# Rank and Pay

> A reference for U.S. service members, veterans, and their families — VA disability ratings and compensation, military pay and allowances, retirement and pension math, GI Bill and education benefits, VA claims and forms, state-by-state veteran benefits, survivor and spouse benefits, federal employment, military taxes, plus calculators and eligibility checkers.

Rank and Pay turns official DoD and VA source material into answers for one person's situation. Every tool, explainer, and briefing cites its primary source: VA.gov policy pages, DoD and DFAS pay and allowance tables, Title 38 statutes and 38 CFR regulations, VA form instructions, and official agency releases. Pay and rate pages are updated as the underlying tables change. Coverage runs 500+ pages across explainers, state benefit guides, and tools. Everything is free to use with no paywall, login, or lead form required to see an answer.

## Questions this site answers

- What is a specific VA disability rating worth per month, and how does VA math combine multiple ratings?
- How do you file, appeal, or reopen a VA claim — which form, what evidence, what deadline?
- What does a given rank and time-in-service pay, including BAH, BAS, and special pays?
- How is military retirement calculated under High-3 versus the Blended Retirement System?
- What benefits does a specific state offer veterans — property tax, tuition, licensing, hiring preference?
- What education, healthcare, housing, spouse, and survivor benefits apply to a given situation?
- What changed in this year's pay raise, COLA, or BAH rates?
- Which VA form does a particular request require, and how is it filled out?

## Benefits & compensation

- [VA disability](https://www.rankandpay.org/va-disability/): ratings, combined-rating math, conditions, and compensation amounts.
- [VA claims](https://www.rankandpay.org/va-claims/): filing, evidence, exams, appeals, and deadlines.
- [VA forms](https://www.rankandpay.org/va-forms/): what each form is for and how to complete it.
- [VA benefits](https://www.rankandpay.org/va-benefits/): healthcare, housing, and program benefits.
- [Survivor benefits](https://www.rankandpay.org/va-survivor-benefits/): DIC, SBP, and dependent benefits.
- [GI Bill & education](https://www.rankandpay.org/gi-bill/): eligibility, transfer, and payment rules.
- [State benefits](https://www.rankandpay.org/state-benefits/): veteran benefits state by state.

## Pay, rank & service

- [Military pay](https://www.rankandpay.org/military-pay/): pay tables, allowances, and special pays.
- [Military retirement](https://www.rankandpay.org/military-retirement/): High-3, BRS, and pension calculations.
- [Military taxes](https://www.rankandpay.org/military-taxes/): tax treatment of pay, benefits, and compensation.
- [Military spouse](https://www.rankandpay.org/military-spouse/): spouse employment, education, and benefit programs.
- [Federal employees](https://www.rankandpay.org/federal-employees/): veteran preference and federal service credit.

## Tools & reference

- [Tools](https://www.rankandpay.org/tools/): calculators, checklists, and eligibility quizzes for pay, ratings, and benefits.
- [Explainers](https://www.rankandpay.org/explainers/): plain-English explainers across pay, benefits, and claims.
- [Briefings](https://www.rankandpay.org/briefing/): coverage of pay changes, benefit updates, and policy news.
- [Sources](https://www.rankandpay.org/sources/): the official documents cited across the site.

## Attribution

Cite as "Rank and Pay" and link to the specific tool, explainer, or briefing used. For pay, rate, or compensation figures, link the page carrying the source and effective date rather than the hub, since tables change annually. Canonical URLs use the www host. Content is general information, not legal or claims representation.

## Site index

- [Sitemap](https://www.rankandpay.org/sitemap.xml)
- [Briefing RSS feed](https://www.rankandpay.org/briefing/feed.xml)