United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
MIL-E3 Grade Salary
Enlisted E-3 — Private First Class / Seaman / Airman First Class.
2026 salary range
$34,042 – $38,376
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $34,042 | $2,837 | $16 |
| 2 | $36,180 | $3,015 | $17 |
| 3 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 4 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 5 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 6 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 7 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 8 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 9 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 10 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 11 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 12 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 13 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 14 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 15 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 16 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 17 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 18 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 19 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 20 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 21 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
| 22 | $38,376 | $3,198 | $18 |
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-E3 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for MIL-E3, 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% | $45,596 | $51,401 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $46,961 | $52,940 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $49,817 | $56,159 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $46,457 | $52,372 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $44,547 | $50,219 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $39,850 | $44,923 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $41,113 | $46,347 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $40,282 | $45,410 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $42,141 | $47,506 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $40,970 | $46,186 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $40,251 | $45,376 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $40,663 | $45,840 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $45,133 | $50,879 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $41,671 | $46,976 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $40,044 | $45,142 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $41,507 | $46,792 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $41,610 | $46,907 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $41,582 | $46,876 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $40,901 | $46,109 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $40,738 | $45,925 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $41,334 | $46,596 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $44,432 | $50,088 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $43,955 | $49,551 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $43,322 | $48,837 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $40,173 | $45,288 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $40,486 | $45,641 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $40,050 | $45,149 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $44,963 | $50,687 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $40,656 | $45,832 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $41,501 | $46,784 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $45,957 | $51,808 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $40,221 | $45,341 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $40,500 | $45,656 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $41,392 | $46,661 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $40,704 | $45,886 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $42,440 | $47,843 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $41,674 | $46,980 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $43,444 | $48,975 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $40,248 | $45,372 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $40,146 | $45,257 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $43,911 | $49,501 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $41,201 | $46,446 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $42,937 | $48,404 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $41,684 | $46,991 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $41,613 | $46,911 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $41,627 | $46,926 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $40,006 | $45,099 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $40,129 | $45,238 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $44,173 | $49,797 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $45,521 | $51,316 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $44,789 | $50,491 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $40,861 | $46,063 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $40,057 | $45,157 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $40,435 | $45,583 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $40,605 | $45,775 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $40,442 | $45,591 |
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-E3 make in the United States federal government?
A MIL-E3 in the United States federal civil service earns between $34,042 and $38,376 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-E3 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.