Basic pay
Basic pay comes from the 2026 military basic pay table published by DFAS, effective January 1, 2026. A member's pay is the amount in the column for their completed years of service, counted from the Pay Entry Base Date. Where the law caps pay at the Executive Schedule Level II rate ($18,999.90 a month in 2026), we show the capped amount.
Housing and food allowances
BAH rates come from the Department of Defense rate files for each military housing area, by grade and dependency status. BAS is $476.95 a month for enlisted members and $328.48 for officers in 2026. Both are tax-free.
Taxes and the civilian salary comparison
We estimate federal income tax with the 2026 brackets and standard deduction published by the IRS ($16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly), and payroll tax at 6.2% for Social Security up to the $184,500 wage base plus 1.45% for Medicare. Only basic pay is taxed. The "civilian salary to match" is the salary that, taxed the same way in full, leaves exactly the same money as military pay does. If you enter a state rate, it is applied as a flat percentage of taxable pay. Itemized deductions, credits and other income are not included.
VA combined ratings
Ratings are combined with the method in 38 CFR 4.25: largest first, each applied to the remaining efficiency, with the final value rounded to the nearest whole number and then to the nearest 10, with 5 rounding up. Ratings marked as both arms, both legs or paired muscles are combined first and increased by 10% of their combined value, as 38 CFR 4.26 describes. Payments use the VA compensation rates effective December 1, 2025.
When numbers change
Pay, BAH and BAS normally change on January 1, and VA rates on December 1. We update the moment new official tables are released and log every change on the update log. If you spot a number that does not match an official source, please tell us at hello@paygrademath.com.