Coast Guard Pay Calculator
Reviewed by Jonathan Teplitsky · Updated June 2026
Quick answer: Monthly pay = Basic + BAH + BAS, plus Sea Pay if assigned to a cutter and any special pays.
How Coast Guard monthly pay works
Basic Pay, BAH, BAS, and special pays — same skeleton as every U.S. military service. USCG is funded by DHS, not DoD, but basic pay flows from the unified DoD table. A USCG E-5 with 6 years earns the same basic as Army or Navy E-5 with 6 years.
USCG-specific allowances
Career Sea Pay — members on cutters earn $50-$700/mo based on rank and cumulative sea time. COLA applies in HI, AK, Bahrain, and forward-deployed PSUs. Reserve drill pay — 1/30 of monthly basic per drill, 4 drills per weekend.
Worked example 1: E-5, 6 years, Boston cutter
ME2 (E-5), 6 years, married, Boston on a cutter: Basic ~$3,266 + BAH (Boston, with deps, high) ~$3,000 + BAS $466 + Sea Pay (E-5 cutter) ~$400 = ~$7,131/mo.
Worked example 2: O-3, 6 years, DC shore tour
Lieutenant (O-3), 6 years, married, USCG HQ DC (no Sea Pay): Basic ~$6,488 + DC BAH with deps ~$3,400 + BAS $321 = ~$10,208/mo.
USCG warrant officer pay
Coast Guard appoints warrants at W-2, W-3, W-4 only. A USCG W-3 with 10 years typically out-earns an O-2 with 4 years.