2027 military pay raise: what's official and what's still pending

Short answer (as of Oct. 16, 2026): the pay formula in federal law produces a 3.6% raise for Jan. 1, 2027. On Aug. 26, 2026 the President used his authority under the same law to set a bigger, tiered raise instead: 7% for E-1 to E-5, 6% for E-6 to O-3 and 5% for O-4 and above. Congress hasn't finished the FY2027 NDAA, which could still write a different number into law, and DFAS hasn't posted 2027 pay tables. We don't publish guesses; every number here comes from the official documents cited at the bottom.

The official figures side by side

Warrant officers: CRS's table groups grades as E-6 through O-3; the President's letter says "grades E6 to O3" and doesn't list W grades separately, so check the final DFAS table for W-1 to W-5. The President's plan is "subject to the caps established by 37 U.S.C. 203," which limit basic pay for senior officers. The House column is the Congressional Research Service's reading of the House Armed Services Committee bill (CRS Insight IN12706, July 14, 2026).

Where it stands

• FY2027 budget: the President's budget asked for a raise of 7% for E-5 and below, 6% for E-6 to O-3 and 5% for O-4 and above. CRS quotes DoD's request as "$5.8 billion for a 7-6-5 percent targeted military pay raise effective on January 1, 2027."
• June 15, 2026: the Senate Armed Services Committee reported S. 4784. Its Sec. 602 waives the automatic adjustment and sets a flat 3.6% raise for Jan. 1, 2027.
• July 22, 2026: the House passed its NDAA, H.R. 8800, 216 to 212. CRS says the House committee version supports the President's 7-6-5 raise.
• Aug. 26, 2026: the President sent Congress an alternative pay plan (printed as House Document 119-189). It sets the Armed Forces raise at 7.0%, 6.0% and 5.0% by grade, effective Jan. 1, 2027, and 3.6% for uniformed services outside the Armed Forces. The same letter freezes 2027 General Schedule pay for federal civilians.
• Sept. 14, 2026: H.R. 8800 was received in the Senate. The full Senate has not passed an NDAA.
• Oct. 1, 2026: fiscal year 2027 started with no FY2027 NDAA enacted. That doesn't cancel the January raise. The open question is which rate applies.

What happens next

If Congress enacts an NDAA that sets the raise (as Sec. 602 of the Senate bill is written to do), the rate in that law controls. If no different rate is enacted, the President's letter says the 7%/6%/5% adjustments "shall take effect on January 1, 2027." Either way, the official numbers will be the 2027 tables DFAS posts on its Military Pay Tables page. We'll update this page and the pay chart calculator when they're out, and the free alerts below will tell you when that happens.

How the 3.6% is calculated

37 U.S.C. 1009(c) ties the automatic raise to the Employment Cost Index (ECI) for wages and salaries of private industry workers, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The raise equals the percentage by which the ECI for the "base quarter" (the three months ending Sept. 30) of the year before the preceding year exceeds the same quarter one year earlier, rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent.

For a raise on Jan. 1, 2027, that means September 2025 compared with September 2024. BLS reported that private industry wages and salaries rose 3.6% over the 12 months ending September 2025 (ECI release of Dec. 10, 2025). CRS also lists 3.6% as the automatic adjustment for 2027.

Under 37 U.S.C. 1009(e), the President may set an alternative adjustment "because of national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare" by sending Congress a plan before Sept. 1. The Aug. 26, 2026 letter is that plan.

2027 military pay raise calculator (illustration)

FAQ

Is the 2027 military pay raise approved?

Not by Congress yet. The 3.6% figure comes from the formula in 37 U.S.C. 1009(c), and on Aug. 26, 2026 the President set an alternative 7%/6%/5% raise under 37 U.S.C. 1009(e) that his letter says takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. The FY2027 NDAA, which could set a different rate, has not been enacted as of Oct. 16, 2026.

Has the Senate passed the 2027 pay raise?

No. The Senate Armed Services Committee reported S. 4784 on June 15, 2026, and its Sec. 602 would set a flat 3.6% raise. Congress.gov's latest Senate action on it is a motion to proceed on July 27, 2026; the full Senate has not passed it. The House-passed H.R. 8800 was received in the Senate on Sept. 14, 2026.

Is there an official 2027 military pay chart?

Not yet. DFAS publishes the official tables on its Military Pay Tables page; as of Oct. 16, 2026 they show 2026 rates. Charts elsewhere labeled 2027 are projections. The calculator on this page is an illustration, labeled as such.

Does the 2027 pay raise change BAH or BAS?

No. The raise is to basic pay. BAH is set separately by DoD each December (see BAH 2027), and BAS has its own annual adjustment under 37 U.S.C. 402 (see BAS 2026).

Do military retirees get the 2027 pay raise?

Not this one. The basic pay raise is for members drawing basic pay. Retired pay and VA disability compensation get the annual cost-of-living adjustment instead; see our 2027 VA disability pay chart page for the announced COLA.

When will the raise show up on my LES?

Every official document uses Jan. 1, 2027 as the effective date, so it would first show on January 2027 pay. See military pay dates 2026/2027 for paydays.

Related: 2026 military pay chart and calculator · BAH 2027: when the rates come out · BAH calculator · BAS 2026 · Military pay dates 2026/2027 · How to read your LES · All pay tools