United States Military Pay History.

Beginning with the year 1794, the military pay raise percentages, and associated pay charts, are presented in the table under the President who signed the pay amounts into law.

Quick Summary: Recent Pay Raises

A history of the most recent annual across-the-board basic pay increases.

Year Raise % Effective Date
2027 3.6% (Title 37 ECI)
5-7% (Proposed)
Jan 1, 2027
2026 3.8% (Approved)Jan 1, 2026
2025 4.5%+10% (Approved)Jan 1, 2025; Apr 1, 2025
2024 5.2% (Approved)Jan 1, 2024

Each year, the President and Congress has the ability to propose and ultimately approve new legislation as they deem necessary to change military pay amounts; otherwise, any raise in pay would be statutorily adjusted using U.S.C. Title 37, Chapter 19, § 1009.

Pay Raise Trend

Master History Search

Year President Raise % Authority/Source
Modern Era
2027 Trump 3.6% ECI
5-7% Proposed
President's Budget Proposal
2026 Trump 3.8% FY2026 NDAA
2025 Biden 4.5%+10% FY2025 NDAA
2024 Biden 5.2% FY2024 NDAA
2023 Biden 4.6% FY2023 NDAA
2022 Biden 2.7% FY2022 NDAA
2021 Trump 3.0% FY2021 NDAA
2020 Trump 3.1% FY2020 NDAA
2019 Trump 2.6% FY2019 NDAA
2018 Trump 2.4% FY2018 NDAA
2017 Obama 2.1% FY2017 NDAA
2016 Obama 1.3% FY2016 NDAA
2015 Obama 1.0% FY2015 NDAA
2014 Obama 1.0% FY2014 NDAA
2013 Obama 1.7% FY2013 NDAA
2012 Obama 1.6% FY2012 NDAA
2011 Obama 1.4% FY2011 NDAA
2010 Obama 3.4% FY2010 NDAA
Post-Cold War Era 1992 to 2009
2009 G.W. Bush 3.9% FY2009 NDAA
2008 G.W. Bush 3.5% FY2008 NDAA
2007 G.W. Bush 2.7% FY2007 NDAA
2006 G.W. Bush 3.1% FY2006 NDAA
2005 G.W. Bush 3.5% FY2005 NDAA
2004 G.W. Bush 4.2% FY2004 NDAA
2003 G.W. Bush 4.1% FY2003 NDAA
2002 G.W. Bush 6.9% FY2002 NDAA
2001 Clinton 3.7% FY2001 NDAA
2000 Clinton 4.8% FY2000 NDAA
1999 Clinton 3.6% FY1999 NDAA
1998 Clinton 2.8% FY1998 NDAA
1997 Clinton 3.0% FY1997 NDAA
1996 Clinton 2.4% FY1996 NDAA
1995 Clinton 2.6% FY1995 NDAA
1994 Clinton 2.2% FY1994 NDAA
1993 H.W. Bush 3.7% FY1993 NDAA
1992 H.W. Bush 4.2% FY1992 NDAA
Vietnam & Cold War Era 1963 to 1991
1991 H.W. Bush 4.1% FY1991 NDAA
1990 H.W. Bush 3.6% FY1990 NDAA
1989 Reagan 4.1% FY1989 NDAA
1988 Reagan 2.0% FY1988 NDAA
1987 Reagan 3.0% FY1987 NDAA
1986 Reagan 3.0% FY1986 DoDAA
1985 Reagan 4.0% FY1985 DoDAA
1984 Reagan 4.0% FY1984 DoDAA
1983 Reagan 4.0% FY1983 DoDAA
1982 Reagan 14.3% FY1982 DoDAA
1981 Carter 11.7% FY1981 DoDAA
1980 Carter 7.0% Executive Order 12165
1979 Carter 5.5% Executive Order 12087
1978 Carter 6.2% Executive Order 12010
1977 Ford 3.6% Executive Order 11941
1976 Ford 5.0% Executive Order 11883
1975 Ford 5.52% Executive Order 11812 (PDF pg.199; 42.85MB)
1974 Nixon 6.2% Executive Order 11740 (PDF pg.2; 863.02KB)
1973 Nixon 6.7% Executive Order 11692 (PDF pg.2; 790.78KB)
1972 Nixon 7.2% Public Law 92-204 (PDF)
1971-2 Nixon 11.6% Public Law 92-129 (PDF)
1971 Nixon 7.9% Executive Order 11577 (PDF pg.2; 1.22MB)
1970 Nixon 8.1% Executive Order 11525 (PDF)
1969 Nixon 12.6% Executive Order 11475
1968 Johnson 6.9% Executive Order 11414
1967 Johnson 4.5% Public Law 90-207
1966 Johnson 3.2% Public Law 89-501
1965 Johnson Enlisted: 11%
Officer: 6.0%
Public Law 89-132
1964 Johnson 2.5% Public Law 88-422 (PDF pg.2)
1963 Kennedy 12.6% Public Law 87-649
World Wars Era 1908 to 1962
1958 Eisenhower 8.3% Public Law 85-422 (PDF)
1955 Eisenhower 0 to 9% Career Incentive Act of 1955
1952 Truman 4.0% Public Law 82-346
1949 Truman 11.2% Career Compensation Act of 1949
1946 Truman 23.7% Public Law 79-474
1942 F.D. Roosevelt 11.7% Pay Readjustment Act of 1942
1941 F.D. Roosevelt 14.4% Military Compensation Background Papers (PDF)
1940 F.D. Roosevelt 28% Public Law 76-783
1922 Enlisted Harding 15% Public Law 67-235
1922 Officer Harding 0% Public Law 67-235
1920 Enlisted Wilson 4.8% Public Law 66-210
1920 Officer Wilson 4.8% Public Law 66-210
1908 T. Roosevelt 20% 35 Stat. 127
Navy 1794 to 1902
1902 T. Roosevelt 0% Birth of Navy MIDRATS! (32 Stat. 680)
1893 Harrison 0% Navy Department General Order No. 409 (PDF)
1870 Grant 25% 16 Stat. 321
1862 Lincoln 0% 12 Stat. 583
1860 Buchanan 13% 12 Stat. 23
1835 Jackson 32.3% United States Statutes at Large, Volume 04, pg. 755-757
1814 Madison 4.1% Navy and Marine Corps Pay Adjustment Act
1794 Washington 0% Naval Act of 1794

*The Coast Guard is currently a part of the Department of Homeland Security, and it is from that budget the compensation for personnel in the Coast Guard is derived. United States Code Title 14 dictates that the Coast Guard will be a branch of the military at all times. Because of its status as a military branch, even when it previously fell under the Department of Transportation, the pay and allowances have always been in lock-step with that of the Department of Defense (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Space Force).

Page written by NCCM Thomas Goering USN, Retired.

Starting with the Naval Act of 1794 and continuing through present day, the United States' military pay history. Information gathered from public laws published in the United States Statutes at Large, Government Printing Office.

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