Chief Warrant Officer 5 Pay 2026
In the Army, Marine Corps and Navy, Chief Warrant Officer 5 is pay grade W-5, the top rank, above Chief Warrant Officer 4. Abbreviated CW5 in the Army and CWO5 in the Marine Corps and Navy. Monthly basic pay in 2026 is W-5: $10,169.70 to $13,308.30, depending on years of service. Annual pay is monthly × 12.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Page reviewed against DFAS pay tables and defense.gov rank titles October 26, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Which pay grade is a Chief Warrant Officer 5?
The title is one pay grade; the other branches use different titles for it (see below). Grades come from the defense.gov rank insignia page.
| Branch | Pay grade | Branch pay chart | Other titles at this grade in the branch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | W-5 | Army pay chart 2026 | None |
| Marine Corps | W-5 | Marine Corps pay chart 2026 | None |
| Navy | W-5 | Navy pay chart 2026 | None |
Chief Warrant Officer 5 pay 2026 at W-5: monthly basic pay by years of service
W-5 is Chief Warrant Officer 5 pay in the Army and Marine Corps and Navy. Monthly basic pay is $10,169.70 to $13,308.30; annual is monthly × 12, $122,036.40 to $159,699.60 a year. An asterisk marks pay held at an Executive Schedule cap. DFAS lists no W-5 basic pay for 20 years of service or less.
| Years of service | Monthly | Annual (monthly × 12) | 1 drill | 4 drills |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 20 to 22 years | $10,169.70 | $122,036.40 | $338.99 | $1,355.96 |
| Over 22 to 24 years | $10,685.70 | $128,228.40 | $356.19 | $1,424.76 |
| Over 24 to 26 years | $11,070.30 | $132,843.60 | $369.01 | $1,476.04 |
| Over 26 to 30 years | $11,495.10 | $137,941.20 | $383.17 | $1,532.68 |
| Over 30 to 34 years | $12,070.80 | $144,849.60 | $402.36 | $1,609.44 |
| Over 34 to 38 years | $12,673.50 | $152,082.00 | $422.45 | $1,689.80 |
| Over 38 years | $13,308.30 | $159,699.60 | $443.61 | $1,774.44 |
Drill pay is 1/30 of monthly basic pay per drill period, four drills for a usual weekend. BAS for officer (commissioned and warrant) is $328.48 a month ($3,941.76 a year, monthly × 12) in 2026, paid on top of basic pay. See the full W-5 pay page and the BAS rates.
Chief Warrant Officer 5 pay in 2027: not final
Not final as of October 18, 2026. The President's tiered plan (7% for E-1 to E-5, 6% for E-6 to O-3, 5% for O-4 and above) would take effect January 1, 2027 unless Congress sets a different raise; the Senate Armed Services Committee's bill would set 3.6% for every grade. Neither is an official DFAS table.
| Pay grade | 2026 (official) | 2027 (7-6-5 tiered raise) | 2027 (3.6% raise) |
|---|---|---|---|
| W-5 | $10,169.70 to $13,308.30 | $10,779.90 to $14,106.90 | $10,535.70 to $13,787.40 |
The President's plan lists grades "E6 to O3" and does not name warrant officer grades. The 2027 military pay chart places W-1 to W-5 in the 6% tier as an assumption; treat these rows as an assumption until DFAS publishes the official table.
Every grade and column is on the 2027 military pay chart.
Rank notes from the defense.gov insignia page
Air Force, Space Force and Coast Guard have no W-5: the defense.gov page lists none there.
Same pay grade, other branches
One pay grade has one basic pay and a different title in each branch. Select a title for its own page.
| Pay grade | Army | Marine Corps | Navy | Air Force | Space Force | Coast Guard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W-5 | Chief Warrant Officer 5 | Chief Warrant Officer 5 | Chief Warrant Officer 5 | None | None | None |
Promotion path from Chief Warrant Officer 5
The next lower and next higher pay grade in each branch, as the defense.gov rank list orders them, with the monthly basic pay difference at the length of service stated for that branch.
- Army: previous Chief Warrant Officer 4 (W-4), $940.80 a month less; no higher title in this group, at over 20 to 22 years of service.
- Marine Corps: previous Chief Warrant Officer 4 (W-4), $940.80 a month less; no higher title in this group, at over 20 to 22 years of service.
- Navy: previous Chief Warrant Officer 4 (W-4), $940.80 a month less; no higher title in this group, at over 20 to 22 years of service.
All titles are on the military rank pay page; the full table is the military pay chart 2026.
Chief Warrant Officer 5 pay questions
How much does an Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 make in 2026?
An Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 is pay grade W-5. Basic pay under the DFAS table effective January 1, 2026 is W-5: $10,169.70 to $13,308.30 a month ($122,036.40 to $159,699.60 a year, monthly × 12), depending on years of service. Basic pay only; BAH, BAS and special pays are separate.
How much does a Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 5 make in 2026?
A Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer 5 is pay grade W-5. Basic pay under the DFAS table effective January 1, 2026 is W-5: $10,169.70 to $13,308.30 a month ($122,036.40 to $159,699.60 a year, monthly × 12), depending on years of service. Basic pay only; BAH, BAS and special pays are separate.
How much does a Navy Chief Warrant Officer 5 make in 2026?
A Navy Chief Warrant Officer 5 is pay grade W-5. Basic pay under the DFAS table effective January 1, 2026 is W-5: $10,169.70 to $13,308.30 a month ($122,036.40 to $159,699.60 a year, monthly × 12), depending on years of service. Basic pay only; BAH, BAS and special pays are separate.
How much does a CW5 or CWO5 make in 2026?
CW5 is the Army abbreviation and CWO5 is the Marine Corps and Navy abbreviation for Chief Warrant Officer 5, as the defense.gov rank insignia page prints them. A Chief Warrant Officer 5 is pay grade W-5 in the Army, Marine Corps and Navy, paid $10,169.70 to $13,308.30 a month at W-5, depending on years of service.
Is a Chief Warrant Officer 5 a W-5?
Yes. In the Army, Marine Corps and Navy, a Chief Warrant Officer 5 is pay grade W-5, paid $10,169.70 to $13,308.30 a month in 2026. Every branch uses the same basic pay table by grade; only the title differs.
How much is Chief Warrant Officer 5 drill pay for a weekend?
A drill period is 1/30 of monthly basic pay, so a four-drill weekend for Chief Warrant Officer 5 is $1,355.96 to $1,774.44 at W-5, depending on years of service.
What will Chief Warrant Officer 5 pay be in 2027?
Not final, and neither scenario is an official DFAS table. W-5: 2027 (7-6-5 tiered raise) gives $10,779.90 to $14,106.90; 2027 (3.6% raise) gives $10,535.70 to $13,787.40. The President's plan lists grades "E6 to O3" and does not name warrant officer grades. The 2027 military pay chart places W-1 to W-5 in the 6% tier as an assumption; treat these rows as an assumption until DFAS publishes the official table.