United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
MIL-E1 Grade Salary
Enlisted E-1 — Private / Seaman Recruit / Airman Basic (entry rank).
2026 salary range
$28,886 – $28,886
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 2 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 3 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 4 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 5 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 6 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 7 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 8 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 9 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 10 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 11 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 12 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 13 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 14 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 15 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 16 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 17 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 18 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 19 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 20 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 21 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
| 22 | $28,886 | $2,407 | $14 |
Hourly computed assuming 2,080 annual working hours. Actual hourly rates on official tables may differ slightly.
Locality pay — total after geographic adjustment
Most US federal employees receive locality pay on top of the MIL-E1 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for MIL-E1, applied to base step 1 and step 10 respectively.
| Locality Area | Adjustment | Step 1 | Step 10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCBWashington-Baltimore-Arlington, DC-MD-VA-WV-PA | +33.94% | $38,690 | $38,690 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $39,848 | $39,848 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $42,272 | $42,272 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $39,421 | $39,421 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $37,800 | $37,800 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $33,814 | $33,814 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $34,886 | $34,886 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $34,181 | $34,181 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $35,758 | $35,758 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $34,764 | $34,764 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $34,155 | $34,155 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $34,504 | $34,504 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $38,297 | $38,297 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $35,359 | $35,359 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $33,979 | $33,979 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $35,221 | $35,221 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $35,307 | $35,307 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $35,284 | $35,284 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $34,707 | $34,707 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $34,568 | $34,568 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $35,073 | $35,073 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $37,702 | $37,702 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $37,298 | $37,298 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $36,760 | $36,760 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $34,088 | $34,088 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $34,354 | $34,354 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $33,984 | $33,984 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $38,153 | $38,153 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $34,499 | $34,499 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $35,215 | $35,215 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $38,996 | $38,996 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $34,129 | $34,129 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $34,366 | $34,366 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $35,122 | $35,122 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $34,539 | $34,539 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $36,012 | $36,012 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $35,362 | $35,362 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $36,864 | $36,864 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $34,152 | $34,152 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $34,065 | $34,065 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $37,260 | $37,260 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $34,961 | $34,961 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $36,434 | $36,434 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $35,371 | $35,371 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $35,310 | $35,310 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $35,322 | $35,322 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $33,947 | $33,947 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $34,051 | $34,051 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $37,482 | $37,482 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $38,626 | $38,626 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $38,005 | $38,005 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $34,672 | $34,672 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $33,990 | $33,990 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $34,311 | $34,311 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $34,455 | $34,455 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $34,317 | $34,317 |
Locality data sourced from U.S. Office of Personnel Management — Locality Pay XML tables. Last refreshed 2026-04-20. RUS ("Rest of U.S.") is the default for areas not otherwise listed. Law-enforcement, special-rate, and capped schedules not shown — see the OPM tables for specifics.
Frequently asked
How much does a MIL-E1 make in the United States federal government?
A MIL-E1 in the United States federal civil service earns between $28,886 and $28,886 per year in 2026, before locality adjustments, allowances, and bonuses. These figures are published by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Is the MIL-E1 grade the same in every agency?
The base pay scale is set centrally by U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and applied uniformly across eligible federal employers, but agency-specific supplements, locality pay, and bargaining agreements can produce meaningful differences in take-home pay.
Where does this data come from?
Directly from U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/. Each page on FedSalary carries the retrieval date and a link back to the primary source.