Military Pay Raise 2027: 7-6-5 Plan vs 3.6% and Status
The 2027 military pay raise is not final. The President's 7-6-5 plan would give 7.0% to E-1 to E-5, 6.0% to E-6 to O-3 and 5.0% to O-4 and above; the formula and the Senate bill would give everyone 3.6%. The final raise depends on the enacted NDAA or the plan, effective January 1, 2027.
For the full monthly pay tables by grade and years of service, see the 2027 military pay chart. Retired pay is a different mechanism, covered below.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Proposals checked against primary sources October 26, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Status as of October 26, 2026: not final
Not enacted: GovInfo's bill-status records for H.R. 8800 and S. 4784, last updated October 20, 2026, list no public law for either bill. The latest action on H.R. 8800 is "Received in the Senate" (September 14, 2026); the latest on S. 4784 is a July 27, 2026 motion to proceed. This checks those two bills, not every possible vehicle, and the final raise depends on the enacted NDAA or the alternative plan taking effect.
What each document says
President's alternative pay plan (H. Doc. 119-189) (August 26, 2026)
The President sent Congress an alternative pay plan under 37 U.S.C. 1009(e) (H. Doc. 119-189). It would set the 2027 basic pay increase for the Armed Forces at 7.0% for E1 to E5, 6.0% for E6 to O3 and 5.0% for O4 and above, subject to the pay caps in 37 U.S.C. 203, and says the adjustments are to take effect January 1, 2027. The letter does not name warrant officer grades or O-1E to O-3E; this page places them in the 6.0% tier as an assumption.
“set the 2027 monthly basic pay increase for members of the Armed Forces at 7.0 percent for grades E1 to E5, 6.0 percent for grades E6 to O3, and 5.0 percent for grades O4 and above, subject to the caps established by 37 U.S.C. 203”
“The adjustments described shall take effect on January 1, 2027.”
H.R. 8800, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (as passed by the House) (July 22, 2026)
H.R. 8800 passed the House on July 22, 2026 (216-212) and was received in the Senate on September 14, 2026. Its text does not set a percentage raise to basic pay: Title VI, Military Compensation and Other Benefits, covers bonuses, special and incentive pays and allowances, and its section 603 only adds annual adjustments for special and incentive pays. CRS said on July 14, 2026 that the House Armed Services Committee version would support the President's proposed raise, but the engrossed bill carries no basic pay section of its own.
“TITLE VI--MILITARY COMPENSATION AND OTHER BENEFITS”
“Sec. 603. One-time corrective increase and annual adjustments for certain special and incentive pays for members of the armed forces”
“Passed by the Yeas and Nays: 216 - 212 (Roll no. 278).”
S. 4784, National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (as reported in the Senate) (June 15, 2026)
The Senate Armed Services Committee reported S. 4784 on June 15, 2026. Section 602 would waive the 37 U.S.C. 1009 adjustment and would set monthly basic pay up 3.6% for every member of the uniformed services on January 1, 2027. The bill has not passed the Senate: the last action GovInfo records, on July 27, 2026, is a motion to proceed to the measure.
“The adjustment to become effective during fiscal year 2027 required by section 1009 of title 37, United States Code, in the rates of monthly basic pay authorized members of the uniformed services shall not be made.”
“Effective on January 1, 2027, the rates of monthly basic pay for members of the uniformed services are increased by 3.6 percent.”
37 U.S.C. 1009, adjustments of monthly basic pay (text read October 26, 2026)
Section 1009(a) and (c) raise basic pay every January 1 by the Employment Cost Index change, which is 3.6% for 2027 according to the President's letter and CRS. Under 1009(e) the President may send Congress, before September 1, an alternative plan if he considers the formula raise inappropriate. The statute text does not say what happens to the plan next; CRS reads it as superseding the formula raise, and says Congress can also set the raise by law, overriding the formula or the plan.
“Effective on January 1 of each year, the rates of basic pay for members of the uniformed services under section 203(a) of this title shall be increased under this section.”
“the President shall prepare and transmit to Congress before September 1 of the preceding year a plan for such alternative pay adjustments as the President considers appropriate”
“the President may specify an alternative pay adjustment that supersedes the automatic adjustment. Additionally, Congress may pass a law to specify the annual pay raise, superseding the automatic adjustment and/or any presidential adjustment.”
CRS Insight IN12706, FY2027 NDAA: Military Basic Pay Raise Proposal (July 14, 2026)
CRS compared the proposals on July 14, 2026: the President and the House Armed Services Committee at 7.0%, 6.0%, 5.0% by grade group, the Senate Armed Services Committee at 3.6%, and an automatic formula adjustment of 3.6% for 2027.
“The House Armed Services Committee (HASC) and the House Appropriations Committee, Defense Subcommittee-reported versions of an FY2027 NDAA would support the President's proposed pay raise.”
“The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC)-reported version would provide a pay raise of 3.6%, consistent with the ECI under the statutory formula.”
2027 raise by grade group: 7-6-5 plan vs 3.6%
| Grade group | President's plan | Formula and Senate bill | Plan minus 3.6% |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1 to E-5 | 7.0% | 3.6% | +3.4 points |
| E-6 to O-3 (this page includes W-1 to W-5 and O-1E to O-3E) | 6.0% | 3.6% | +2.4 points |
| O-4 and above | 5.0% | 3.6% | +1.4 points |
| Uniformed service members who do not serve in the Armed Forces (our reading: the NOAA Corps and the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps) | 3.6% | 3.6% | +0.0 points |
The President's letter lists the tiers as "E1 to E5," "E6 to O3" and "O4 and above." It does not name warrant officer grades or the O-1E to O-3E rates; this page uses the module's assumption that they sit in the 6.0% tier, the one for E-6 to O-3. The same letter provides 3.6% to "uniformed service members who do not serve in the Armed Forces"; we read that as the NOAA Corps and the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, which is an assumption because the letter names no agencies.
The House-passed bill (H.R. 8800) is not a column because its text does not set a basic pay percentage; see the status box above.
2027 military pay raise calculator
Pick a pay grade and your cumulative years of service. These are scenarios built from the official 2026 DFAS table, not an official 2027 table.
| 2026 (official) | 2027 plan (7.0%) | 2027 formula (3.6%) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 monthly basic pay | $4,110.00 | $4,397.70 | $4,257.90 |
| Annual basic pay | $49,320.00 | $52,772.40 | $51,094.80 |
| Raise over 2026, monthly | – | +$287.70 | +$147.90 |
| Raise over 2026, annual | – | +$3,452.40 | +$1,774.80 |
- Monthly difference, plan minus formula
- +$139.80
- Annual difference, plan minus formula
- +$1,677.60
Basic pay only, before deductions. BAH, BAS, special and incentive pays and taxes are not included.
Examples: monthly basic pay, 2026 versus each 2027 scenario
| Grade and service | 2026 (official) | Plan | 3.6% formula | Monthly difference | Annual difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| E-4, over 2 to 3 years | $3,303.00 | $3,534.307.0%, +$231.30 | $3,421.803.6%, +$118.80 | +$112.50 | +$1,350.00 |
| E-5, over 4 to 6 years | $3,946.80 | $4,223.107.0%, +$276.30 | $4,089.003.6%, +$142.20 | +$134.10 | +$1,609.20 |
| E-6, over 6 to 8 years | $4,235.70 | $4,489.806.0%, +$254.10 | $4,388.103.6%, +$152.40 | +$101.70 | +$1,220.40 |
| O-3, over 4 to 6 years | $7,382.70 | $7,825.806.0%, +$443.10 | $7,648.503.6%, +$265.80 | +$177.30 | +$2,127.60 |
| O-5, over 14 to 16 years | $10,715.10 | $11,250.905.0%, +$535.80 | $11,100.903.6%, +$385.80 | +$150.00 | +$1,800.00 |
Computed from the official 2026 DFAS table with the rounding described on the 2027 pay chart page. Basic pay only; the grade links open each grade's 2026 pay page.
When the raise would start and your first paycheck
Both the President's plan and the Senate bill say January 1, 2027. Mid-month pay covers the first half of a month and end-of-month pay the second half, so the first payday that covers January service is Friday, January 15, 2027. The end-of-month payday dated Friday, January 1, 2027 is released Thursday, December 31, 2026 and pays December, still at 2026 rates. Whether DFAS has a 2027 table loaded by the first January payday depends on the raise being settled by then; nothing we could read says.
Every 2027 payday, with the weekday and the reason a date moves, is on the military pay dates page.The first payday that covers January 2027 service falls on Friday, January 15, 2027, if a 2027 raise is in place by then.
Military retirees: a different adjustment
Retired pay does not move with the 7-6-5 plan or the 3.6% basic pay raise. Its cost-of-living adjustment is a separate CPI-W calculation effective December 1, 2026, and is 3.6% for High-3, BRS and Final Pay retirees (expected, not yet official): same percentage, different mechanism and date.
Details, the first-year rule and a calculator are on the military retirement COLA 2027 page.
2027 military pay raise questions
How much is the 2027 military pay raise?
It is not final. The President's alternative plan would set 7.0% for E-1 to E-5, 6.0% for E-6 to O-3 and 5.0% for O-4 and above, effective January 1, 2027. The statutory formula and the Senate Armed Services Committee bill would give everyone 3.6%. Which one applies depends on whether the enacted FY2027 NDAA includes a raise or the plan applies.
Is the 7-6-5 raise final?
No. It is the tiered raise in the President's August 26, 2026 plan: 7.0% for pay grades E-1 through E-5, 6.0% for E-6 through O-3 and 5.0% for O-4 and above, each above the 3.6% formula raise. It is a proposal until the enacted NDAA or the plan fixes the raise; the full 2027 tables are on the 2027 military pay chart page.
Did the House or Senate NDAA set the 2027 military pay raise?
The Senate Armed Services Committee bill, S. 4784 section 602, would set 3.6% for everyone, but it has not passed the Senate. The House-passed bill, H.R. 8800, does not set a basic pay percentage in its text; CRS said the House Armed Services Committee version would support the President's raise. As of GovInfo's October 20, 2026 update neither bill has become law.
Is the 2027 military pay raise final?
No. GovInfo lists no public law for either FY2027 NDAA bill. CRS describes a presidential alternative adjustment under 37 U.S.C. 1009(e) as superseding the formula raise, and Congress can set the raise by law instead. Until the NDAA is enacted or the plan is in place and DFAS posts the 2027 tables, treat any figure as an estimate.
When does the 2027 military pay raise take effect and when is the first paycheck?
Both the President's plan and the Senate bill say January 1, 2027. Mid-month pay covers the first half of a month and end-of-month pay the second half, so the first payday that covers January service is Friday, January 15, 2027. The end-of-month payday dated Friday, January 1, 2027 is released Thursday, December 31, 2026 and pays December, still at 2026 rates. Whether DFAS has a 2027 table loaded by the first January payday depends on the raise being settled by then; nothing we could read says.
Will military retirees get a pay raise in 2027?
Not this one. Retired pay does not move with the 7-6-5 plan or the 3.6% basic pay raise. Its cost-of-living adjustment is a separate CPI-W calculation effective December 1, 2026, and is 3.6% for High-3, BRS and Final Pay retirees (expected, not yet official): same percentage, different mechanism and date.
Which tier do warrant officers fall in?
The President's letter lists "E6 to O3" and does not name warrant officer grades or the O-1E to O-3E rates. This page places W-1 to W-5 and O-1E to O-3E in the 6.0% tier because they sit between E-6 and O-3 in pay grade order. Treat those rows as an assumption until DFAS publishes the official table.