to E-7 promotion is one of the biggest in the enlisted ranks: more than $6,000 a year in basic pay alone.
Officer promotions
| Promotion | Years of service | Before | After | Extra per month | Extra per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-1 to O-2 | over 2 | $4,320.00 | $5,446.20 | $1,126.20 | $13,514 |
| O-2 to O-3 | over 3 | $6,272.40 | $6,770.40 | $498.00 | $5,976 |
| O-3 to O-4 | over 12 | $8,788.20 | $9,888.30 | $1,100.10 | $13,201 |
The O-1 to O-2 promotion, usually at about 18 months to two years, is the largest percentage jump in the officer table: about 26%.
Warrant officers
A W-1 promoted to W-2 at over 6 years goes from $5,152.20 to $5,585.40, an extra $433.20 a month, or $5,198 a year.
The housing allowance rises too
BAH is set by pay grade, so a promotion usually raises it as well. The increase depends on the location. In many areas, the BAH jump from E-4 to E-5 is worth more than $100 a month on top of the basic pay increase. Because BAH is tax-free, that part of the raise goes straight into your pocket.
BAS, the food allowance, does not change with promotion. It is the same for every enlisted member and the same for every officer.
Promotion and longevity raises combined
Basic pay also rises with time in service. Most grades get a step at 2, 3, 4 and 6 years, then every two years. If a promotion and a time-in-service step happen in the same year, you get both.
For example, an E-4 with 3 years who is promoted to E-5 and then reaches 4 years of service sees pay go from $3,482.40 to $3,946.80. That is $464.40 more a month within one year.
What you keep after tax
Basic pay is taxable, so you keep somewhat less than the full increase. For a single member in the 12% federal bracket, the $288 E-4 to E-5 raise leaves about $231 after federal income tax and FICA. A married member filing jointly may keep slightly more. Any increase in BAH is not taxed.
Common questions
When does the new pay start? From your date of rank. If the paperwork is late, the difference is paid as back pay.
Do I keep my years of service when promoted? Yes. Years of service count from when you entered the military, not from your promotion, so you move to the same column in the new grade.
What about Guard and Reserve members? Drill pay is based on the same table, so a promotion raises each drill’s pay by the same percentage.
See your new monthly total, including housing, in the total pay calculator.