The Air Force pay chart for 2026 reflects the 3.8% basic pay increase that took effect on January 1, 2026. US Air Force Airmen progress through enlisted grades E-1 through E-9 (Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force) and commissioned officer grades O-1 (Second Lieutenant) through O-10 (General). All US military branches share the same DoD-wide pay tables, so Air Force pay rates match the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Space Force, and Coast Guard at the same grade and years of service.
How Air Force pay works
Air Force basic pay is set by grade (rank) and years of service. Promotions and longevity raise your monthly base pay. On top of base pay, service members earn:
- Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) — tax-free, based on ZIP code, rank, and dependency status.
- Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) — flat tax-free food allowance ($316.98/mo enlisted, $499.55/mo officer in 2025 rates).
- Special and incentive pays — hazardous duty, flight, sea, dive, and bonuses.
2026 enlisted monthly basic pay
| Grade | <2 yrs | 4 yrs | 8 yrs | 12 yrs | 16 yrs | 20+ yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 | $2,407 | $2,407 | $2,407 | $2,407 | $2,407 | $2,407 |
| E-2 | $2,698 | $2,698 | $2,698 | $2,698 | $2,698 | $2,698 |
| E-3 | $2,837 | $3,198 | $3,198 | $3,198 | $3,198 | $3,198 |
| E-4 | $3,142 | $3,659 | $3,815 | $3,815 | $3,815 | $3,815 |
| E-5 | $3,343 | $3,947 | $4,281 | $4,422 | $4,422 | $4,422 |
| E-6 | $3,401 | $4,069 | $4,613 | $5,043 | $5,194 | $5,268 |
| E-7 | $3,932 | $4,673 | $5,136 | $5,592 | $6,001 | $6,246 |
| E-8 | — | — | $5,657 | $6,062 | $6,448 | $6,995 |
| E-9 | — | — | — | $7,067 | $7,496 | $8,105 |
2026 officer monthly basic pay
| Grade | <2 yrs | 4 yrs | 8 yrs | 12 yrs | 16 yrs | 20+ yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O-1 | $4,150 | $5,222 | $5,222 | $5,222 | $5,222 | $5,222 |
| O-2 | $4,782 | $6,485 | $6,618 | $6,618 | $6,618 | $6,618 |
| O-3 | $5,534 | $7,383 | $8,125 | $8,788 | $9,004 | $9,004 |
| O-4 | $6,295 | $7,881 | $8,816 | $9,888 | $10,402 | $10,510 |
| O-5 | $7,295 | $8,894 | $9,461 | $10,272 | $11,391 | $12,033 |
| O-6 | $8,751 | $10,245 | $10,725 | $10,783 | $12,480 | $13,751 |
2025 monthly basic pay (historical reference)
The 2025 pay tables had two windows. Jan-Mar 2025 reflected only the 4.5% across-the-board raise. Apr-Dec 2025 added a targeted ~10% basic-pay increase for E-1 through E-4 under FY2025 NDAA Section 601. Most online 2025 pay charts published before April 2025 show only the January figures and undercount junior-enlisted pay. The cells below are the post-April rates — the numbers that applied to most of 2025.
| Paygrade | Years of service | Monthly basic pay (Apr-Dec 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| E-1 (<4 mo) | — | $2,225 |
| E-3 | 2 | $3,015 |
| E-4 | 3 | $3,365 |
| E-5 | 6 | $3,752 |
| E-7 | 14 | $5,198 |
| E-9 | 22 | $7,150 |
| O-1 | <2 | $3,845 |
| O-3 | 6 | $6,890 |
| O-5 | 14 | $10,310 |
| O-6 | 22 | $12,235 |
Same basic pay across all six branches at the same paygrade and years of service. For the 2026 figures, see the tables above. For the full 2025 enlisted breakdown including the Jan-Mar window, see the enlisted pay chart.
Air Force rank structure
- Enlisted (E): E-1 Airman Basic (AB) → E-2 Airman (Amn) → E-3 Airman First Class (A1C) → E-4 Senior Airman (SrA) → E-5 Staff Sergeant (SSgt) → E-6 Technical Sergeant (TSgt) → E-7 Master Sergeant (MSgt) → E-8 Senior Master Sergeant (SMSgt) → E-9 Chief Master Sergeant (CMSgt).
- Commissioned Officer (O): O-1 Second Lieutenant (2d Lt) → O-2 First Lieutenant (1st Lt) → O-3 Captain (Capt) → O-4 Major (Maj) → O-5 Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) → O-6 Colonel (Col) → O-7 Brigadier General (Brig Gen) → O-8 Major General (Maj Gen) → O-9 Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) → O-10 General (Gen).
Aviators receive flight pay on top of basic pay; some specialty career fields receive retention bonuses.
Air Force pay components
- Base pay — taxable.
- BAH — tax-free, varies by ZIP. Use the BAH calculator.
- BAS — tax-free flat rate.
- Special pays — varies by duty.
Air Force pay calculator
Estimate your total monthly pay with the military pay calculator. It combines base pay, BAH, BAS, and applicable special pays.
Related guides
The official 2026 pay tables are published by DFAS.