Military retirement pay by rank
Estimated monthly retired pay for each grade at 20, 24 and 30 years of service, under High-36 and the Blended Retirement System, from the 2026 basic pay table and DoD's multipliers. Select a grade for every year from 20 to 40.
| Grade | 20 years, High-36 | 20 years, BRS | 24 years, High-36 | 30 years, High-36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-5 (enlisted) | $2,210.85 | $1,768.68 | $2,653.02 | $3,316.28 |
| E-6 (enlisted) | $2,621.50 | $2,097.20 | $3,160.62 | $3,950.78 |
| E-7 (enlisted) | $3,059.25 | $2,447.40 | $3,839.22 | $5,300.55 |
| E-8 (enlisted) | $3,345.10 | $2,676.08 | $4,322.40 | $5,931.68 |
| E-9 (enlisted) | $3,826.25 | $3,061.00 | $4,990.26 | $6,950.93 |
| W-1 (warrant officer) | $3,349.55 | $2,679.64 | $4,206.06 | $5,257.58 |
| W-2 (warrant officer) | $3,568.00 | $2,854.40 | $4,524.00 | $5,785.65 |
| W-3 (warrant officer) | $3,994.45 | $3,195.56 | $5,164.02 | $6,871.95 |
| W-4 (warrant officer) | $4,412.85 | $3,530.28 | $5,713.62 | $7,834.05 |
| W-5 (warrant officer) | n/a | n/a | $6,308.22 | $8,621.33 |
| O-3 (officer) | $4,502.10 | $3,601.68 | $5,402.52 | $6,753.15 |
| O-4 (officer) | $5,236.90 | $4,189.52 | $6,305.94 | $7,882.43 |
| O-5 (officer) | $5,803.15 | $4,642.52 | $7,364.46 | $9,296.10 |
| O-6 (officer) | $6,451.75 | $5,161.40 | $8,395.38 | $11,391.53 |
How these figures are estimated
The Department of Defense computes retired pay as a multiplier times a retired pay base. Under High-36 and the Blended Retirement System (BRS), the base is the average of your highest 36 months of basic pay. These tables estimate that average from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service's 2026 basic pay table, assuming you held the same grade for your last three years and that pay rates stay at 2026 levels. Each month uses the rate for the service you had completed then, so a 20-year retirement averages two years at the "Over 18" rate and one year at the "Over 16" rate.
The multipliers are DoD's: 2.5% per year of service under High-36, and 2% per year under BRS. Real retired pay will differ: promotions in your last three years lower the average, yearly pay raises and cost-of-living adjustments raise the dollar amounts, and months beyond whole years count too. Use the military retirement pay calculator with your own High-36 figure, and DoD's own calculators, for your number.
Check our work
Every figure on this page was read from these official documents. Follow the links and compare.
- Basic Pay – Enlisted, effective January 1, 2026Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Read on November 13, 2026.
- Basic Pay – Warrant Officers, effective January 1, 2026Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Read on November 13, 2026.
- Basic Pay – Officers, effective January 1, 2026Defense Finance and Accounting Service. Read on November 13, 2026.
- Military RetirementDepartment of Defense, Military Compensation and Financial Readiness. Read on November 13, 2026.