United States · General Schedule (GS) · FY 2026
MIL-W5 Grade Salary
Warrant Officer W-5 — Chief Warrant Officer 5 (highest warrant rank).
2026 salary range
$122,036 – $159,700
Annual base in USD ($). Excludes locality pay, allowances, and performance bonuses.
Step-by-step pay table
| Step | Annual | Monthly (approx) | Hourly (approx) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | $122,036 | $10,170 | $59 |
| 13 | $128,228 | $10,686 | $62 |
| 14 | $132,844 | $11,070 | $64 |
| 15 | $137,941 | $11,495 | $66 |
| 16 | $137,941 | $11,495 | $66 |
| 17 | $144,850 | $12,071 | $70 |
| 18 | $144,850 | $12,071 | $70 |
| 19 | $152,082 | $12,674 | $73 |
| 20 | $152,082 | $12,674 | $73 |
| 21 | $159,700 | $13,308 | $77 |
| 22 | $159,700 | $13,308 | $77 |
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-W5 base. OPM sets the uplift per metro area each January. Below is the locality-adjusted annual salary range for MIL-W5, 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% | $163,455 | $213,902 |
| NYNew York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA | +37.95% | $168,349 | $220,306 |
| SFSan Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA | +46.34% | $178,587 | $233,705 |
| LALos Angeles-Long Beach, CA | +36.47% | $166,543 | $217,943 |
| CHIChicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI | +30.86% | $159,696 | $208,983 |
| RUSRest of U.S. | +17.06% | $142,855 | $186,945 |
| ALAlbany-Schenectady, NY-MA | +20.77% | $147,383 | $192,870 |
| AQAlbuquerque-Santa Fe-Las Vegas, NM | +18.33% | $144,405 | $188,973 |
| ATLAtlanta--Athens-Clarke County--Sandy Springs, GA-AL | +23.79% | $151,068 | $197,693 |
| AUAustin-Round Rock-Georgetown, TX | +20.35% | $146,870 | $192,199 |
| BHBirmingham-Hoover-Talladega, AL | +18.24% | $144,295 | $188,829 |
| BNBurlington-South Burlington-Barre, VT | +19.45% | $145,772 | $190,762 |
| BOSBoston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT-ME-VT | +32.58% | $161,795 | $211,730 |
| BUBuffalo-Cheektowaga-Olean, NY | +22.41% | $149,384 | $195,489 |
| CCCorpus Christi-Kingsville-Alice, TX | +17.63% | $143,551 | $187,855 |
| CINCincinnati-Wilmington-Maysville, OH-KY-IN | +21.93% | $148,798 | $194,722 |
| CLECleveland-Akron-Canton, OH-PA | +22.23% | $149,165 | $195,201 |
| COLColumbus-Marion-Zanesville, OH | +22.15% | $149,067 | $195,074 |
| CSColorado Springs, CO | +20.15% | $146,626 | $191,880 |
| CTCharlotte-Concord, NC-SC | +19.67% | $146,040 | $191,113 |
| DAYDayton-Springfield-Kettering, OH | +21.42% | $148,176 | $193,908 |
| DENDenver-Aurora, CO | +30.52% | $159,281 | $208,440 |
| DETDetroit-Warren-Ann Arbor, MI | +29.12% | $157,573 | $206,205 |
| DFWDallas-Fort Worth, TX-OK | +27.26% | $155,303 | $203,234 |
| DMDes Moines-Ames-West Des Moines, IA | +18.01% | $144,015 | $188,462 |
| DVDavenport-Moline, IA-IL | +18.93% | $145,137 | $189,931 |
| FNFresno-Madera-Hanford, CA | +17.65% | $143,575 | $187,887 |
| HARHartford-East Hartford, CT-MA | +32.08% | $161,185 | $210,932 |
| HBHarrisburg-Lebanon, PA | +19.43% | $145,748 | $190,730 |
| HNTHuntsville-Decatur, AL-TN | +21.91% | $148,774 | $194,690 |
| HOUHouston-The Woodlands, TX | +35.00% | $164,749 | $215,595 |
| INDIndianapolis-Carmel-Muncie, IN | +18.15% | $144,186 | $188,686 |
| KCKansas City-Overland Park-Kansas City, MO-KS | +18.97% | $145,186 | $189,995 |
| LRLaredo, TX | +21.59% | $148,384 | $194,179 |
| LVLas Vegas-Henderson, NV-AZ | +19.57% | $145,918 | $190,953 |
| MFLMiami-Port St. Lucie-Fort Lauderdale, FL | +24.67% | $152,142 | $199,098 |
| MILMilwaukee-Racine-Waukesha, WI | +22.42% | $149,396 | $195,505 |
| MSPMinneapolis-St. Paul, MN-WI | +27.62% | $155,742 | $203,809 |
| OMOmaha-Council Bluffs-Fremont, NE-IA | +18.23% | $144,283 | $188,813 |
| PBPalm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL | +17.93% | $143,917 | $188,334 |
| PHLPhiladelphia-Reading-Camden, PA-NJ-DE-MD | +28.99% | $157,414 | $205,997 |
| PITPittsburgh-New Castle-Weirton, PA-OH-WV | +21.03% | $147,700 | $193,285 |
| PORPortland-Vancouver-Salem, OR-WA | +26.13% | $153,924 | $201,430 |
| PXPhoenix-Mesa, AZ | +22.45% | $149,433 | $195,553 |
| RARaleigh-Durham-Cary, NC | +22.24% | $149,177 | $195,217 |
| RCHRichmond, VA | +22.28% | $149,226 | $195,281 |
| RNReno-Fernley, NV | +17.52% | $143,417 | $187,679 |
| RTRochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY | +17.88% | $143,856 | $188,254 |
| SACSacramento-Roseville, CA-NV | +29.76% | $158,354 | $207,227 |
| SDSan Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA | +33.72% | $163,187 | $213,551 |
| SEASeattle-Tacoma, WA | +31.57% | $160,563 | $210,117 |
| SLSt. Louis-St. Charles-Farmington, MO-IL | +20.03% | $146,480 | $191,688 |
| SNSpokane-Spokane Valley-Coeur d'Alene, WA-ID | +17.67% | $143,600 | $187,919 |
| SOSan Antonio-New Braunfels-Pearsall, TX | +18.78% | $144,954 | $189,692 |
| TUTucson-Nogales, AZ | +19.28% | $145,565 | $190,490 |
| VBVirginia Beach-Norfolk, VA-NC | +18.80% | $144,979 | $189,724 |
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-W5 make in the United States federal government?
A MIL-W5 in the United States federal civil service earns between $122,036 and $159,700 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-W5 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.