A retirement military pay chart is the official table that shows how much monthly retired pay you can expect based on your years of service, your rank at retirement, and the retirement system you fall under.
According to the Department of Defense's Office of the Actuary, over 2 million military retirees and survivors currently receive retired pay, with total annual payments exceeding $60 billion. Many service members struggle to interpret these charts correctly because the formulas differ depending on when you first entered service.
This article breaks down the three retirement systems, how to read the charts, and what factors change your final number.
The Three Retirement Systems Behind the Charts
Your retirement military pay chart depends entirely on which retirement system applies to you. The military has used three distinct systems over the years, and knowing yours is the first step.
The Final Pay system applies to anyone who entered service before September 8, 1980. Under this system, your retired pay equals 50% of your final basic pay after 20 years, plus 2.5% for each additional year, maxing out at 75% after 30 years.
The High-36 system covers those who entered between September 8, 1980, and December 31, 2017. It averages your highest 36 months of basic pay rather than using your final month.
The Blended Retirement System (BRS) applies to anyone who entered on or after January 1, 2018, or who opted in during 2018. BRS uses a 2.0% multiplier instead of 2.5% but adds government-matching contributions to your Thrift Savings Plan.
How to apply this: Check your DD Form 214 or LES to confirm your Date of Initial Entry to Military Service (DIEMS), then identify which system applies to you.
How to Read the Pay Chart Columns
A standard retirement military pay chart lists pay grades down the left side (E-1 through O-10) and years of service across the top, typically in 2-year increments from 20 to 40 years.
The dollar amounts shown represent monthly retired pay before taxes and before any deductions like Survivor Benefit Plan premiums or VA waiver offsets. Most charts published by the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) show gross amounts.
One common misconception: the chart does not account for cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) from prior years. Retired pay increases annually based on the Consumer Price Index, which the Social Security Administration publishes each October.
Consider a retired E-7 with 22 years of service under High-36. The chart shows a base amount, but your actual deposit may differ if you elected SBP coverage or have a VA disability rating that triggers a pay offset.
How to apply this: Pull your most recent Retiree Account Statement (RAS) from DFAS and compare the gross pay line to the current chart for your pay grade and years of service.
The 2.5% vs 2.0% Multiplier Difference
The multiplier is the single biggest factor separating the retirement military pay chart numbers across systems. Under Final Pay and High-36, you earn 2.5% of your base pay for every year of service. Under BRS, you earn only 2.0%.
The math matters. A service member retiring at exactly 20 years under High-36 receives 50% of their High-36 average. A BRS member retiring at 20 years receives 40%. That gap narrows if the BRS member contributed consistently to their TSP and received the government match.
The Government Accountability Office has reported that BRS shifts more retirement risk to service members but offers portability benefits for those who leave before 20 years.
The Department of Defense's official BRS comparison calculator shows that a member who serves 20 years and invests the TSP match can potentially match or exceed High-36 outcomes, though results vary considerably depending on market returns and contribution rates.
How to apply this: Use the official Military Compensation BRS calculator to model your specific rank, years of service, and TSP contribution scenario.
Disability Ratings and VA Offsets
Many retirees see a smaller deposit than the retirement military pay chart suggests because of VA disability offsets. If you receive VA disability compensation, your retired pay is reduced dollar-for-dollar by the VA amount unless you qualify for Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP).
CRDP eligibility requires a VA rating of 50% or higher and 20 or more years of service. The VA's official documentation states that CRDP restores retired pay gradually, and most eligible retirees receive full restoration after a phase-in period.
Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) is a separate program for retirees with combat-related disabilities. Unlike CRDP, CRSC is tax-free and does not require a 50% rating.
A common scenario: a retired O-4 with 20 years sees a chart amount of $5,200 monthly. If they have a 70% VA rating paying $1,900 monthly, their DFAS deposit drops to $3,300 unless CRDP applies.
How to apply this: Review your VA rating decision letter and your RAS side by side, then check your CRDP status on the VA website.
Survivor Benefit Plan Deductions
The retirement military pay chart shows gross pay, but the Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) can reduce your monthly deposit by up to 6.5% of your elected coverage amount.
SBP provides your surviving spouse with up to 55% of your retired pay after your death. Enrollment is automatic for married retirees unless both spouses opt out in writing before retirement.
DFAS reports that the vast majority of married retirees keep SBP coverage. The premium is deducted pre-tax, which reduces your taxable income.
The chart does not show SBP costs because coverage elections vary. A retiree electing full spouse coverage pays more than someone electing reduced coverage or no coverage.
How to apply this: Check your RAS for the SBP deduction line, then verify your coverage election matches your intent by logging into myPay or contacting DFAS directly.
Frequently Asked Questions About retirement military pay chart
How often does the retirement military pay chart update?
The base pay tables that feed the retirement military pay chart update annually, typically in January, following the National Defense Authorization Act and the president's pay raise announcement. COLA adjustments for current retirees take effect December 1 and appear in January deposits.
A retiree who retired in 2023 will see different chart numbers than someone retiring in 2025 because the underlying pay tables changed.
Does the retirement military pay chart show taxable income?
No. The chart shows gross monthly retired pay before federal and state taxes, SBP premiums, and other deductions. Your actual taxable amount appears on your 1099-R, which DFAS issues each January. Some states exempt military retired pay entirely from state income tax, which changes your net amount significantly but does not appear on any federal chart.
The retirement military pay chart shows gross monthly retired pay, not the taxable amount you report each year. Your actual taxable figure appears on the 1099-R that DFAS issues every January.
The retirement military pay chart generally assumes 20 years, though disability retirement rules allow earlier retirement in limited cases. TERA also permitted early retirement for some members, so check whether either exception applies to you.
Can I use the retirement military pay chart if I have fewer than 20 years?
Only in limited cases. Medically retired service members can receive retired pay with fewer than 20 years under disability retirement rules. Temporary Early Retirement Authority (TERA) allowed early retirement for some branches during force reductions, but that authority has largely expired. A member medically retired at 15 years uses a different calculation than the standard chart.
Electing the lump-sum option under BRS reduces your monthly amount below the standard retirement military pay chart figure by the percentage you choose.
Reserve and National Guard pay uses a point-based calculation, so the active-duty retirement military pay chart does not apply to those retirees.
What happens to my retirement military pay chart amount if I take the lump-sum option?
BRS members can elect a lump-sum payment of either 25% or 50% of their estimated retired pay between retirement and Social Security eligibility age. This reduces monthly payments by the elected percentage until age 67, when payments return to full chart amounts.
The lump sum is discounted based on Treasury rates, so you receive less in total than if you waited.
If you elect the lump-sum option, your retirement military pay chart amount is reduced by the 25% or 50% you choose to receive early.
Does the retirement military pay chart include Reserve or Guard retirement?
No. Reserve and National Guard retirement uses a point-based system rather than the active-duty year-based chart. A Reserve retiree's pay is calculated by converting points to equivalent years of active service, then applying the same multiplier. A Guard member with 4,000 points has roughly 11 equivalent years, producing a different amount than an active-duty member with 20 calendar years.
No, the standard retirement military pay chart does not include Reserve or Guard retirement because those use a point-based calculation instead.
Key Takeaways
- Your retirement military pay chart amount depends on your entry date, which determines whether Final Pay, High-36, or BRS applies.
- The chart shows gross pay before SBP, taxes, and VA offsets.
- BRS uses a 2.0% multiplier versus 2.5% for older systems, but TSP matching can close the gap.
- Check your RAS from DFAS quarterly to verify your actual deposit matches expectations.
- Use official calculators from DFAS and the Department of Defense rather than third-party estimates.
Start by confirming your DIEMS date and pulling your latest RAS. Compare those numbers against the current chart for your pay grade, then contact DFAS if anything looks off.
