1978 Military Pay Chart

1978 US Military Basic Pay Charts

On September 28, 1977, President James E. Carter Jr. signed Executive Order 12010 which provided for a 6.2% pay raise for the uniformed members of the Armed Forces.

On July 30, 1977, the president signed Public Law 95-79, the Department of Defense Appropriation Act, 1978, that allowed for a Navy active duty end-strength of 535,800 and 87,000 Sailors for the Selected Reserve for Fiscal Year 1978.

1977 Pay | 1979 Pay | Pay Raises

The United States military pay scales below became effective on October 1, 1977 and continued to be in effect until September 30, 1978. It is the basic pay amounts for the active components of the Navy, Marines, Army, Air Force, Coast Guard.

The pay rates are monthly, US dollar.

1978 Enlisted Basic Military Pay Chart

Enlisted pay for less than 2 to over 6 years of service.
Pay Grade	Years of Service
Pay Grade	Under 2	Over 2	Over 3	Over 4	Over 6
E-7	656.70	708.60	735.00	760.50	786.90
E-6	567.00	618.30	644.10	671.10	696.00
E-5	498.00	541.80	568.20	592.80	631.50
E-4	478.50	505.20	534.90	576.60	599.40
E-3	460.20	485.40	504.90	525.00	525.00
E-2	443.10	443.10	443.10	443.10	443.10
E-1	397.50	397.50	397.50	397.50	397.50

Enlisted pay chart for 8 to over 16 years of service.
Pay Grade	Years of Service
Pay Grade	Over 8	Over 10	Over 12	Over 14	Over 16
E-9		1120.80	1146.30	1172.40	1199.40
E-8	940.50	966.60	992.40	1018.50	1044.90
E-7	811.50	837.30	863.70	902.70	928.20
E-6	721.80	748.20	786.90	811.50	837.30
E-5	657.30	683.70	708.60	721.80	721.80
E-4	599.40	599.40	599.40	599.40	599.40
E-3	525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00
E-2	443.10	443.10	443.10	443.10	443.10
E-1	397.50	397.50	397.50	397.50	397.50

Enlisted pay chart for 18 to over 26 years of service.
Pay Grade	Years of Service
Pay Grade	Over 18	Over 20	Over 22	Over 24	Over 26
E-9 See Note 1	1225.80	1249.80	1315.80	1315.80	1443.30
E-8	1069.20	1095.60	1159.80	1159.80	1289.40
E-7	954.30	966.60	1031.70	1031.70	1159.80
E-6	850.20	850.20	850.20	850.20	850.20
E-5	721.80	721.80	721.80	721.80	721.80
E-4	599.40	599.40	599.40	599.40	599.40
E-3	525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00	525.00
E-2	443.10	443.10	443.10	443.10	443.10
E-1	397.50	397.50	397.50	397.50	397.50

Return to Top

1978 Officer Basic Military Pay Chart

Officer pay chart for under 2 years to 6 years of service.
Pay Grade	Years of Service
Pay Grade	Under 2	Over 2	Over 3	Over 4	Over 6
O-10 See Note 2	3126.30	3236.40	3236.40	3236.40	3236.40
O-9	2770.80	2843.70	2904.00	2904.00	2904.00
O-8	2509.50	2584.80	2646.30	2646.30	2646.30
O-7	2085.30	2227.20	2227.20	2227.20	2326.80
O-6	1545.60	1698.60	1809.00	1809.00	1809.00
O-5	1236.30	1452.00	1551.90	1551.90	1551.90
O-4	1042.20	1268.40	1353.60	1353.60	1378.20
O-3	968.40	1082.70	1157.10	1280.40	1341.60
O-2	844.20	922.20	1107.90	1145.10	1168.80
O-1	732.90	762.90	922.20	922.20	922.20
Commissioned Officer With Over 4 Years of Active Service as an Enlisted Member or Warrant Officer
O-3E				1280.40	1341.60
O-2E				1145.10	1168.80
O-1E				922.20	984.90
Warrant Officers
	Under 2	Over 2	Over 3	Over 4	Over 6
W-4	986.40	1058.40	1058.40	1082.70	1131.90
W-3	897.00	972.90	972.90	984.90	996.60
W-2	785.40	849.30	849.30	874.20	922.20
W-1	654.30	750.30	750.30	812.70	849.30

Officer pay chart for 8 years to 16 years of service.
Pay Grade	Years of Service
Pay Grade	Over 8	Over 10	Over 12	Over 14	Over 16
O-10 See Note 2	3360.30	3360.30	3618.00	3618.00	3876.60
O-9	2978.10	2978.10	3101.40	3101.40	3360.30
O-8	2843.70	2843.70	2978.10	2978.10	3101.40
O-7	2326.80	2462.10	2462.10	2584.80	2843.70
O-6	1809.00	1809.00	1809.00	1870.50	2166.90
O-5	1551.90	1599.30	1584.80	1797.30	1932.30
O-4	1439.70	1537.50	1624.20	1698.60	1772.40
O-3	1390.20	1464.60	1537.50	1575.30	1575.30
O-2	1168.80	1168.80	1168.80	1168.80	1168.80
O-1	922.20	922.20	922.20	922.20	922.20
Commissioned Officer With Over 4 Years of Active Service as an Enlisted Member or Warrant Officer
O-3E	1390.20	1464.60	1537.50	1599.30	1599.30
O-2E	1206.00	1268.40	1317.30	1353.60	1353.60
O-1E	1021.50	1058.40	1095.30	1145.10	1145.10
Warrant Officers
	Over 8	Over 10	Over 12	Over 14	Over 16
W-4	1181.70	1231.20	1317.30	1378.20	1427.10
W-3	1069.50	1131.90	1168.80	1206.00	1242.00
W-2	972.90	1009.50	1046.40	1082.70	1120.50
W-1	886.20	922.20	960.30	996.60	1033.50

Officer pay chart for 18 years to 26 years of service.
Pay Grade	Years of Service
Pay Grade	Over 18	Over 20	Over 22	Over 24	Over 26
O-10 See Note 2	3876.60	3958.20	3958.20	3958.20	3958.20
O-9	3360.30	3618.00	3618.00	3618.00	3876.60
O-8	3236.40	3360.30	3495.00	3495.00	3495.00
O-7	3039.00	3039.00	3039.00	3039.00	3039.00
O-6	2277.60	2326.80	2462.10	2462.10	2670.00
O-5	2043.30	2104.80	2178.60	2178.60	2178.60
O-4	1821.90	1821.90	1821.90	1821.90	1821.90
O-3	1575.30	1575.30	1575.30	1575.30	1575.30
O-2	1168.80	1168.80	1168.80	1168.80	1168.80
O-1	922.20	922.20	922.20	922.20	922.20
Commissioned Officer With Over 4 Years of Active Service as an Enlisted Member or Warrant Officer
O-3E	1599.30	1599.30	1599.30	1599.30	1599.30
O-2E	1353.60	1353.60	1353.60	1353.60	1353.60
O-1E	1145.10	1145.10	1145.10	1145.10	1145.10
Warrant Officers
	Over 18	Over 20	Over 22	Over 24	Over 26
W-4	1464.60	1512.90	1563.30	1563.30	1684.80
W-3	1280.40	1329.90	1378.20	1378.20	1427.10
W-2	1157.10	1193.70	1242.00	1242.00	1242.00
W-1	1069.50	1107.90	1107.90	1107.90	1107.90

NOTE 1. The Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy's basic pay is $1754.40 regardless of cumulative years of service.

NOTE 2. The Chief of Naval Operations pay remains $3958.20, regardless of time in service.

Return to Top

E pay scale is Enlisted, W scale is Warrant Officer, O scale is Commissioned Officer. Effective October 1, 1977 through September 30, 1978.

Military Pay Chart 1978

1978 US Military Basic Pay Charts

1978 Enlisted Basic Military Pay Chart

1978 Officer Basic Military Pay Chart

Site Navigation

Current Military Pay

1970's Pay Scales