✓ Last updated: August 2026 — Uses 2026 Military Pay Tables

Drill Pay Calculator 2026

The drill pay calculator shows monthly and annual pay for Guard and Reserve members. An E-5 with 6 years attending 4 drills per weekend earns $548.00 per drill weekend in 2026, plus additional pay for Annual Training.

Calculate your Reserve or National Guard drill pay using the 2026 military pay tables. Select your pay grade and years of service to see your pay per drill period, drill weekend, monthly drill income, and annual estimates including Annual Training (AT).

Why trust these numbers: calculations use the official 2026 DFAS drill pay tables, kept in a single verified data registry with automated drift detection that flags any stale rate. How we source & verify every figure →

Free. No signup. No lead form. Nobody calls you. Built by a serving Air National Guard NCO — not a law firm.

Enter Your Information

Pay Grade

Years of Service

Number of Drill Periods

4 periods = 1 drill weekend (2 days). 1 period = half day.

Your Estimated Drill Pay (--)

Drill Pay -- for selected periods

Monthly Base Pay -- full-time equivalent

Per Drill Period -- 1 drill

Monthly Drill Income -- 4 drills/month

Annual Drill Pay -- 48 drills

Annual w/ AT -- 48 drills + 15 AT days

How drill pay works: Drill pay equals your monthly base pay divided by 30 for each drill period. A standard drill weekend consists of 4 paid drill periods (2 days × 2 periods per day). Annual Training (AT) is typically 15 days paid at the active-duty daily rate (base pay ÷ 30 per day).

Frequently Asked Questions

How is drill pay calculated?

Drill pay is calculated by dividing your monthly base pay by 30 to get the rate for one drill period. A standard drill weekend counts as 4 drill periods (2 days × 2 periods per day).

For example, if your monthly base pay is $3,000, one drill period pays $100.00 and a full drill weekend pays $400.00.

How many drills per year?

Reserve and National Guard members typically perform 48 paid drill periods per year (12 weekends × 4 periods each). In addition, most members complete 15 days of Annual Training (AT), paid at the active-duty daily rate — 1/30th of monthly base pay per day.

That totals 63 days' worth of base pay per year (48 inactive duty training periods + 15 Annual Training days).

Do reservists get BAH?

Reservists and National Guard members only receive BAH (Basic Allowance for Housing) when on active duty orders, such as during Annual Training (AT), mobilization, or deployment. BAH is not paid during regular drill weekends (inactive duty training).

If you are called to active duty for more than 30 days, you receive BAH based on your duty station or home of record.

Is drill pay taxable?

Yes, drill pay is subject to federal and state income tax as well as FICA (Social Security and Medicare) withholding, just like active duty base pay.

However, drill pay does not include tax-free allowances like BAH or BAS, so the entire drill payment is taxable income.

Data Sources

Every figure here comes from the official sources below. See our full methodology for how we source and verify each rate.

Get VA Disability & Benefits Updates

Rate changes, claim tips, and new calculators — straight to your inbox.

Built and maintained by Henry — Air National Guard NCO, 14 years of service. Rates verified current: 2026 tables (2.8% COLA, effective Dec. 1, 2025). Last checked August 2026.