Pay is only
part of it.
Base pay is the part everyone asks about. It is not the whole paycheck. Run the full stack for a new soldier below. That means pay, housing, food, healthcare, and retirement. Then see what a civilian job would have to pay to match it. When you are ready, the two-minute quiz on the Jobs page points at the Army path that fits how you think.
Total compensation, E-1 (Private) to E-6 (Staff Sergeant)
Slide to a rank, drop in a ZIP, pick your housing situation. Every number updates at once, using the official 2026 rate tables. E-5 and E-6 are in there because they are the realistic ceiling of a first contract.
Where you start with a high school diploma, a GED, or 15 college credits.
Refer a friend, or complete training and pass a physical fitness test before basic.
An associate's degree, or refer two friends.
A bachelor's degree, or a skill you learned as a civilian.
Earned by promotion. Commonly four to five years in, inside a first contract.
Earned by promotion. Possible in as little as three years. Commonly six or more, late in a first contract or early in a second.
E-2
E-3
E-4
E-5
E-6Base pay at under two years of service, 2026 Army pay chart (DFAS).
The standard start: E-1 to E-5, not married. Housing is provided, and meals come from the dining facility.
This is salary only. It assumes the civilian job has no benefits, so the salary has to pay for healthcare and retirement. It is higher than your Army total for two reasons. Army housing and food money is tax-free, and a salary is not. It also adjusts for the cost of living in your ZIP code. In an expensive area, the match is higher. Here is a rule of thumb at the rate used here. Every $1,000 a month in tax-free allowances takes about $1,136 of civilian salary to replace. The method is below.
At a standard 40-hour week, this is the hourly pay a civilian job would need. It is also the closest civilian job that matches it. Change the rank, ZIP or housing and the match updates with it.
The match is the lowest-experience job out of ten jobs checked. The jobs run from fast food and retail up through electricians, supervisors, nurses, managers, and software developers. A normal full-time week in that job covers the number above. Pay figures are national medians. They come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Hours assume the paycheck alone has to cover everything. That is the same assumption as the match. The math covers 52 weeks a year. Experience and years are the usual path into the job, not a guarantee.
| Item | Source | Number |
|---|---|---|
| Base pay | Official 2026 Army pay chart (DFAS) | E-1 to E-4 priced as new soldiers. E-5 over four years ($3,946.80). E-6 over six ($4,235.70). E-6 in three years ($3,908.10). E-1 starts at $2,225.70 for four months, then the $2,407.20 shown. |
| Housing | Official 2026 housing rate (Basic Allowance for Housing, BAH) | Set by your ZIP code, rank, and family status. |
| Food | 2026 food allowance (Basic Allowance for Subsistence, BAS) | $476.95 a month. |
| Tax advantage | 12% tax rate | What tax-free housing and food money is worth. |
| Healthcare | Health research nonprofit (KFF), 2025 | What an employer pays for a health plan: $657 a month single, $1,679 for a family. Soldiers pay no premium. |
| Retirement | Government retirement plan (Thrift Savings Plan, TSP) | Up to 5% of base pay. |
| Civilian match | Cost of living where you live | The pay a job with no benefits would need to equal this whole package. |
| Job examples | Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025 | National median wages. Each job in the scale shows its own pay on the page. |
What comes with the paycheck
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) pays for housing off-post when the Army does not provide it, set by ZIP code, rank and family status. Live in the barracks instead and housing is provided. Service also brings Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan eligibility for buying later.
Full-time soldiers are covered at no cost through TRICARE: medical, dental, vision and prescriptions. Family members are covered too.
Enlisted Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) is $476.95 a month in 2026, tax-free, for your food when you are not on a meal card. In the barracks, dining facility meals are covered instead.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill provides up to 36 months of education benefits after 90 days of active service. It covers tuition and fees, a housing allowance, and money for books. Tuition Assistance covers up to $4,500 a year toward tuition and fees for classes you take while you serve.
Under the Blended Retirement System, the government puts 1% of base pay into your Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) automatically. It matches up to 4% more from year two. Serve 20 years and a pension pays 40% of your highest-three-years average base pay, for life.
30 days of paid leave every year, on top of federal holidays and weekends when you are not on duty.
Some jobs and fast ship dates carry enlistment bonuses, up to $50,000 combined. The amount depends on the job and the timing, and most jobs do not carry the max. *Eligibility varies.
More than 200 jobs, and many come with certifications civilians pay tuition to get. The quiz on the Jobs page points at the fields that fit you.
Questions everyone asks
Is the calculator what I would actually be paid?
It is an estimate built from the official 2026 tables, not a quote. Base pay and the food allowance are exact at the rank shown, and housing is exact for the ZIP and family status you pick. Bonuses, special pays, and taxes are not in it, and your recruiter breakdown uses your real situation.
Why is housing $0 in the barracks?
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) exists to pay for housing the Army does not provide. Live in the barracks and the housing itself is provided, so there is no allowance on top of it. Same idea with food: barracks soldiers eat at the dining facility instead of getting the full food allowance in cash.
Can I actually pick my job?
Many soldiers enlist for a specific job they qualify for. What you qualify for depends on your ASVAB line scores, medical screening, and which jobs are open when you sign. That is exactly why the quiz gives you a field and a backup field instead of one promised job.
What if I want part-time instead?
The Army Reserve serves one weekend a month and two weeks a year, near home, with the same benefits structure at part-time scale. The calculator above is the full-time picture. If part-time fits your life better, say so in the form and the breakdown will run those numbers.
Ready when you are
Same official form, same deal: this page collects none of your form answers, and sending the form does not enlist you.
Start the official eligibility form