Updated August 2026
E-7 Pay 2026 — Sergeant First Class
Complete 2026 E-7 (Sergeant First Class) base pay table by years of service, plus BAH rates and total compensation breakdown. All rates include the 3.8% pay raise effective January 1, 2026.
What E-7 Is Called in Each Branch
E-7 is a paygrade, not a rank. Every branch pays E-7 the same base pay from the same table — only the title changes. If you came here from a Navy or Coast Guard search, the numbers below are yours too.
| Branch | Rank at E-7 |
|---|---|
| Army | Sergeant First Class (SFC) |
| Marine Corps | Gunnery Sergeant (GySgt) |
| Navy | Chief Petty Officer (CPO) |
| Air Force | Master Sergeant (MSgt) or First Sergeant |
| Space Force | Master Sergeant (MSgt) |
| Coast Guard | Chief Petty Officer (CPO) |
Rank titles: U.S. Department of War, Military Rank Insignia. Where a service lists two ranks at one paygrade, the job determines which one you hold — the pay is identical.
E-7 Base Pay Table — 2026
| Years of Service | Monthly Pay | Annual Pay |
|---|---|---|
| 2 or less | $3,932.10 | $47,185.20 |
| 2 | $4,291.50 | $51,498.00 |
| 3 | $4,456.20 | $53,474.40 |
| 4 | $4,673.10 | $56,077.20 |
| 6 | $4,843.80 | $58,125.60 |
| 8 | $5,135.70 | $61,628.40 |
| 10 | $5,300.40 | $63,604.80 |
| 12 | $5,591.70 | $67,100.40 |
| 14 | $5,835.00 | $70,020.00 |
| 16 | $6,000.90 | $72,010.80 |
| 18 | $6,177.30 | $74,127.60 |
| 20 | $6,245.70 | $74,948.40 |
| 22 | $6,475.20 | $77,702.40 |
| 24 | $6,598.20 | $79,178.40 |
| 26 | $7,067.40 | $84,808.80 |
| 28 | $7,067.40 | $84,808.80 |
| 30 | $7,067.40 | $84,808.80 |
| 32 | $7,067.40 | $84,808.80 |
| 34 | $7,067.40 | $84,808.80 |
| 36 | $7,067.40 | $84,808.80 |
| 38 | $7,067.40 | $84,808.80 |
| 40 | $7,067.40 | $84,808.80 |
All amounts reflect the 3.8% pay raise effective January 1, 2026. Source: DFAS.
E-7 base pay stops increasing at 26 years of service. It reaches $7,067.40 per month there and stays flat — every row from 26 years through 40 in the table above is the same number. That is why the bottom of the table looks repetitive: longevity raises for E-7 end at 26 years.
After that, E-7 base pay only moves two ways: the annual military pay raise, or promotion. Promotion to E-8 is worth $841.50 more per month at that point ($10,098 a year) before any change in BAH.
E-7 BAH Rates — 2026 (With Dependents)
BAH for an E-7 with dependents ranges from $1,491 to $5,832 per month, with a national average of approximately $2,634/mo across 338 locations.
Top 5 Highest BAH Locations
- Westchester County, NY$5,832/mo
- San Francisco, CA$5,490/mo
- Nantucket, MA$5,241/mo
- New York City, NY$5,238/mo
- Northern New Jersey, NJ$5,073/mo
Top 5 Lowest BAH Locations
- Youngstown, OH$1,491/mo
- Anniston/Fort McClellan, AL$1,560/mo
- Fort Sill/Lawton, OK$1,587/mo
- Vance AFB/Enid, OK$1,623/mo
- Hattiesburg, MS$1,644/mo
Total Compensation Example — E-7 at 20 Years
BAH and BAS are tax-free allowances. Actual total compensation varies by duty station and dependency status. Use the Military Pay Calculator for a personalized estimate.
E-7 Drill Pay — Guard and Reserve
Guard and Reserve members at E-7 are paid from the same base pay table. One drill period pays 1/30 of the monthly base pay above, and a standard drill weekend is four periods.
| Years of service | 1 drill period | Drill weekend (4) | Annual (48 drills + 15 AT days) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 2 yrs | $131.07 | $524.28 | $8,257 |
| Over 4 yrs | $155.77 | $623.08 | $9,814 |
| Over 8 yrs | $171.19 | $684.76 | $10,785 |
| Over 12 yrs | $186.39 | $745.56 | $11,743 |
| Over 20 yrs | $208.19 | $832.76 | $13,116 |
Drill periods are computed as monthly base pay ÷ 30 per DFAS Reserve Component drill pay rules; annual training is paid at the active-duty daily rate, so 15 AT days add 15 daily payments rather than 30 drill periods. Run your own numbers with the Drill Pay Calculator.
Frequently Asked Questions
How E-7 pay changed in 2026
The 2026 raise added 3.8% to E-7 base pay: $177 more per month at 6 years of service ($2,128 a year) compared with the 2025 table.
| Years of service | 2025 | 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over 2 yrs | $4,134/mo | $4,292/mo | +$157 (3.8%) |
| Over 6 yrs | $4,667/mo | $4,844/mo | +$177 (3.8%) |
| Over 12 yrs | $5,387/mo | $5,592/mo | +$205 (3.8%) |
2025 figures: DoD pay tables (incl. the April 2025 junior-enlisted adjustment). 2026 figures: official tables effective January 1, 2026.