United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
MIL-E9 Grade Salary
Enlisted E-9 — Sergeant Major / Master Chief Petty Officer / Chief Master Sergeant (highest enlisted rank).
2026 salary range
$82,922 – $128,750
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | $82,922 | $6,910 | $40 |
| 8 | $84,798 | $7,067 | $41 |
| 9 | $87,163 | $7,264 | $42 |
| 10 | $89,953 | $7,496 | $43 |
| 11 | $92,768 | $7,731 | $45 |
| 12 | $97,261 | $8,105 | $47 |
| 13 | $101,077 | $8,423 | $49 |
| 14 | $105,080 | $8,757 | $51 |
| 15 | $111,215 | $9,268 | $53 |
| 16 | $111,215 | $9,268 | $53 |
| 17 | $116,762 | $9,730 | $56 |
| 18 | $116,762 | $9,730 | $56 |
| 19 | $122,609 | $10,217 | $59 |
| 20 | $122,609 | $10,217 | $59 |
| 21 | $128,750 | $10,729 | $62 |
| 22 | $128,750 | $10,729 | $62 |
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-E9 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for MIL-E9, 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% | $111,066 | $172,448 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $114,391 | $177,611 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $121,348 | $188,413 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $113,164 | $175,705 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $108,512 | $168,482 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $97,068 | $150,715 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $100,145 | $155,491 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $98,122 | $152,350 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $102,649 | $159,380 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $99,797 | $154,951 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $98,047 | $152,234 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $99,050 | $153,792 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $109,938 | $170,697 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $101,505 | $157,603 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $97,541 | $151,449 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $101,107 | $156,985 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $101,356 | $157,371 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $101,289 | $157,268 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $99,631 | $154,693 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $99,233 | $154,075 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $100,684 | $156,328 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $108,230 | $168,045 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $107,069 | $166,242 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $105,527 | $163,847 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $97,856 | $151,938 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $98,619 | $153,122 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $97,558 | $151,474 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $109,523 | $170,053 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $99,034 | $153,766 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $101,090 | $156,959 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $111,945 | $173,813 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $97,972 | $152,118 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $98,652 | $153,174 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $100,825 | $156,547 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $99,150 | $153,946 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $103,379 | $160,513 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $101,513 | $157,616 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $105,825 | $164,311 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $98,039 | $152,221 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $97,790 | $151,835 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $106,961 | $166,075 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $100,360 | $155,826 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $104,590 | $162,392 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $101,538 | $157,654 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $101,364 | $157,384 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $101,397 | $157,436 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $97,450 | $151,307 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $97,748 | $151,771 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $107,600 | $167,066 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $110,883 | $172,165 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $109,100 | $169,396 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $99,531 | $154,539 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $97,574 | $151,500 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $98,495 | $152,929 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $98,909 | $153,573 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $98,511 | $152,955 |
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-E9 make in the United States federal government?
A MIL-E9 in the United States federal civil service earns between $82,922 and $128,750 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-E9 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.