MilPayLab

Updated for 2026 · Official DoD & VA tables

Know exactly what the military and the VA pay you.

Free calculators and rate charts for service members, veterans and their families — every number traced to a published government table, nothing you enter ever leaves your browser.

Calculate my payVA disability calculator
2026 basic pay raise
3.8%All grades, Jan 1, 2026
VA compensation COLA
2.8%Effective Dec 1, 2025
TSP elective limit
$24,5002026, before catch-up
BAH housing areas
299Plus 39 county cost groups

Pay

Base pay, housing and food allowances, and the special pays on top — from the 2026 DoD tables.

CalculatorMilitary Pay CalculatorAdd up base pay, BAH, BAS and special pays for your total monthly pay.E-4 over 2 years base pay $3,303.00/moCalculatorBAH CalculatorHousing allowance for your duty station ZIP code, rank and dependents.E-5 with dependents, San Diego $3,975/moRate chart2026 Military Pay ChartMonthly basic pay for every grade from E-1 to O-10 at every years-of-service step.27 grades × 22 service stepsRate chart2026 BAH Rates by StateEvery Military Housing Area's rates by pay grade, grouped by state.299 housing areas · 40,745 ZIP codesGuideMilitary Pay Breakdown 2026What base pay, BAH, BAS and special pays are, and which parts are taxed.ExplainerGuideHow BAH Is Calculated in 2026Where housing rates come from and why your area's rate changed.Explainer

VA Benefits

Disability compensation from the VA's own rate tables, including how ratings combine.

CalculatorVA Disability CalculatorCombine ratings with VA math and see your monthly payment with dependents.100% rating, veteran alone $3,938.58/moCalculatorVA Back Pay CalculatorEstimate retroactive pay month by month from your effective date.Rate tables back to Dec 2017Rate chart2026 VA Disability Pay ChartMonthly compensation for 10%–100% ratings with every dependent combination.Effective December 1, 2025 · 2.8% COLAGuideVA Math ExplainedWhy 50% and 30% make 70%, not 80%, and how the bilateral factor works.Explainer

Retirement

Pensions under High-3 and the Blended Retirement System, and the TSP that goes with them.

CalculatorMilitary Retirement CalculatorCompare High-3 and BRS pensions by rank and years of service.E-7 at 20 years, High-3 $3,059.25/moCalculatorTSP CalculatorProject your Thrift Savings Plan with the BRS match and 2026 limits.2026 limit $24,500 + catch-upGuideBRS vs High-3Which retirement system pays more, and when the TSP match closes the gap.ExplainerGuideTSP Matching ExplainedHow to get the full 5% government match — and how to lose it by accident.Explainer

Guides

Plain-English answers to the questions behind the numbers.

Military Take-Home Pay ExplainedFrom gross pay to your deposit: every deduction, with a worked E-4 example.How to Read Your First LESA section-by-section tour of the Leave and Earnings Statement.Is Military Pay Taxable?What the IRS taxes, what it doesn't, and how combat zone pay works.When New Military Pay Rates Take EffectThe 2026 calendar for pay raises, BAH, VA COLA and paydays.BAH With vs. Without DependentsHow much more the with-dependents rate pays, by grade and location.PCS Move Financial ChecklistDLA, TLE, MALT, per diem and PPM — what each pays in 2026.VA Disability and Military Retirement PayCRDP, CRSC and the VA waiver: when you can receive both.

See all 12 guides

Official sources only

Rates come straight from DTMO, DFAS, VA.gov and the TSP. Each page names its source and the date the rates took effect.

Checked against the tables

Every calculator is tested against sample values from the official tables before it goes live, and we flag errors we find in the source data.

Private by design

All math runs in your browser. No sign-up, no forms, and nothing you type is stored or sent anywhere.

MilPayLab is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the U.S. Department of Defense, DFAS, DTMO or the Department of Veterans Affairs. Figures are taken from published government rate tables and are provided for information only, not as financial, legal or tax advice. Your finance office, your LES and your VA decision letter are the final word on what you are paid.