Armed forces pay calculator 2026/27
Take-home pay for the Army, Royal Navy and RAF from 1 April 2026. Pick your rank, increment level and trade supplement, then add allowances and accommodation charges.
Your service
Pay from 1 April 2026 after the 3.6% award, including X-Factor. Your trade supplement depends on your job and is on your payslip. Supplement 1 is the most common.
Add to your pay
Deductions and tax
Regular service personnel pay nothing into the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. This year adds about £580 a year to your pension. See it with the armed forces pension calculator.
Serving in Scotland? You pay Scottish Income Tax, but the MOD pays a mitigation payment so that personnel who would pay more than in the rest of the UK are not worse off.
Your pay levels as OR2
Private, Able Rating, Aircraftman. Take-home a month at each level, with everything you entered above.
| Level | Salary | Take-home a month |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | £27,282 | £1,930.22 |
| 2 | £28,001 | £1,973.36 |
| 3 | £28,001 | £1,973.36 |
| 4 | £29,764 | £2,079.14 |
| 5 | £31,245 | £2,168.00 |
| 6 | £32,377 | £2,235.92 |
| 7 | £33,823 | £2,322.68 |
| 8 | £35,310 | £2,411.90 |
| 9 | £36,892 | £2,506.82 |
| 10 | £38,553 | £2,606.48 |
Buying a home? See what you could borrow with the mortgage affordability calculator.
Military pay by rank 2026/27
| Rank | Lowest level | Highest level |
|---|---|---|
| OR2 Private, Able Rating, Aircraftman | £27,282 | £38,553 |
| OR3 Lance Corporal | £35,310 | £38,553 |
| OR4 Corporal, Leading Rating | £40,989 | £43,826 |
| OR6 Sergeant, Petty Officer | £46,022 | £50,598 |
| OR7 Staff or Colour Sergeant, Chief Petty Officer, Flight Sergeant | £51,615 | £60,271 |
| OR8 Warrant Officer Class 2 | £56,024 | £60,271 |
| OR9 Warrant Officer Class 1, Warrant Officer | £64,704 | £67,201 |
| OF1 Second Lieutenant or Lieutenant, Sub-Lieutenant, Pilot or Flying Officer | £35,925 | £47,351 |
| OF2 Captain, Lieutenant RN, Flight Lieutenant | £54,716 | £64,852 |
| OF3 Major, Lieutenant Commander, Squadron Leader | £68,624 | £90,371 |
| OF4 Lieutenant Colonel, Commander, Wing Commander | £95,850 | £110,806 |
| OF5 Colonel, Captain RN, Group Captain | £115,881 | £127,272 |
| OF6 Brigadier, Commodore, Air Commodore | £137,874 | £143,406 |
Other ranks on Supplement 1. Salaries from 1 April 2026, including X-Factor. Higher supplements pay up to a few thousand pounds more at senior ranks.
How military take-home pay is worked out
A new recruit is paid £27,282. There is no pension contribution, so the only deductions are Income Tax (£2,942) and National Insurance (£1,177), leaving £23,163 a year, or £1,930 a month. Charges for accommodation and food are then taken from pay if you live in service accommodation.
Each rank has increment levels. You usually move up one level a year, subject to performance, until you reach the top of the rank. Other ranks are also placed on one of four trade supplements, set by job evaluation for each trade.
What is not included
- Allowances: such as Longer Separation Allowance, recruitment and retention payments, flying pay and submarine pay. Add them in the calculator.
- Specialist pay spines: clearance divers, nurses, the Military Provost Guard Service and medical and dental officers have their own scales.
- Reserves: paid a daily rate for each day of training, plus a tax-free bounty.
Common questions
How much does a soldier take home a month?
A new recruit on £27,282 takes home about £1,930 a month from April 2026, after tax and NI, before any accommodation or food charges. A Corporal starts on £40,989 and takes home about £2,753.
What is the armed forces pay rise for 2026?
3.6% on all military salaries from 1 April 2026, recommended by the Armed Forces’ Pay Review Body and accepted in full. It follows 4.5% in 2025 and 6% in 2024.
Do armed forces personnel pay into their pension?
No. Regular service personnel pay nothing into the Armed Forces Pension Scheme 2015. Each year of service adds 1/47 of your pay to your pension, paid for entirely by the MOD.
What is X-Factor in military pay?
An addition to basic pay that recognises the conditions of service life that civilians do not face, such as being liable to deploy at short notice. The full rate is 14.5% of pay, and it is already included in the published salaries.
How much does a new officer earn?
New officers start on £35,925 at OF1 level 1 from April 2026. On level 2 (£42,948) take-home is about £2,870 a month.
What are trade supplements?
Other ranks are paid on one of four supplements, depending on the job evaluation for their trade. Supplement 1 covers most trades, and supplements 2 to 4 pay more for trades that need more skill. The difference grows with rank.
Are Army, Navy and RAF pay the same?
Yes. All three services use the same pay scales, matched by rank. A Corporal in the Army, a Leading Rating in the Navy and a Corporal in the RAF are paid on the same OR4 scale.
Is military pay taxed?
Yes, like any other pay, with Income Tax and National Insurance. Some allowances, such as the Operational Allowance paid on certain deployments, are tax-free.