Money · 1 of 5
What service members are paid
Petty Officer Third Class, 4 years
$43,902
Most junior rank, first year
$28,886
Petty Officer First Class, 8 years
$55,354
This is basic pay only, and it is not a market wage. Military pay comes from the Department of Defense basic pay table, which sets an exact figure for every rank at every year of service, the same in Maine as in Hawaii, and the Coast Guard uses the same table as the other services. These are the 2026 figures from the official pay table, a year at the monthly rate: the junior rank after its first four months, the others over 4 and over 8 years of service. Senior enlisted ranks with longer service are paid more than the top figure here. Congress votes a raise most years. Housing and food allowances sit on top of these numbers and are not included here.