United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
MIL-E5 Grade Salary
Enlisted E-5 — Sergeant / Petty Officer Second Class / Staff Sergeant.
2026 salary range
$40,115 – $53,060
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $40,115 | $3,343 | $19 |
| 2 | $43,178 | $3,598 | $21 |
| 3 | $45,310 | $3,776 | $22 |
| 4 | $47,362 | $3,947 | $23 |
| 5 | $49,320 | $4,110 | $24 |
| 6 | $51,599 | $4,300 | $25 |
| 7 | $52,744 | $4,395 | $25 |
| 8 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 9 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 10 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 11 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 12 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 13 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 14 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 15 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 16 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 17 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 18 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 19 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 20 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 21 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
| 22 | $53,060 | $4,422 | $26 |
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-E5 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for MIL-E5, 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% | $53,730 | $71,069 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $55,339 | $73,196 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $58,704 | $77,648 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $54,745 | $72,411 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $52,494 | $69,434 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $46,959 | $62,112 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $48,447 | $64,081 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $47,468 | $62,786 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $49,658 | $65,683 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $48,278 | $63,858 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $47,432 | $62,738 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $47,917 | $63,380 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $53,184 | $70,347 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $49,105 | $64,951 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $47,187 | $62,414 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $48,912 | $64,696 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $49,033 | $64,855 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $49,000 | $64,813 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $48,198 | $63,752 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $48,006 | $63,497 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $48,708 | $64,425 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $52,358 | $69,254 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $51,796 | $68,511 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $51,050 | $67,524 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $47,340 | $62,616 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $47,709 | $63,104 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $47,195 | $62,425 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $52,984 | $70,082 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $47,909 | $63,370 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $48,904 | $64,685 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $54,155 | $71,631 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $47,396 | $62,690 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $47,725 | $63,125 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $48,776 | $64,516 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $47,966 | $63,444 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $50,011 | $66,150 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $49,109 | $64,956 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $51,195 | $67,715 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $47,428 | $62,733 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $47,308 | $62,574 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $51,744 | $68,442 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $48,551 | $64,219 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $50,597 | $66,925 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $49,121 | $64,972 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $49,037 | $64,861 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $49,053 | $64,882 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $47,143 | $62,356 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $47,288 | $62,547 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $52,053 | $68,851 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $53,642 | $70,952 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $52,779 | $69,811 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $48,150 | $63,688 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $47,203 | $62,436 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $47,649 | $63,025 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $47,849 | $63,290 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $47,657 | $63,035 |
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-E5 make in the United States federal government?
A MIL-E5 in the United States federal civil service earns between $40,115 and $53,060 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-E5 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.