2022 Military Pay Chart: A breakdown of new Basic Pay rates

The 2022 military pay charts reflect a 2.7% increase over 2021’s pay and entitlements. These pay rates were approved through the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act, commonly referred to as the “Defense Budget.”

These new pay rates went into effect on January 1, 2022 and will be included in the first payment of the year on January 15, 2022. Here’s a breakdown of exactly what that means for you and your family.

The following are the new Basic Pay Rates for all service members. Basic pay does not include common entitlements like Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) or Basic Allowance for Sustenance (BAS).

Related: A Simple Breakdown of Active Duty Military Pay and Deductions

Why is it important for every service member to understand their pay?

(U.S. Air Force photos by Airman Hanna Smith)

The United States military is a massive operation that distributes paychecks to around 1.4 million service members twice a month. A great deal of the data entry tied to those dispersed payments is handled internally by other service members, some of whom are also learning the ropes of their jobs–just like you. That means that they’re sometimes prone to making mistakes, and those mistakes can affect how you’re paid.

What happens when you’re over-paid or under-paid?

(U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Darien G. Kenney)

When a payment for the wrong amount is deposited in your bank account, it’s important to notify your chain of command right away, so corrective action can be taken. Over-payments will be recouped in subsequent pay checks, often all at once unless you work out a payment plan with your command’s administration. Likewise, underpayments can be corrected by adding the missed funds to your next paycheck. However, in some branches, a special payment may be dispersed in emergencies to correct underpayments.

What if you don’t notice an incorrect payment?

(U.S. Air Force photo/Tech. Sgt. Raheem Moore)

It can be easy not to notice getting paid an incorrect amount during hectic times or while your pay is fluctuating due to a PCS move or deployment. If you don’t notice, someone in admin eventually will, either as a part of internal quality assurance efforts, or as a result of an inspection. When over-payments are caught in these ways, that can sometimes be recouped from your next paychecks without notice–and that’s a really crappy surprise to have on payday. This is commonly referred to as a “checkage.”

Avoid being surprised by having your pay checked by staying on top of your pay and ensuring it’s correct each time it’s deposited.

Finding the right 2022 military pay chart

Click on a link below to jump to your Pay Table.

Enlisted Basic Pay Rates

Officer Basic Pay Rates

Officer (Former Enlisted) Basic Pay Rates

Warrant Officer Basic Pay Rates

Enlisted 2022 Pay Rates

Officer 2022 Pay Rates

Officer (Former Enlisted) Basic Pay Rates

Warrant Officer Basic Pay Rates

Figures and notes courtesy of the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)

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Military Pay Scale 2021: A breakdown of new Basic Pay rates

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Proposed 2021 military pay chart

A Simple Breakdown of Active Duty Military Pay and Deductions

2021 Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) rates

Feature image courtesy of the U.S. Marine Corps