President Donald Trump signed the annual defense authorization bill into law Dec. 18, confirming a 3.8% raise in military basic pay.
Congress approved the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, this month with the increase for active-duty service members and reservists.
Current troops get a bump in basic pay starting in January, while veterans will receive an increase as well. Common allowances are also going up.
Related: 2026 Military Pay Charts
2026 Basic Pay Raise
Active-duty troops and drilling Guard and reserve members will receive a 3.8% pay raise in January.
The 3.8% raise was part of Trump’s fiscal 2026 budget request to Congress and was included in the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, before receiving the president’s signature.
The 3.8% raise increases the monthly basic pay for an enlisted E-1 with less than two years of service by about $88 to $2,407. For an officer with the paygrade of O-4 with more than six years of service, the raise amounts to about $305 a month for a total of about $8,332. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service will release exact amounts later.
Related: Why Veterans’ 2.8% Disability Pay Raise Feels Smaller Than It Should
2026 BAS and BAH Rates
The Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) and the Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) are also going up in 2026.
The Basic Allowance for Subsistence, an allotment received by active-duty troops who live outside the barracks, is going up only 2.4% for both officers and enlisted members.
In 2026, the monthly BAS payment will be $328.48 for officers, up from $320.78, while enlisted members’ BAS will increase from $465.77 to $476.95.
The average increase in the BAH coming in 2026 is 4.2%. BAH is set at 95% of housing costs in a given area. The nearly one million troops who receive BAH will absorb $93 to $212 of their housing costs monthly in 2026.
Related: Here Are Your 2026 BAH Rates
2026 Military Veteran Pay Raise
The 3.8% raise in basic pay for active-duty, Guard and reserve members in 2026 joins a 2.8% cost of living adjustment (COLA) given to military retirees and to veterans who receive disability checks from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
That increase means that, for 2026, retired military members and veterans who receive disability payments will receive a $28 increase for each $1,000 of military retirement pay they receive each month. Survivor Benefit Plan payments will increase by the same amount.
Related: Here’s the 2026 Pay Raise for Vets and Retirees
Military retirees who entered military service on or after Aug. 1, 1986, and opted for the Career Status Bonus (CSB/Redux retirement plan) have any COLA increases reduced by 1%. That means they will see a smaller increase of $18 per $1,000 in 2026.
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