United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
MIL-E8 Grade Salary
Enlisted E-8 — Master Sergeant / Senior Chief Petty Officer.
2026 salary range
$67,878 – $96,808
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | $67,878 | $5,657 | $33 |
| 7 | $70,884 | $5,907 | $34 |
| 8 | $72,742 | $6,062 | $35 |
| 9 | $74,966 | $6,247 | $36 |
| 10 | $77,378 | $6,448 | $37 |
| 11 | $81,734 | $6,811 | $39 |
| 12 | $83,945 | $6,995 | $40 |
| 13 | $87,700 | $7,308 | $42 |
| 14 | $89,780 | $7,482 | $43 |
| 15 | $94,907 | $7,909 | $46 |
| 16 | $94,907 | $7,909 | $46 |
| 17 | $96,808 | $8,067 | $47 |
| 18 | $96,808 | $8,067 | $47 |
| 19 | $96,808 | $8,067 | $47 |
| 20 | $96,808 | $8,067 | $47 |
| 21 | $96,808 | $8,067 | $47 |
| 22 | $96,808 | $8,067 | $47 |
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-E8 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for MIL-E8, 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% | $90,916 | $129,665 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $93,638 | $133,547 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $99,333 | $141,669 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $92,633 | $132,114 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $88,825 | $126,683 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $79,458 | $113,323 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $81,976 | $116,915 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $80,320 | $114,553 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $84,026 | $119,839 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $81,691 | $116,508 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $80,259 | $114,466 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $81,080 | $115,637 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $89,993 | $128,348 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $83,089 | $118,503 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $79,845 | $113,875 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $82,764 | $118,038 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $82,967 | $118,328 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $82,913 | $118,251 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $81,555 | $116,315 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $81,230 | $115,850 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $82,417 | $117,544 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $88,594 | $126,354 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $87,644 | $124,998 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $86,382 | $123,198 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $80,103 | $114,243 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $80,727 | $115,134 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $79,858 | $113,895 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $89,653 | $127,864 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $81,067 | $115,618 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $82,750 | $118,019 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $91,635 | $130,691 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $80,198 | $114,379 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $80,754 | $115,172 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $82,533 | $117,709 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $81,162 | $115,753 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $84,624 | $120,691 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $83,096 | $118,512 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $86,626 | $123,546 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $80,252 | $114,456 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $80,049 | $114,166 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $87,556 | $124,873 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $82,153 | $117,167 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $85,615 | $122,104 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $83,117 | $118,541 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $82,974 | $118,338 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $83,001 | $118,377 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $79,770 | $113,769 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $80,015 | $114,117 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $88,078 | $125,618 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $90,766 | $129,452 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $89,307 | $127,370 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $81,474 | $116,199 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $79,872 | $113,914 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $80,625 | $114,989 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $80,965 | $115,473 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $80,639 | $115,008 |
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-E8 make in the United States federal government?
A MIL-E8 in the United States federal civil service earns between $67,878 and $96,808 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-E8 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.