US Military Publishes 2026 Basic Salaries of New Intakes, Warrant Officers, and Other Top Officials
- The monthly salary of military personnel in the United States of America has been disclosed to the general public
- Information made available on the U.S military website shows the monthly salary of its personnel by rank and years of service
- In this article, Legit.ng examines the amount paid monthly to various ranks of officers, as reviewed on January 1, 2026
The United States military, which is under the country's Department of War, includes the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force.
The American military salary is determined by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) and scales primarily based on rank (pay grade) and years of service.
Source: UGC
Legit.ng highlights the basic salaries of the US military entry level, warrant officers, and commissioned officers, as reviewed on January 1, 2026.
US military shows salaries of enlisted members
The enlisted members in the US military are regular officers involved in day-to-day activities in their forces. These include the soldiers, airmen, sailors and Marines.
Enlisted members of the military are paid based on their ranks (E1 -E9), and the number of years in service, as published on the official website.
US military salaries for new intakes/sergeants
The pay for a private (E-1) with less than 4 months of active duty is $2,225.70. (approximately N3,030,535), while those with less than 2 years of service are paid 2,407.20 (N3,277,643).
The basic pay for a sergeant (E-5) with less than two years in service is $3,342.90 monthly (N4,551,826), which increases as the years of service lengthen.
For a sergeant major of the Army (E-9), the basic monthly salary is $11,166.90 (N15,205,632), regardless of the number of years in service.
The same pay applies to the Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force.
Source: UGC
Salary for US warrant officers
Warrant Officers in the U.S. military are highly specialised, technical, and tactical experts who bridge the gap between enlisted personnel and commissioned officers. They are paid by rank (W-1 to W-5) and based on the number of years in service.
A warrant officer’s basic pay (W-1) is $4,056.60 (N5,523,831) for those who have worked for less than 2 years.
A chief warrant officer 5 (W-5) who has worked for less than two years is entitled to a basic pay of $5,719.80 (N7,788,480).
US salary for commissioned officers
Commissioned Officers (pay grades O-1 through O-10) enter with a degree or prior service and receive higher base salaries.
Basic pay rate for Academy Cadets and Midshipmen is $1,452.90, while a second lieutenant’s (O-1)basic pay is $4,150.20 (N5,651,285) for those who have worked for less than 2 years.
For captains/lieutenants (O-2), the basic pay is $4,782.00 (N6,511,553). The Chief of Staff of the Army, Chief of Naval Operations, and Chief of Staff of the Air Force are entitled to 18,999.90 per month for officers at pay grades O-7 through O-10.
Nigerian Army publishes salaries of officers
Meanwhile, Legit.ng recently reported that the salary structure of Nigerian Army personnel shows how pay increases from one rank to another.
The report revealed the estimated monthly salaries of officers from the rank of Private to Major General.
According to the report, lower-ranking officers earn less than senior officers because of the difference in responsibilities and leadership roles.
Source: Legit.ng
