Pay grade E-3: 2026 basic pay

DFAS's 2026 basic pay table lists pay grade E-3, an enlisted grade, at $2,836.80 a month for 2 years or less of service, rising to $3,198.00 a month at over 3 years, the highest figure in the row. Twelve times the monthly rate is 12 × $2,836.80 = $34,041.60 at the low end and 12 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00 at the high end. The figures are effective January 1, 2026.

Effective . Source: DFAS, Basic Pay – Enlisted, page updated January 12, 2026; captured in a browser (DFAS blocks scripted downloads); capture SHA-256 2b200c337ed9… Source: DFAS, Reserve Component Drill Pay – Enlisted, page updated January 20, 2026; captured in a browser (DFAS blocks scripted downloads); capture SHA-256 2db38b8b414a…

Monthly basic pay by years of service

From Basic Pay – Enlisted, row E-3. The last column is twelve times the monthly rate, with the arithmetic shown; it is not a DFAS figure and leaves out allowances, special pays and taxes.

Years of serviceMonthly basic payTwelve times the monthly rate
2 or less2,836.8012 × $2,836.80 = $34,041.60
Over 23,015.0012 × $3,015.00 = $36,180.00
Over 33,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 43,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 63,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 83,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 103,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 123,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 143,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 163,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 183,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 203,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 223,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 243,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 263,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 283,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 303,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 323,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 343,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 363,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 383,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
Over 403,198.0012 × $3,198.00 = $38,376.00
E-3: monthly basic pay by years of service, 2026, from $2,836.80 to $3,198.00$0$1k$2k$3k$4k≤2>2>3>4>6>8>10>12>14>16>18>20>22>24>26>28>30>32>34>36>38>402 or less years: $2,836.80 a monthOver 2 years: $3,015.00 a monthOver 3 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 4 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 6 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 8 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 10 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 12 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 14 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 16 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 18 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 20 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 22 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 24 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 26 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 28 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 30 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 32 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 34 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 36 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 38 years: $3,198.00 a monthOver 40 years: $3,198.00 a monthYears of service (DFAS column: ≤2, then over N)Monthly basic pay
Monthly basic pay for E-3 by DFAS years-of-service column, 2026; the table above gives the same figures. Columns are equally spaced brackets, not equal spans of years.

Reserve component drill pay

From DFAS's drill pay table: 1 Drill is the monthly rate divided by 30, to the cent, and 4 Drills is four times 1 Drill.

Years of service1 Drill4 Drills
2 or less94.56378.24
Over 2100.50402.00
Over 3106.60426.40
Over 4106.60426.40
Over 6106.60426.40
Over 8106.60426.40
Over 10106.60426.40
Over 12106.60426.40
Over 14106.60426.40
Over 16106.60426.40
Over 18106.60426.40
Over 20106.60426.40
Over 22106.60426.40
Over 24106.60426.40
Over 26106.60426.40
Over 28106.60426.40
Over 30106.60426.40
Over 32106.60426.40
Over 34106.60426.40
Over 36106.60426.40
Over 38106.60426.40
Over 40106.60426.40

Neighbouring grades

About these figures

FastWages is not affiliated with the Department of Defense, DFAS or any military service. The tables reproduce what DFAS publishes, cell for cell, and are reference data: they are not pay, career or financial advice, and what a member is actually paid depends on facts this site does not know. Nothing on these pages is compared with civilian wages.

Sources

  1. DFAS, Basic Pay – Enlisted (page updated January 12, 2026; capture basic-pay-EM.json SHA-256 2b200c337ed96c98f7c72487347ca77b4d028aadbcec6d47fa10fb45c02b0cab; upstream page 121,019 bytes, SHA-256 19c4b691c5af044e2a88bcd62d2291dbdef1eb383a86a404d92e17988b5e6392)
  2. DFAS, Reserve Component Drill Pay – Enlisted (page updated January 20, 2026; capture drill-pay-E.json SHA-256 2db38b8b414a3bb27ba3e02b17e294974241bd36e9fd55bb925df3d2343e65d7; upstream page 194,223 bytes, SHA-256 e92729e6e3b93d355188eb68e9a18f159ad1265d0a27e5fbfe81b32c45b35d05)
  3. DFAS, Military Pay Tables (index of the pages above)
  4. 37 U.S.C. 203, Rates of basic pay