Here are your 2021 military pay and LES dates

Wondering what the 2021 military pay dates are? Not sure where to get your hands …

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U.S. Air Force Airman 1st Class Manuel Zataray, 39th Comptroller Squadron financial services technician, counts money Oct. 31, 2019 at Incirlik Air Base, Turkey. Finance technicians keep an eye on Air Force financial data to ensure funds are being utilized responsibly and efficiently. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Jim Araos)

Wondering what the 2021 military pay dates are? Not sure where to get your hands on your LES? We’ve got you covered.

Service members usually receive their pay on the 1st and 15th of each month, but in the event that payday falls on a weekend or holiday, the payments will go through on the last workday prior to the break.

Some service members, however, may have opted into a single payment per month pay schedule. Service members that only receive one payment per month will receive their pay on the 15th of each month, or on the immediately preceding workday if that pay date falls on a weekend or holiday.

Military payments will include basic pay and any applicable entitlements for each service member. These entitlements may include Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH), Basic Allowance for Sustenance (BAS), and any other specific entitlements related to orders being executed.

The 2021 military pay dates are as follows:

2020 Military Pay Dates
(DoD image)
MonthMid-Month PayEnd-of-Month Pay
January 2021Jan. 15Feb. 1
February 2021Feb. 15Mar. 1
March 2021Mar. 15Apr. 1
April 2021Apr. 15Apr. 30
May 2021May 14Jun. 1
June 2021June 15July 1
July 2021July 15July. 30
August 2021Aug. 13Sep. 1
September 2021Sept. 15Oct. 1
October 2021Oct. 15Nov. 1
November 2021Nov. 15Dec. 1
December 2021Dec. 15Dec. 31

Although these are the dates payments are dispersed, these aren’t necessarily the dates the money will appear in your bank account. Different banks process incoming payments at different rates, but you will often see deposits process quicker when using military-friendly banks like USAA and Navy Federal.

Leave and Earnings Statements

Leave and Earnings Statement
(WikiMedia Commons)

A Leave and Earnings Statement, or LES, is a document that’s generated on a monthly basis to keep service members apprised of their pay and leave status. The LES includes pay and leave accrued during that month’s cycle, as well as any pertinent deductions. Service members and their families can use their LES to keep track of their finances throughout the year.

You can access your LES online through MyPay.

New LES’s post later in the month, and reflect pay and deductions from the previous month. LES publication dates for 2021 are as follows:

MonthLES Date
January 2021Jan. 25
February 2021Feb. 22
March 2021Mar. 25
April 2021Apr. 23
May 2021May 25
June 2021June 24
July 2021July 23
August 2021Aug. 25
September 2021Sept. 24
October 2021Oct. 25
November 2021Nov. 22
December 2021Dec. 23

Feature image courtesy of Tech. Sgt. Jim Araos, U.S. Air Force

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